February 9, 2006
By Shamin Chibba
A GIANT yellow head watches over pedestrians as they stroll past Thuso House on Jorissen Street, in Braamfontein. But it is not an ogre peering out from the windows - the head forms part of the colourful mural on the ground floor of the new home of Joburg's revenue department.
The collage is made up of images that depict familiar sights around Johannesburg, and rich colours are splashed across the ground floor windows, giving a panoramic view of a typical day in the city.
The Nelson Mandela Bridge, Nelson's Café, the Telkom Tower and the omnipresent Metrobus are among the images in the mural. But like any city, Jozi would be incomplete without its citizens, who give a place its atmosphere. From a man crossing a road to schoolgirls boarding a bus, the mural captures Joburgers going about their daily business - completing the picture of the vibrant city.
A mural of street scenes accentuate the vibrancy of the city
"We needed to screen off some ground floor offices, which have wall to ceiling windows, and to create a visual focal point for the new home of the revenue department," said the department's spokesperson, Mandy Jean Woods.
"An agency was briefed to create a Joburg street scene and, where possible, to incorporate elements relevant to the work of the department." Tequila, an advertising agency, created the mural.
"The agency then commissioned a photographer to take pictures around the city. The designer then merged the pictures to create a three-dimensional effect, and then created an 'Andy Warhol effect' on the pictures," Woods explained.
Tequila's creative director, Margie Backhouse, said the mural's illustration style was adopted from Warhol, the American pop artist.
"The illustrator, Karen Lilje, used flat colouring and a palette that was quite earthy, with a lot of African colours," Backhouse said. "It turns an old 1970s building into something modern and iconic."
Warhol usually focused on inanimate objects that had become invisible to the individual because of their familiarity, like his famous Campbell's soup can. In this instance, the revenue department mural worked to make Joburgers aware of buildings and activities that were ignored and taken for granted.
So are people happy with what they see? "People are generally quite impressed with the design," Woods said.
And a quick straw poll of passers-by backs up her remarks - they acknowledge the work as a significant representation of Johannesburg.
"It is very beautiful," says Bright Ukeke. "What is happening around Braamfontein particularly is what is being portrayed."
The mural is also a meeting of the old and new Johannesburg, according to Tshepo Mabonga, who works at the department. "It is a mixture of old and modern buildings; it's lovely. It takes you back to the old years."
It is instantly recognisable and could become a common point of reference. "The mural has not yet evolved into being a landmark, but it is early days," Woods concluded.
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