Mexican Muralism - 4003 Words

Mexican muralism offers us one of the most politically charged and expressive art forms of the 20th century. David Alfaro Siqueiros and Jose Clemente Orozco are two of the three so called triumvirate of Mexican Muralists, the third being Diego Rivera. Both of the artists have a unique style and a strong sense of morals and political ideals. Their styles are similar in the sense of the amount of expression and movement in their pieces They also share a common ideology that shows up often in their work. Siqueiros’ Portrait of the Bourgeoisie and New Democracy along with Orozco’s American Civilization and Catharsis show you a great cross section of Mexican Muralism, revealing the passions and beliefs of the time period. In order to†¦show more content†¦Your eyes read the mural as you go up the stairs. Siqueiros was interested in portraying movement in his forms, this is apparent in the mural. All of the images are active, and they all do their part in moving your eyes around the painting. The mural consists of a total of three walls and a ceiling all covered with images that seem to converge toward the middle wall. The central wall is the most controversial wall as far as content is concerned. This wall seems to depict capitalism as it manipulates the political powers of the world. Your eyes are drawn to a creature that looks like the lovechild of an engine and an octopus. This image is a large mechanism known as the â€Å"infernal machine†. Above the infernal machine is a huge metal plated eagle known as the â€Å"imperialist eagle†. To the left of the infernal machine, there are three figures that stand for the principal bourgeois democracies: France, Great Britain, and the United States. The right side features three fascist regimes: Hirohito, Mussolini, and Hitler. The â€Å"infernal machine† is pumping a fuel that reminds me of blood. Gold coins are spilling out of the top of the machine, which seems to emulate the idea of greed. The coins lead your eye down to the bottom of the mural where there is a factory extending across all three of the walls. The factory shows Siqueiros’ socialist philosophy. Inside of the factory you can see the plight of the working man, bearingShow MoreRelatedLatin American Authors Influence On Mexican Culture1698 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Las mujeres son seres inferiores porque, al entregarse, se abren. Su inferioridad es constitucional y radica en su sexo, en su rajada, herida que jamà ¡s cicatriza.† (p. 58-59) This mimicry allows Paz to share an observation on Mexican culture, without commiting to the viewpoint himself. He also occasionaly resorts to an open scathing critique. He uses this most notably when talking about the phenomenon of machismo, who’s views he reproduces above, saying that the macho â€Å"Es el poder, aislado enRead MoreEssay on Chicano Art3962 Words   |  16 Pages(Fernanda 36-57). The concept of Indigenismo formed one of the integral themes that was expressed in the Chicano form of art in the 1960s and 1970s. Chicano was a term that was originally used as a deprecating label given to the daughters and sons of the Mexican migrants. The term was accepted both as a symbol of ethnic pride and self-determination. Some of the issues that the movement focused on was the awareness of a collective culture and history, equal opportunity for social mobility and restoration ofRead MoreAncient Mexico: A Mural By Diego Rivera.Ancient Mexico1225 Words   |  5 Pagesproto typical of the painting style’s era. Physically the mural is located on the stairway of the Mexican National Palace, in Mexico City; which is the place where the Presidents work. This mural was commissioned at the end of the Mexican Revolution by the federal government. Moreover, this masterpiece depicts its era, considering that this was the dominating genre in the 1920’s, among the Mexican painters. Muralism Movement in Mexico as a form of popular art, flourished during the post-revolution, dueRead MoreThe Mexican Revolution Of Carlos Merida And El Dios Del Fuego789 Words   |  4 PagesI chose Carlos Merida and his Mexican murals because they consisted of popping color schemes and had an abstract vibe to them that attracted me and stood out from the rest of the artists to choose from. My three favorite works by Carlos would have to be La Mà ¡scara Mà ¡gica, Dancers of Mexico, and El Dios del Fuego. He was a well-known Guatemalan muralist and he became interested in the social revolution that was taking place in Mexico City, known as the Mexican Revolution. As Diego Rivera’s assistantRead MoreThe Effects Of Urban Renewal And The Freeway Systems1153 Words   |  5 Pages1930s. Olvera Street was planned out by Christine Sterling who had a vision, â€Å"a Mexican street of yesterday in a city of today† (Carpio lecture week 3). With profit in mind, Olvera Street worked as a tourist attraction in Los Angeles with the help of Union Station opening during that period (Carpio, lecture week 3). Puestos and shops were placed down the street to sell typical Mexican commodities and were meant to give Mexican families in need jobs within those shops (Kropp 8). Sterling used her charityRead MoreChicano Murals in Los Angeles3931 Words   |  16 Pagesopposition. In Mexico, after the Mexican Revolution of 1917, the government commissioned a vast number of mural projects to transmit its revisionist history of the country, and celebrate the empowerment of the underclass in their recent victory. Predominate themes were cultural reclamation, history, pre-conquest civilization, anti-colonialism, anti-bourgeoisie sentiment, celebration of the working class, and highlighting the beauty and struggle of life as a Mexican. This movement moved north, acrossRead MoreThe Muralist Movement in Mexico3342 Words   |  14 PagesThe Muralist Movement in Mexico Mural painting is one of the oldest and most important forms of artistic, political and social expression. Mexican muralists, Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros revived this form of painting in Mexico and led the way for the Muralist Movement in Mexico. Their murals were based on the political and social conditions of the times. During the beginning of the 20th century, Mexico went through a political and social revolution and the governmentRead MoreArt And Its Impact On Society2359 Words   |  10 Pages 27). Mexican muralism emerged during the 1920s, post-Revolution period in an attempt to promote a unified political front and the nationalist ideals of the time (Folgarait. 1991. p. 18). The government’s desire to address the illiterate population, to promote the newly formed Mexican identity funded the mural movement. The three leading figures of this movement were Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Jose Clemente Orozco (Ibid.) Figure 2, similarly to most of the Mexican murals