America Tropical: Oppressed and Destroyed by Imperialisms
1 media/siqAMERICA-TROPICAL_thumb.jpg 2023-06-01T03:04:42-07:00 Vanessa Salgado bda00098d30b38b2229c2907b310043e9362a3ab 42723 1 98-foot wide fresco mural created in 1932 by David Alfaro Siqueiros and other artists in Los Angeles, California, on a second-level exterior wall of the Italian Hall plain 2023-06-01T03:04:43-07:00 Vanessa Salgado bda00098d30b38b2229c2907b310043e9362a3abThis page is referenced by:
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2023-05-23T13:19:16-07:00
David Alfaro Siqueiros: Social Realist Painter
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Abstract: Social realist painter and muralist, David Siqueiros is recognized for his large public murals. Recognized as one of the most famous of the "Mexican muralists", Siqueiros's artwork often carried strong political and social messages, depicting themes of social justice, revolution, and the struggles of the working class. His passion for social activism and artistic expression made him a significant figure not only in the art world but also in the broader context of political and cultural movements of his time.
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2023-06-12T00:56:33-07:00
One of the most notable muralists known during the Chicanx art movement is David Alfaro Siquieros. This social realist painter and muralist, most famously recognized for his large public murals, Siqueiros is known as one of the most famous of the "Mexican muralists". Siqueiros painted dynamic images of revolution and human struggle. His accentuation/emphasis of the human body was meant to show the strength of the working class and often used symbols from the natural world to evoke broader political and social themes. Siqueiros's artwork often carried strong political and social messages, depicting themes of social justice, revolution, and the struggles of the working class. His passion for social activism and artistic expression made him a significant figure not only in the art world but also in the broader context of political and cultural movements of his time. His most popular mural pictured above, America Tropical, is one of his most popular murals, as its significance over time has grown, drawing discussion from many of its observers.
To briefly summarize the revolutionary life of David Alfaro Siquieros, it is important to recognize his intent and motivations. In this Youtube video pictured aside, Siqueiros highlights his reasoning for creating his vast murals. The video quotes, “Quiero que el tema no sea solamente la marcha de la humanidad en México, si no la marcha de la humanidad en toda América Latina en particular / I want the topic not only to be the march of humanity in Mexico, but the march of humanity in all of Latin America in particular” (David Alfaro Siqueiros).
In order to promote Olvera Street in Los Angeles, CA in the 1930s, David Alfaro Siqueiros was invited to paint a mural with the intention to be the embodiment of an idealized painting, however he did the opposite. Siqueiros instead, painting a radical mural. At the America Tropical Interpretive Center in Los Angeles, CA, there is a direct quotation from Siqueiros himself, “I believe. I have done something interesting here. I have initiated a movement of outdoor murals that I judge to be very serious - murals under the sun, under the rain, facing the street. If one muses over this, one recognizes…. the basis of art of the future that [will] be public to its fullest extent” - David Alfaro Siqueiros (1932), writing after his deportation from the United States.As depicted aside, this image includes F. K. Ferenz, with artists Dean Cornwell and David Alfaro Siqueiros at Olvera Street in Los Angeles in 1932. Siqueiros faced many criticisms surrounding América Tropical after it was unveiled on October 9th, 1932. The image shocked many. A consequence of this was The U.S. Department of Labor’s Immigration Service requesting his immediate departure from the United States. América Tropical held a big significance about imperialism and the lives of Latine peoples during the time. The mural reflects the oppression and exploitation of Latine people by the United States, and the controversy surrounding it reflects the ongoing struggles of marginalized communities for visibility and recognition. This mural is noted as a mural too powerful to be hidden.Brief background on the artist and any controversies surrounding his identity/history.
Discuss his murals and their significance.
Dive into America Tropical.
The mural reflects the oppression and exploitation of Latine people by the United States, and the controversy surrounding it reflects the ongoing struggles of marginalized communities for visibility and recognition.
What efforts had been made to preserve and restore the mural, which has suffered damage over the years due to neglect and censorship?
The Getty Conservation Institute completed a three-decade-long project to conserve the mural—carefully removing the paint that was used to cover it, working to save what was left, and making it accessible to visitors once again.
How do power structures seek to silence and erase the experiences of oppressed communities?
As mentioned previously, Siqueros truly believed art had the power to change the world and change the perception of everything we know.
“The fact that the sun (according to the Aztecs: Huitzilopochtli, the god of war) cracked the white paint and made "América Tropical" visible again, symbolizes our resiliency in the face of discrimination and structural violence” (Prof. AR)
Siqueiros was commissioned to paint a romanticized version of Mexico… ironic enough business owners from the area at that time probably described it as scandalous, heinous, or atrocious.
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