I think everyone agrees, it is a school's job to promote the appreciation for the arts. That goes for creating it, as well as enjoying it. And what would be better than focusing on the type of art the students already like, and are even good at?
This seems to be the guiding philosophy at the Jeanne Barez School, in the Französisch Buchholz neighborhood of Berlin, where the following painting is adorning the wall outside the school's building:
Gandalf and Graffiti:
It is a mural of Gandalf in action, casting some of his wizard skills, while around him four elaborate tags present the skills of their graffiti artists, who presumably are (were) students of this school. The only thing that seems to be a bit out of place is the logo of the sponsor, who incidentally has a car dealership next door, and was apparently kind enough to offer the wall of its building to support the school's art program. Though the lettering under Gandalf makes it clear who the wall art is for.
For those of you who enjoy deciphering elaborate tags, feel free to zoom in and figure out who these talented taggers are. As always, this post is my entry for this week's CCC's Street Art Contest, where you can always find phenomenal murals from around the world, even the most hidden places of Berlin. To see more of my finds in this city, visit my collection The Walls of Berlin.