Argonne Mural gets Facelift

By Aaron Salter

During the weekend of May 11, as the sun's rays raced down from the sky, three local artists, using only cans of aerosol paint, sprayed the day away revamping the mural located on the south wall at Argonne playground.

"This is a rehabilitation," Argonne Recreation Director Janelle Pierce said, "because the other mural was starting to become chipped."

The previous mural had graced the playground for about two years.

"The old (mural) was in bad shape, so we submitted a sketch to park and rec and they approved it," said 31-year-old artist Francisco Aquino.

The current piece, short for masterpiece, is more than five feet tall and 70 feet wide. The mural says, "Argonne Said and Done" in graffiti-style writing. The writing is separated in the middle by a tree and at the ends of the piece there are two figures, one tossing up the planet Earth like a basketball and the other spinning Saturn on his finger.

The mural took about five hours to complete and is an original piece created by the artists. According to Aquino, approximately 100 cans of German paint, which is expensive for spray paint at $9 a can, was used because it is made especially for aerosol art and comes in a variety of bright colors that allow the artists to do more in terms of shading. All supplies were provided by the artists.

Reaction to the new mural has been mostly positive because of its intense color and urban style.

"It's cool, colorful and creative," said Richmond District resident Lisa Mango while watching her infant son crawl on the grass. "It's different because it's kind of urban, which is a feel that the Richmond doesn't have a lot of."

Richmond District resident Adrien Le Biavant, 23, said, "Not only does it give the wall life, it provides a good urban message that graffiti doesn't have to be illegal or associated with crime. It can be a cultural message."

The three artists who worked on the mural have been doing murals for more than 10 years. Previous projects appeared downtown.

"I would like to thank Rec. and Park for giving us the opportunity to paint. I believe it solves the problem of vandalism and brings color and character to the park," Aquino said.