Guardians of the neighborhood

DMM-2022-00114

Guardians of the neighborhood

Pat Perry

Created: 2017
Photographed: 2023-09-18

AAT:
mural paintings (visual works)
African American
double portraits
kerosene lanterns
tools
domestic architecture

LCSH:
Mural painting and decoration, American--Michigan--Detroit--21st Century.
Portraits--Michigan--Detroit.
Middle West--History, Local.

This large-scale mural is painted on the side of a 4-story brick building. It depicts a weathered-looking man and woman, both carrying simple construction tools and looking out into the neighborhood; a disproportionately small cabin sits between them. The woman sits on the left, her body facing forward but her face looking toward the street to her right, so only her profile can be seen; her dark hair laced with grey is in two short braids, with a comb stuck in on the top of her head; she wears a pearl necklace with a silver locket around her neck and a dirty pink dress; over her right shoulder is a bag with a wrench and some other simple tools; in her left hand she holds a lantern up above her head, which perfectly frames a window on the building so that when the inside light is on, the lantern appears lit; her left knee is bent and resting against the side of the little cabin. On the right, the man sits in a chair with his back towards the woman and the cabin, fully facing the street beyond him, with his face slightly angled foward; he has a bushy grey beard, a cowboy style hat in a grey camoflage pattern, and a blue collared shirt; in his left hand, he holds a long, wooden staff, which leans against his left shoulder and extends all the way to the top of the building; in his right hand, which rests against his right leg, he holds a hammer. In the foreground there are some large flowers and reeds. The mural is painted in muted tones, and feels very solemn. According to the artist, the mural represents the residents of his Detroit neighborhood where it is located, and how the members of the community care for each other and the neighborhood.

Still Image

Address: 3485 Mitchell St, Detroit, MI 48207
Coordinates: 42.35655227985171, -83.02998803261971

Perry, P. (n.d.). Pat Perry. https://patperry.net/ ;

City of Detroit. (2022). Detroit mural city. [Infographic]. Detroit Arts, Culture, & Entrepreneurship. https://ace.detroitmi.gov/mural-map?mural=610578dfe8df6c326fae040d ;

Perry, P. [@heypatyeah]. (2017, Sep 30). Gratiot Ave, Detroit, 2017. Big ups to the long term residents who watch out for each other and nurture this [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/BZqyhiVlgC3/?img_index=1

paint on brick masonry

Perry, P. [@heypatyeah]. (2017, Sep 30). Gratiot Ave, Detroit, 2017. Big ups to the long term residents who watch out for each other and nurture this [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/BZqyhiVlgC3/?img_index=1

Perry, P. (n.d.). Pat Perry. https://patperry.net/

City of Detroit. (2022). Detroit mural city. [Infographic]. Detroit Arts, Culture, & Entrepreneurship. https://ace.detroitmi.gov/mural-map?mural=610578dfe8df6c326fae040d