Hip Hope

[Ruben Alfu]

This graffiti mural, painted inside the premises of a church in Denver, Colorado, was done in memory of someone called Kenny Lanza, evidently a beloved member of the community.

Ruben Alfu : Hip Hope


​

 

[Asher Kelman]

This graffiti mural, painted inside the premises of a church in Denver, Colorado, was done in memory of someone called Kenny Lanza, evidently a beloved member of the community.

Ruben Alfu : Hip Hope


​

This picture has several parts to make it work, principally the tower part of the church edifice and cross and then the graffiti painting memorial. As art work, I see the upper part as a part of a major European artistic theme of the crucified Jesus against the blue sky. The paradox of man god ideas.

The lower part has, IMHO, insufficient of the mural, it's not a unit of devotion as yet just a snap as one goes by. The concept can, I believe be taken perhaps further. You might need a ladder or to shoot from across the street from the roof, window or balcony. Ideally one would want to take in more of the steeple and the entire mural. For even more power I'd push the concept further by combining it with a twiglight shot with one person bringing a votive candle with 20 or so already lit.

I really like the energy built into this scene and hope you might be able to to take it to the nth and then +1!

Asher

 

[Ruben Alfu]

Hello Asher, thanks very much for your comments and suggestions. When I saw this mural, it struck me the juxtaposition of traditional religiosity and pop culture created by this angle, that was supposed to be the subject of the photo, in a way, as you said, the man-god relationship (my introduction is misleading in this respect). Anyway, I agree that there should be more of the tower and the mural, the brick wall takes too much space and adds little to the photo. The person with the candles is a brilliant idea (pun intended), if I get a chance to go back to this location I might try it.