The Mexican Revolution was a ten-year-long political crisis and civil war that left over a million people dead. In the wake of the Mexican Revolution, the Mexican government funded a nationwide art project in an attempt to reunify the country as well as promote national pride by making public art accessible through murals. This has come to be known as the Mexican Muralist movement. The Mexican government commissioned artists to create public murals that were inspired by ancient Mayan and Aztec influence with their bold colors and simplified forms. The subject matter ranged from political, to grassroots concerning independence, cultural identity, progress, oppression, and social commentary.
One of the foremost artists of the Mexican Muralist Movement is Diego Rivera. Rivera began working in Mexico in the early 1920s and was primarily based in Mexico City, although he painted murals all over the world. Themes of human suffering and depictions of revolutionary heroes were at the forefront of Rivera's works which often sparked controversy both at home and abroad.
Creation by Diego Rivera (1922-23.) Pigment suspended in molten wax.
Creation is Rivera's first work that was commissioned by the Mexican Government and resides in Mexico City. It is a complex depiction of the creation of science and the arts by combining Juedeo-Christion, Mexican, and Hellenic concepts. We can see the Hellenic influences in the elongation of the human forms which resembles naturalism, as well as the depiction of these people in what appears to be a natural setting. Additionally, we can see the influence of Judeo-Christian motifs when acknowledging the angels at the top of the piece and the halos surrounding the heads of the seven figures that reside above the rest. The placement of these figures above the rest in conjunction with their halos implies that they are holier or of greater virtue than those below them. These figures represent faith. The mural also portrays the concept of charity when analyzing the two unclothed figures on either end of the lower portion of the mural. Something noteworthy about this piece is that the features of the figures being portrayed (skin tone, facial features, hair color) are distinctly Mexican. This was intentional on Riveras part considering that this was a mural created for the Mexican people. Not to mention, the figures were modeled after a native Mexican woman, Guadelupe Marin, who would later become Rivera's second wife.
Another muralist of this time is David Alfero Siqueiros who painted thousands of square feet in murals during his day depicting subject matter similar to that of Diego Rivera, except Sigueiros' work heavily reflected his own Marxist ideology. His beliefs led to much controversy in Mexico because of the political tension as well as the stigma around communism at the time. This led him to be arrested as well as exiled several times. Rivera was also a very passionate left-winged artist, so it's no surprise that Rivera and Siqueiros considered themselves partners and worked closely together for their cause.
The Elements by David Alfero Siqueiros (1922.) Multimedia on cement.
The Elements is located on the ceiling of a predatory school and depicts a large winged woman surrounded by representations of the four elements: water, earth, fire, and air. The imagery that Siqueiros chose to represent the elements is abstract ones that one wouldn't typically think of. Shells represent water when one might think of waves or droplets. Abstract flames represent fire. Wind, or air, is represented by the equally abstract horizontal forms underneath the red flames. Lastly, the element of earth is depicted as "two giant bones of a tropical fruit" mirrored at the base of the winged woman (X.) These non-traditional depictions of the elements can be seen as symbolic of a new, non-traditional idealism in the wake of a country that was just beginning to redefine itself politically, socially, culturally, and artistically.
A notably important icon and influential artist that lived during the time of the Mexican Muralist Movement is none other than Frida Khalo. Khalo has become a legend of post-revolution Mexico and one of the most celebrated and influential artists of the 19th century. Khalo's art isn't all that makes her so intriguing to the world. Her life story includes her notoriously tumultuous marriage to Diego Rivera, a man who was 21 years older than herself, her unique style, and her wit have inspired award-winning movies and books. However, her art itself is moving, puzzling, deeply personal, and visually beautiful. Kahlo's works depict themes of self-reflection, internal pain, and the projection that pain casts on the outside world.
The Two Fridas By Frida Kahlo (1939.) Oil on canvas.
Something that Frida Kahlo is most known for is her self-portraits. In The Two Fridas, there are two versions of herself portrayed sitting beside each other holding hands. She painted it soon after her divorce from Diego Ravera and seems to represent two different versions of herself. One, to the left, is dressed in a traditional Tehuana dress and has only half of a heart in her chest. In her hand is a pair of forceps that appear to be pinching an artery in an attempt to stop it from bleeding. This could be a metaphor for emotional damage control or attempts to heal oneself's own heartbreak. The Frida on the right is dressed in more modern clothing for the time, and her heart is whole. In her hand is a photograph where a similar artery that is coiled up her arm and connected to her complete heart ends. The sky above both of her is cloudy and grey, perhaps reflecting her inner uncertainty and turmoil.
Personally, Frida Kahlo is my favorite artist from this era. She also has a few political works and similar ideology to Rivera and Siqueiros, however, I think that she really distinguishes herself with her deeply intimate and visually striking artwork.
Works Cited
“Mexican Muralism Movement Overview.” The Art Story, https://www.theartstory.org/movement/mexican-muralism/.
Siqueiros, David Alfaro. “The Elements, 1922 - David Alfaro Siqueiros.” Www.wikiart.org, 1 Jan. 1970, https://www.wikiart.org/en/david-alfaro-siqueiros/the-elements-1922.
“The Two Fridas.” The Two Fridas, 1939 by Frida Kahlo, https://www.fridakahlo.org/the-two-fridas.jsp. 
Hi Kyleigh! I loved reading your post, when I was in high school I only ever learned about the American Revolution so reading and learning about the Mexican Revolution and about the art of this era is amazing! I have heard and seen so much about Frida Kahlo in the past but I have never seen this piece, I love the visual depiction of two different versions of herself and how you analyzed it representing emotional damage, I can totally see that too. The painting itself has such rich colors and I really appreciate the details of her clothes and facial details of her blush and expression. Did you know she lied about her age and told people she was born in 1910 so people would relate her to the Mexican Revolution? What an icon.
ReplyDelete