A Guardian Angel
South African artist Faith XLVll recently finished a mural on The University Square Building in West Philly. The mural itself ranges 19 stories high and is around 11,000 square feet in length. This mural has now marked the crossing from University City into West Philadelphia. When making this piece, Faith gathered inspiration from what she witnessed growing up in South Africa, and what she saw after coming to the U.S.
She Said “I come from a country that is seething with the frustration of uncontrollable violence and woman abuse, xenophobia, class and racial divide. And have moved to a country where there seems to be a fundamental crisis in the very soul of the nation”.
The mural itself shows a quote from Philly native, Noam Chomsky that says “Optimism is a strategy for a Better Future”. Chomsky was a head figure for the ‘”Cognitive Revolution” movement that began in the 1950s. His work would help us to further understand how human languages work.
In a city that is plagued with poverty and violence, some optimism is exactly what the City of Brotherly Love needs right now. The completion of this mural is a positive outlook as Philly enters a new decade. The Silent Watcher mural is located at 3901 Market Street, right next to the 40th street station. If you live in the city or happen to be visiting the area, you should definitely check it out.
What do you guys think of The Silent Watcher? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below. Let us know what future content you would like us to cover. And as always, have a good day.
