A vibrant mural depicting a reclining woman with flowing hair, painted in rich brown and golden tones. Her expression is serene, and her arms and hands are depicted in a relaxed, outstretched pose.
In the vibrant streets of South Salt Lake, a new mural spans nearly 180 square meters, serving not only as a canvas of colors but as a medium for critical social commentary. The mural’s imagery is striking—figures wielding tools that symbolize the creation and manipulation of their own narratives, set against a backdrop of swirling colors and monumental forms that suggest both turmoil and transformation. It was created by Mexican artist Chanate for South Salt Lake’s Mural Fest. The artist is from Monterrey, Mexico, and his murals appear in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and in 40 cities in the United States.
The mural, which vividly portrays figures engaged in an almost mythological effort to transform their environment, uses symbolism and scale to discuss job insecurity within the sphere of public and government-commissioned art. Chanate was written about the symbols on his Instagram page: “The sand castle represented by a fragile and transforming giant is a metaphor for all those problems that we see happening within our environment and that I hope little by little we can see change and mutate in new conditions and new offers—sand as a metaphor for raw material that can be transformed and changed at the will and need of others to build different and better working conditions.”
An expansive mural capturing several figures, including a large, reclining woman and multiple other characters in various poses, against a backdrop of stylized natural and abstract elements.
A wide mural on the side of a building featuring abstract, wavy patterns in multiple colors like purple, blue, and orange, creating a dynamic and colorful backdrop.
The artist, who says he received only one-eighth of the mural’s value, shares a critical perspective on the economic challenges artists face, especially in government-managed projects. Despite these challenges, he said the mural fest proved to be a valuable experience. “Surely it was easier just not to go, but if we can exist and resist in this type of spaces, it is our obligation as Mexican and brown artists.”
Artists are not the only ones who face challenges in the growing public art trend of street murals. For some, like South Salt Lake’s Mural Fest, walls for the artists to paint on are becoming increasingly rare. In an ironic twist, Chanate’s mural covers up a public mural that was created over several years along the former home of the SLC Bicycle Collective (2312 South West Temple, South Salt Lake).
SLC Bicycle Collective mural as it appeared in 2018.
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With our In Plain Site byline we feature publicly viewable art, both official and street art, throughout the state of Utah.
Categories: Art Lake City | In Plain Site | Visual Arts
