Alley Art.

This chapter discusses the sociological aspect of alley art in the U.S. For all of a mural's populist themes--provincialism, theatricality, and satire--it is art. It cites some of Western art's memorable notations and uses art's institutionalized vocabularies, such as composition and framing. It also plays with themes that preoccupy contemporary artists, notably publicness, the deconstruction of durable structures, and historical memory. Besides portraiture, only representational artworks of nature were allowed the artist, as landscapes alone was considered to do justice to God's designs.