“Astro”
Location: The Root of the Hill
1121 Broadway Boulder, CO 80302
2023 Fall Mural Series
Photos by Peter Kowalchuk and Dona Laurita
Denver-based artist Marcus Murray takes great inspiration from Afrofuturism. This social, political, and artistic movement imagines a future in which people of African descent play a central role in creating that world. Afrofuturism centers Black history and culture to examine the past, question the present, and imagine an optimistic future.
In “Astro,” Marcus illustrates a young Black astronaut. Set against a cosmic purple background, the woman gazes about with wonder at the stars that surround her. The artist draws inspiration from “Lovecraft Country,” a science fiction book turned TV show. The character Diana Freeman constantly draws her own comic book that features a Black space-faring adventurer.
A large component of Afrofuturism is representation. As a young Black girl, Diana witnessed the racism of the scientific world that denied the contributions of Black people. Her comics reveal an inclusive world that allows someone who looks like her to venture into outer space. Marcus’s mural brings that representation to a larger scale.