What we already have

 

Mural painted by Eloise Gillow with ‘StARTer Proyectos’ in Reinoso, Spain, a village with only 10 permanent inhabitants.

The mural reflects back to us what we already have, highlighted through the repetition of the wall itself, the surrounding buildings and the garden in front of it. The painting blends into the already beautiful space of the village square, not calling too much attention, but subtly inviting the viewer to stop and look.

The figures are women of two different generations, portraits of women from the village but also representing women in rural areas in general. Fausti, the figure on the left, voluntarily maintains flower beds around the village, affirming that “before, there were no flowers in Reinoso”. She has also carried many large rocks down from the mountainside that she integrates into the flowerbeds. Through a strength of determination, and a joyful spirit, she is constantly caring for these public spaces and cultivating beauty, beyond economic utility. In the mural is accompanied by Aida, a young girl who is also active in the life of the village.

Through their simple gestures from daily life brought into a large scale, the mural draws attention to the quiet yet important role of these women in cultivating the natural world around them. They are tending to this one flower bed, this island of green, which can also be read as a microcosm of the natural world, the need to appreciate what we already have and protect the environment around us. This contact with the earth, the knowledge of plants and how to care for them, is something we need to value and pass down the generations.

The mural invites the viewer to look at what we already have, to see the beauty and importance of the natural world around us, and especially the important role of women in passing on the knowledge of preservation and cultivation of the natural worl