JR Uses Giant Murals to Capture San Francisco as a Work in Progress

Here at Unrated, we are obvious (and proud) fans of French muralist and traveling installation artist JR, who never ceases to amaze us with his larger-than-life installations around the globe. From his colossal baby mural and "Giant Picnic" project spurring conversations along the U.S.-Mexico border to his visual representation of everyday athletes during Rio's 2016 Olympic Games dubbed GIANTS, the renowned contemporary talent coninunally sheds light on international sociopolitical issues from every corner of the world. This time the thought-provoking artist flew to San Francisco to create a collective visual narrative illustrative of the people there and the ever-changing place they inhabit.

The San Francisco Mural Project is the artist's way of revealing the story of the city's inhabitants sans the glistening Golden Gate Bridge and tech-boom facades. Taking inspiration from paint icon and pioneer of the Mexican mural movement Diego Rivera, JR chose to launch his second city-based mural compilation (his first being of Les Bosquets in Paris) in San Francisco. He set out to interview various city dwellers everywhere from the Tenderloin to the Financial District and beyond in order to expose the authentic intricacies and nuances of the beloved city and the struggles that lie within its framework. Peep some of the work he has been doing above and keep up with JR on Instagram to see where he ends up (and what he ends up doing) next!

Words: Vanessa Feder