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Ariana Azoulai

Professor Batty

English 101

26 May 2017

Do You Really Want to Live Forever?: A Mural Interpretation

Being forever young is a goal that many have, and while it might be nice at first, its in

no way as gratifying as striving to be the best person you can be. Herakut, two German artists,

have created a mural located in Los Angeles that addresses this issue, titled; Striving for Truth.

The mural depicts that as we grow older, we continuously look back on the past, but if we stay in

the moment and strive for truthfulness (whether that be to ourselves or something else) and

beauty (internally), then well no longer need to look back. This continuous journey has the

ability to keep us content and feeling young our whole life. However, most of society believes

that beauty lies within physical appearance. In reality, beauty from the heart is far more valuable

and has the ability to last forever. Through my eyes, Herakuts mural portrays a message on true

beauty and how to achieve happiness by their use of illustration, their unique painting style, and

their purpose behind painting the mural.

Striving for Truth strongly plays on adolescence with its mythical illustrations and the

story it sets up. The mural begins its visual tale with a woman lying on her stomach. Shes

adorned in a long green dress with a trail of blue stars that are printed on the earthy fabric. Her

position and clothing reminds the viewer of what they might wear lounging about as a child, and

whats any childhood fairytale without some companions? Off to the side of the woman are some

furry friends, a deer and a monkey. A shadow lies behind the woman and the deer, both painted
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with faded blacks and whites, similar to a distant memory. The womans shadow appears to be

her as a child. The younger girl is wearing pigtails that twist and transform into tree branches,

representative of a free-mind. These branches might be interpreted as thoughts; a symbol of ideas

that are always growing and multiplying. This free-thinking is ever-present in childhood, vs.

adulthood, where thoughts are often jaded. Recall that the womans shadow is her as a child,

showing the viewer an allusion to youth still being a part of her, spiritually. Our inner-beauty and

truth will never leave us as we grow older, it only needs to be uncovered for the familiar feeling

to be sparked again. The woman and her shadow are staring at the viewer, symbolizing the

strength that lies within these qualities. Locked eye-contact is a representation of power, as

opposed to, eyes that drift downward, which can come across as weak or timid. Lastly, a book is

sat beneath the womans elbow as she leans on it. Off to the side, we see a quote that might be

projected from one of the many pages she leans on, Striving for truth and beauty is a sphere in

which we are allowed to stay children throughout life ("Herakut Contast Mural Series").

Originally said by Albert Einstein, this quote complements the murals lesson greatly. By trying

to discover truth and beauty within ourselves, we can find that feeling of being young again,

where nothing else matters except living in the moment.

Herakuts backgrounds and art style play an important role in Striving for Truth by

impacting the overall meaning of the piece. With their stylized mix of street art and graffiti, an

interesting layer is added to their thought-provoking work. The pair are a German duo where

Hera (Jasmin) is the painter and Akut (Falk) is the graffiti artist. Jasmin Siddiqui was taught

straight and classic art, taking lessons from various artists starting from when she was eight.

Her traditional technique is still used in her and Falks murals today. Falk Lehman, on the other
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hand, has been in the graffiti world since he was 14, aiming to make his work look as realistic as

possible. The twos first collaboration was in 2004, when they first met. Pairing Falks graffiti

skills with Jasmins old-school technique created, and continues to create, otherworldly pieces

that combine realistic visions with classic graffiti styles (Lestinsky, Herakut). Every piece of

theirs includes a quote that displays a peek into each character's life. Striving for Truth is one of

the many pieces that contains a quote providing insight into the characters life, however, it isn't

like their other pieces. Instead, this mural portrays a much more whimsical aura than the others,

being that they are normally darker regarding context. This change of course makes Striving for

Truth stand out more than their other work. Herakuts technique and style gives a dark twist on

what may be seen as a fairytale. With sketch-like lines and strokes, they create a

storybook-picture effect that adds an authenticity to Striving for Truth.

When a mural is driven by a sense of purpose, it adds more meaning and an additional

interest factor for the viewer. The purpose for this mural was to create a focal point of beauty in a

community that was being developed and to spread the message of how to accomplish true

happiness, something everyone could reach for. Striving for Truth was not the only mural created

for these reasons, but was actually included in a series titled The Contrast Series. The idea was

started by, Industry Partners, a Santa Monica based real estate services firm, and LeBasse

Projects...in order to begin building cultural value into the fabric of neighborhood and

community properties being developed ("Herakut Contast Mural Series"). LeBasse Projects and

Herakut created a platform and piece of art that is truly groundbreaking by portraying a message

that everyone in the community can connect with. Serving as a true representation of what art
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can do; the mural is on display for people of all ages to enjoy and learn from, while also adding

some free-thought to the neighborhood.

Being genuine and finding an inner-essence of good can bring out peoples youthful side,

allowing them to feel fulfilled throughout lifes journey. Herakut drives this message home with

their beautiful mural, displaying an inner-adolescence within us all. Their different artistic

backgrounds come together to create stylized pieces with unique looks, as well as, important

messages. This incredible mural was part of The Contrast Series and contributed not only beauty

to a neighborhood, but also taught the community to find happiness from within. With the mural

in the minds of many, it's quote will echo along with it: Striving for truth and beauty is a sphere

in which we are allowed to stay children throughout life("Herakut Contast Mural Series").
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Works Cited

1) "Herakut Contast Mural Series." LeBasse Projects. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.

<http://www.lebasseprojects.com/herakut/>.

2) Lestinsky, Lukas. "Herakut." WideWalls. WideWalls, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.

<http://www.widewalls.ch/artist/herakut/>.
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Index