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Monica Heen

Professor Batty

English 101

30 May 2017

Run Boy Run: A Visual Rhetoric of a Mural

Art in its purest form is uncensored, unapologetic and emotional! Its an expression of sensations

and passions felt not only by the creator, but also the admirer. What Crycle intended verses what they

actually conveyed is based purely on each individual admirers perception. What I see when I look at

this mural, is a woman stricken with grief; suffering from unbearable loss; the depth of which her

emotions radiate from the mural and you cant help but be affected. The artists who created the mural

were greatly influenced by a song of a mothers loss; they were able recreate the effects the song had

on them through their mural, using shapes, objects and colors. With layers of meaning in each image;

Crycle has the ability to capture their audiences attention, challenging us to see past the literal for a

deeper meaning. The artists want you to feel something profound when you look upon the mural.

Crycle wants you to experience this woman's' emotional turmoil through their imagery; they want you

to understand her; the artists want you to be affected by this mural as much as they were affected by

the song that inspired its creation.

When I look at Crycles mural, I see a beautiful woman with clearly defined features, wavy curly

hair fanned out across her neck; smooth skin, full lips, naked from the top up, shaded in hues of black

and white. Her breast are clearly visible, but not overly detailed whereas to distract us or seem vulgar.

Her nakedness symbolizes her vulnerability, her humanity and her imperfections. She rests her left

hand over her eyes. The pose suggests shes sad or grief stricken. Her eyes are closed, her mouth

slightly open, her head askew, tilted towards her left hand, in a pose all too familiar to anyone who has

known heartache; shielding her tears from the world. Her right arms is resting on an invisible surface,
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leaning all her weight on the arm supporting her head. Fear; grief; sadness; pain, all these emotions

are felt when you stare at this woman. The letters R, U, N, are in the background, the only color in

this mural, bright gold; they allude to the song, "Run Boy Run;" the song that inspired her existence. A

black crow flies above her, ominous, with its wings extended, mouth open, almost like its taunting her,

bringing with it, all the reasons for her grief. In front of her, a horse, a symbol of strength and beauty,

frozen in a gallop, takes with him, her joy. So strong is the feeling of loss, its almost impossible to

remain unaffected.

Crycle succeeded in emulating what he believed was a mother suffering from a loss of a child;

something every mother fears! The woman in the mural can be you, me, anyone; she can be your

mother, sister, daughter, or lover. Her world is broken, her precious child is gone. She failed him; she

failed to protect him. How can she survive without him? How can she face tomorrow without his smile

to give her purpose? And all the while, the ominous crow mocks her with his laughter, tormenting her.

She is now alone. In her sorrow, she allows us to see her at her weakest, knowing we will judge her,

accepting that we may condemn her. I know because I've been her and I've suffered those same

unbearable emotions. I've sat in that same pose, with my head in my hands, and tears running down

my face. I recognize myself in this mural, it's a tiny reflection of an event in my life that completely

devastated me. Once you've survived something like that, it's easy to recognize someone who is also

suffering. A broken heart is a broken heart, no matter what caused it to break.

The song that originally inspired the mural, "Run Boy Run," (The Golden Age Woodkid) by

Woodkid, born Yoann Lomoine; tells you of a story about a boy, who was too young and too innocent

to face the world, and was ultimately consumed by it. The narrator expresses their terror and grief as

they speak of this boys demise. This boy, who may have been the woman in the mural's son. The song

starts out dark and sinister, with the melody slow and deliberate, creating a feeling of immense
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hopelessness. The tone is slow and measured with long pauses; the bass and tempo are simple,

allowing for a smooth flood of sound without the clutter of instruments. The lyrics are eerie in their

vagueness, challenging you to feel, invoking a sense of surreal sorrow. The vocals are sung in a low

baritone voice, giving the song a deep-dark lonely aspect. Woodkid knows whats waiting for him, he

warned him, "tomorrow is another day, and when the night fades away, you'll be a man, boy! But for

now it's time to run, it's time to run (Run Boy Run Woodkid). These lyrics create a sense of

danger and longing. Woodkid tells the boy, The world is not made for you, theyre trying to catch

you. (Run Boy Run -Woodkid) The boy wants to be a man, but he is not ready. He is a boy, trapped

in a mans body. The song, describes the boys eagerness and restlessness to be a man, and warns him

of the perils that await him.

What you see on the surface is just the beginning of the journey to discovering the meaning of

this mural. All the components combined help to give insight on what both Cyrcle and Woodkid

intended for you to see, but hoped you'd also feel. The woman in the mural showed us her pain and

shared with us her sorrow. She held nothing back, and in doing so, helped us share in her loss. Crycle

and Woodkid understood her, they empathized with her. Without knowing anything about her other

than her loss, they were able to tell her story. Woodkid through his music and Crycle through their art,

were able to help us see her struggle, understand how it came to be; and hurt alongside her; sharing her

mind, body and spirit.

Works Cited
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Lemoine, Yoann. "Woodkid Lyrics." The Golden Age; Run Boy Run." Azlyrics.com, 18 Mar.

2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

< http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/woodkid/runboyrun.html>

WOODKID, and CYRCLE. "WOODKID X CYRCLE Mural in Los Angeles." Cyrcle.com, n.d.

Web. 15 Feb. 2017.

< http://www.cyrcle.com/209/woodkid-x-cyrcle-mural-in-los-angeles/>
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Appendix