IBM Building Mural
By Opski Chan | 5th & E. St. John | Captured 2018 - 2026
During my middle school days, landlines were rare, color TVs were uncommon, and kids played outside after school. My family often received corporate literature and prospectuses by mail. As a child, I didn't understand policies and meetings; instead, I was drawn to images.
The shiny IBM Corporate Overview booklet showed pictures of boxy IBM Personal Computers, rooms with blue-and-white panels and glowing lights, and tidy spaces with glass floors and men in suits and ties.
For my class presentation, I made a collage using pictures from the IBM booklet. My presentation sparked a lively debate, as my classmates, teachers, and principal refused to believe I was not lying. Back then, no one had heard of computers.
I was warned that fabricating stories violated the strict policies of Lady Irwin Senior Secondary School. I only avoided suspension after showing them the IBM booklet with cutout holes.
Discovering this mural on the exterior wall of the now-closed IBM plant in San Jose felt like a nostalgic link to my childhood.
This was likely one of the first murals I photographed.
Update:
Recently, I took my husband to see it. Instead of vibrant colors, we were greeted by the gray paint that had been painted over the mural.
The Backdrop
As I was captivated by the images in my childhood booklet, I am equally attracted to the overlapping typography. The words ‘Temple Laundry,’ ‘Libby,’ and ‘Cherries’ placed alongside the large blue and black stripes of the IBM logo create a visual timeline of Santa Clara Valley's shift from a fruit-canning hub to the center of Silicon Valley's tech industry.
Opski incorporated vintage produce packaging typography, fonts, characters, and art styles. He contrasted Cesar Chavez with IBM to depict the opposing forces of agriculture and technology. The artwork was completed in ten days.
Originally, the site was home to Temple Laundry, established in response to union resistance to poor working conditions. Since it was a light-industrial facility, IBM decided to open its first West Coast manufacturing plant there.
The site is making history again, as despite the non-profit Preservation Action Council of San Jose listing it as threatened, the city of San Jose has approved it for a housing development.
Update:
After allegations of sexual abuse against Cesar Chavez, the mural was covered up.
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