David Alfaro Siqueiros
DAVID ALFARO SIQUEIROS
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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.
Elaborate on course readings: