New mural ‘Resurgence’ installed in La Jolla, CA

Murals of La Jolla is pleased to present Resurgence, a site-responsive mural by Chitra Ganesh and the artist’s first large-scale public work on the West Coast. Resurgence exudes expansive energy across an activated ocean landscape. The work celebrates the twinned realities of San Diego’s extraordinary biodiversity as both cause for celebration and rendering it vulnerable to the threats of climate change and extinction. Its stunning biodiversity combined with habitat loss and climate change means that San Diego is home to one of the highest numbers of endangered species in the United States. Resurgence includes species that have been brought back from extinction, those under threat, and those that have been lost completely. At the same time, the mural includes species indigenous to both California and the East Coast, reflecting the artist’s own location, cohabiting in the space of this work.

Rising from the center of the composition, the dynamic main figure floats suspended, in the midst of an ocean, surrounded by a broad range of animal and sea life. Resurgence projects a hypothetical future in which environmental harmony and potential toxicity are intimately intertwined. On the one hand, the multitude of creatures depicted in this complex ecosystem may be endangered or extinct due to humankind’s destructive relationship with the natural environment. On the other hand, other beings pictured in the mural reveal the remarkable resilience of all living things and, as such, their ability to bounce back when given undisturbed and nourishing environmental conditions. Through a mixed-media approach, the saturated palette and stylized environment puts forth a dual narrative where the expansive landscape vacillates between dystopia and utopia, reminding us of our agency during a crucial turning point in the future health of our planet.

Location: 7540 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA

More information here