'Ark of the Covenant' one year anniversary..

Yep.. this mural is still standing after its first year in the basement of  the St. Paul Center, Naperville, IL. Surrounded by Christmas lights(thanks for taping right on the mural guys..thanks), I guess we can say it's the last this youth group will see of us. We visited tonight to check up on everything..couldn't have been more awkward..probably won't happen again. The description to the far right reads//

Joseph Mazzone (1991)

Ark of the Covenant, 2010

Gesso and Acrylic on cinderblock

With early on help from friends and SSPP alumnus David Bakke (1991, class of ‘05) and Anna Graham (1992, class of ‘06), this parish consented mural for the Teen Zone took all but 8 months (March 15, 2010 – November 11, 2010) to complete. Starting with the collaboration of two crude sketches and restricted to ONLY brush paint with limited days, this work marks the endurance and will of the young artists involved, through tireless effort and an accumulation of at least 215 hours. Ark of the Covenant utilizes artist Mazzones’ personal style and continuance with color experimentation through the influence of Graffiti, and parallels it to that of the boldness, emotion, and power of the Book of Revelation (verses and idea of Rev. organized by Mike Lewandowski and David Bakke). Based around the original wall hanging of the Crucifix (center), Mary is pictured on the left agonizing over the death of her son Jesus, while opposite John is pictured cradling the Bible embossed with the Mazzone shield. The reason for the monochromatic schemes was to emphasize the emotional tension between Mary and John; the cold, loneliness, etc. of Mary’s losing her son (and of her always pictured with blue), and John being red for the justifying comfort which the Bible may provide once truly understood. ‘Tech-style’ rays come forth from the Crucifix to not only signify the obvious glory, but also tell of how the Biblical stories and its typology have thrived and inspired through hundreds of years, and continue to do so(time).

Although this was a new subject matter for Mazzone, the style and technique can still be related to his past works

This mural is protected by the ‘Visual Artists Rights Act’

Acrylic on Cinderblock. Mind the glare.

The 'Mazzone' family coat of arms pictured on the Bible