Semiotic analysis
The nation was revolted by civil war during 1910 to 1920 against the dictator Porfirio Diaz. The idea behind revolution was to attain equality and promote the belief that the land belongs to the labourer who worked in it. Majority citizens united and demanded agrarian reform that signaled a new age in Mexico. The society was concerned about public rights reflected through their demands for education, health and civil liberties. Expulsion of the dictator from Mexico in 1932 resulted in political militancy (LATimes). The arrival of David Alfaro Siqueiros resulted in the creation of three murals during the period of six months. He created his first mural ‘Street Meeting’ at Chouinard School of Art where he was teaching fresco painting style to the students of Art. His second mural ‘Tropical America’ remains one of his most significant painting as it revealed the powerful political statement. The mural left a long-lasting impression due to its execution on the exterior of Olvera Street’s Italian Hall. It was in the same location of Plaza Art Center. His third mural was the ‘Portrait of Present Day Mexico’ still available at a home in Pacific Palisade (Barco).
Art and history recognize the mural of Tropical America as one of the most astonishing pieces of art. The director of the Plaza Art Center, S.K. Ferenz suggested the title for this unique mural. Commercial companies were also involved in supporting the construction of mural as they provided grants for the materials including cement, paint, mechanical equipment and wood for the scaffold (William and Greg). The project involved twenty artists assisting Siqueiros known as Block of Mural Painters. Siqueiros intentions to experiment with new industrial tools motivated him to create eagle. His affiliations with Mexican communist party was another factor encouraging him towards the painting. He was devoted towards the struggles of the Mexican people and also remained in jail for his political activities. His central concern behind the creation of eagle was to portray the struggles of the working-class. His idea was against the traditional art that focused on the individual. During his exile in the US, he painted the mural on the wall above Italian Hall’s roof. His creation of Tropical America was an attack on US imperialism (KINZER).
Mexican iconography was apparent in Siqueiros painting of eagle as it symbolized the society’s problems encountered by the Mexican peasants. The radical technique and composition tried to demonstrate political ideology informing about revolutionary Marxist ideology. Avant-grade style painting of eagle was the perfect illustration of traditional Mexican iconography and local history. Mexican iconography is visible in bringing together elements of Avant-garde painting and traditional art representing historical symbolism and folk art. The cross shows a close resemblance to the Christ cross. The mural displayed a Mexican peasant strung up on a cross, while wrists tied to an upper crossbar and legs to the bottom cross-bar. Siqueiros used the rope around the neck of the peasant with lifeless head dropping towards the right shoulder. American eagle appears on top of the cross while the wings are partly spread. To add more realism the artist presented reminiscent building behind the scene of crucifixion. The existence of Mayan sites such as Tulum and Uxmal portrays how vulnerable poor peasants are to their power. It also conveys the idea about Myan sites intentions of ruining vegetation encroaches of poor farmers. The head of the eagle is pointed to left, surrounded by two figures (YouTube). The Campesino is a red against the peasant, both are prepared to defend themselves while the Campesino points a gun at the eagle. The eagle was a perfect depiction of the peasant-imperialism relationship as Siqueiros attempted to emphasize the rights of labourer and working class (KINZER).
The creation of eagle has close relevance with Maya and Aztec painting styles. The Maya and Aztec paintings emphasized on the religious aspects and beliefs. The representation of Christ cross in Siqueiros painting conveys the same belief. Maya and Aztec paintings also reflected interests in region and cultivation as substantial artwork highlights the aspects of cultivation and agriculture. Use of ceramics and mythological art also remains part of Maya and Aztec paintings. Siqueiros used the same technique to represent the Mexican mythology. Human sacrifices are another feature of the Aztec and Maya art that becomes more discernable in the eagle as it transmits the theme of sacrifice (Economist).
The shooters in Siqueiros mural represent Mexican iconography, as they are government-hired provocateurs. The shooters hold substantial power permitting them to inflict pain upon the peasants. Artistic history of Mexico is visible in the political revolution illustrated in the conception of shooters. The painting shows two shooters aiming at the eagle unveiling the controversial aspects of the mural. The shooters depict relevance with the Maya painting technique as the artist used Indian figure. Maya and Aztec paintings focus on the lives of Indians. The crucified Indian figure also resembles the Maya ruins. The portrait depicts that the shooters are about to kill the poor Indian man representing the concept of imperialism. The shooters symbolize the state’s officials capable of taking lives of the poor people. He used the Aztec and Maya art in religious ceremonies trying to create the same concept of sacrifices made by Indians (Everts). Shooters in the mural are the Americans taking the role of authoritative entities. The mural was the explanation of the native Mexican history where Americans inflicted terror and disregarded them on their lands. The men shooting at the poor Mexican also reveals the government harassments and imperialism aiming to exploit labourer (Economist).
The mural portrays an indigenous Mexican peasant lashed to a double cross representing American imperialism. The image of the peasant symbolizes inequality and miserable state of the working class. Mexican iconography is visible as the peasants and poor farmers remained one of the prominent features of art (Barco). The indigenous peasant belongs to African decent depicting the racial inequalities. The creation of the peasant reveals the relationship of Americans with indigenous people who irrespective of their lands face threats from powerful whites. The Mexican peasant was a perfect figure displaying the social inequalities such as poverty, rebellion and torture. The elements used in the mural were an accurate reflection of the native Mexican history. The indigenous peasant in the mural shows the three generations of poor Mexicans fighting for their rights. The Mexican labourers are not happy that was against the idea of Otis Chandler who wanted to show them in the satisfied state. The unhappy labourer depicts Mexican iconography, trying to convince the audience about the hardships of the poor Mexicans and their sub-standard living. The Mexican iconography is visible as the peasant conveys the theme of agony and sufferings. He appears as cherishing the old pagan religion, ready to make a sacrifice. The indigenous person in the cross symbolizes Christian cross uncovering the same theme of sacrifice and crucifixion (Everts). The indianism apparent in the peasant’s exhibition is the folk art connecting the mural to Mexican iconography (Goldman).
The jungle was created against the idea of tropical paradise reflecting the aspects of Mexican iconography. The impression of darkness and brutality remains discernable in the mural. The pictorial techniques used in the creation of Tropical America is a perfect symbol of Mexican iconography, representing the picture of struggles and pain encountered by the Mexican peasants and indigenous community. the iconography is synonymous with capturing the realities of Mexican immigrants, leaving their countries for work. The mural highlights repressive laws and vigilant crushing the dreams of the Mexican people. The jungle represents the perfect picture of the native Mexican history where bidders exploited the poor labourer. The jungle in the mural exhibits the monumental forms as it affirms folklorism and picturesqueness (Zamora). Tropical America also reflects Mexican iconography as it conveyed the concept of protest against the powerful and inhumanity. The mural recalls how indigenous people of Mexico and unemployed labourer suffered the brutality and injustices due to the unfair role of American government (Goldman).
The mural shows close relevance with the Maya and Aztec art as the concept of jungle conveys the same theme of the succession of internecine war. The jungle carries the same tradition of Aztec and Maya painting. Capering skeletons and the vanquishing demons of Maya twins also have close resemblance with the mural and also remains the inspiration behind Tropical America. Maya artists painted pyramids and represent a long history of art. Maya murals depicted the ruling elites, battles and the religious themes. In Maya art painted pyramids portrayed the burial in the Mexican jungle. The same theme appears in Siqueiros mural as a constructed jungle with the pyramids to transmit the idea of American imperialism. The interior perspective of the pyramid comprises of inclines on both sides creating two planes that enhances the plasticity of the lower pyramid. The purpose of using pyramid is to revive the Maya artistic style, highlighting the burial of the indigenous Mexicans in the jungle. Temple pyramids were also common in the Aztec art used to convey the religious theme (Goldman).
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Urban analysis
The original settings of the mural ‘Tropical America’ used an outdoor. The mural was originally created to showcase the abundance of tropical America. The version created by Siqueiros was highly politicized targeting to highlight the theme of inequality and class discrimination. The original settings revealed the deeper theme of American imperialism and its adverse impacts on the poor Mexicans. The mural portrayed a Native American Indian in crucified form emerging in the centre of the artwork. A menacing eagle was used to symbolize America and its exploitative role. The Mayan temple appears behind the scene of crucifixion white the tropical trees represent America. The Mexican and the Peruvian created at the top right are shown in defensive more. They are both attempting to save their land from the powerful Americans. The original settings display inevitable success of American capitalism as they manage to deteriorate the lands and cultures of Mexicans. In the original theme, the artist tried to promote the socio-political viewpoint that was a direct attack on American imperialism (Piqué, Derrick and Parker).
The original mural was five meters high and 24 meters long. It was created on the exterior side of the south-wall over the Italian Hall building on Olvera Street. Experimental fresco technique was adopted for the creation of the mural. Siqueiros used an airbrush to paint on fresh cement. However, after execution of mural, it was covered with white paint to conceal the elements of American imperialism. The Bloc of mural painters involved twenty artists working with Siqueiros to use his new techniques in Tropical America. Siqueiros used cement instead of traditional plaster and was completed in October 1932 (Zamora). The Indian peon in the original settings represents American imperialism. The allegoric depiction of the mural conveys the idea of peasants protest or resistance against American imperialism. The image does not show a tranquil Mexican village sufficient for highlighting the adversities and sufferings of the poor peasants. Original mural survived for less than a year due to environmental and political factors (Piqué, Derrick and Parker).
The mural holds significance in art and history because it was the first mural created outdoor. Designing mural on black walls on the exterior was a relatively new concept. However, the urban environment of Los Angeles did not support the mural resulting in its deterioration. The sun and harsh weather were sufficient for causing damages to Tropical America. The experimental equipment used by the artist in the creation of the mural included spray guns, concrete and paint. The tools were adopted by artists of modern centuries. He used the artistic skills amazingly to capture the theme of American hypocrisy (Chandler).
In the 1960s the mural was rediscovered with various changes and transitions. The original mural was lost long ago. The transition was most visible due to the harsh environment and airbrush technique. The transition phase occurred in the 1980s when Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) attempted to conserve the project and preserve the surviving public mural in the United States. The transition phase of the mural involved its conservation focusing on carrying out extensive treatment. Before GCI’s involvement in the conservation of the mural, the rise of Chicanos in the 1960s also attempted to renew the mural. However, the GCI was practically involved in the transition phase reflected through the strategy of saving the mural. The transition phase involved a thorough cleaning and reattached the plaster from the missing areas. The conservation project involved a team of experts and scientists. The scientists utilized their knowledge of non-damaging techniques to determine materials originally used by Siqueiros in the creation of the original mural. The team faced challenges due to the missing information on the use of materials and complex nature of the work (Sebeok and Danesi).
The transition phase involved managing complex techniques and aspects of the conservation. The conservation project engaged to protect the mural from harsh environment and sun of LA. The transition phase comprised of four main phases. The initial phase focused on documenting the mural including details about the original materials used in the construction. The team faced difficulties, as Siqueiros never documented the materials to create something unique and amazing. The second phase involved scientific study focused on uncovering the techniques used by Siqueiros in the creation of the original artwork. The team managed to produce conventional graphical documentation in photographic forms that mapped the conditions. The facts revealed the techniques of execution, historical interventions and conservation. Execution techniques revealed the physical evidence of the contents involved in the creation of the original mural. Previous interventions highlighted the earlier conservation work adopted for retrofitting of the Italian Hall. The conservation state revealed the cracks, voids in surfaces, damages and conditions of the remaining paints. The conditions documented served as the baseline conditions for future work and monitoring. The phase also produced the work in a digital form that could be used in future for long-term conservation and treatment (Sebeok and Danesi).
The third phase involved the building of protective shelter that could keep the mural safe from the external environment and harsh conditions such as the sun. The construction of public viewing platform was another step to enhance the protection and conserve the mural for long-term. The treatment adopted by GCI concentrated on stabilizing mural, reattaching the lost plaster, cleaning and consolidation of the surface. The phase determined the need for permanent shelter and viewing platform erecting the protection and display of the mural. The mural suffered damage in 1994 due to the earthquake affecting the work of the building. In the same year, the research team worked on creating digital imaging of the mural with use of Leaf system and digital techniques. The phase of documentation provided information about financial constraints and time duration. The document was used for conservational purposes such as revealing the causal relationship of deterioration processes (Pulido, Cheng and Barraclough).
Digital imaging helped conservators to keep accurate records of the conditions. The next phase involved designing and installation of an interpretive centre for facilitating public access. Funding of the project constitutes $8.95 million from public-private investments. Heritage organizations also supported the conservation project through funding and financial assistance. The temporary protection in front was installed in 2002. GCI managed to complete entire conservation project in 2012 with the completion of protective canopy shelter, interpretive centre and platform for public viewing. Post-treatment monitoring was also part of the transition phase helping GCI to conduct an in-depth review of the mural. The monitoring involved a comprehensive review of the environment and other factors that could threaten the stability of the mural (Rainer, Buzzanca and Palumbo).
The mural represents the history of Los Angeles while the originally created version in Olvera Street was whitewashed. The whitewash peeled off later and again revealed the imagery that was visible to the people of Olvera Street. The mural was restored entirely in 2012 after conservational work. The conservation of America Tropical is located at El Pablo de Los Angeles. The mural exists in the downtown of Los Angeles, still at its original location. The facts depict that Tropical America is the only one among three murals, existing at the location where Siqueiros actually created it. The current location of the mural is the same due to the efforts of Chicanos in the 1960s and GCI to restore Tropical America (Pulido, Cheng and Barraclough).
The urban environment of Los Angeles displayed conditions of air pollution, sprawl, smog and sun. The scorching heat of the sun, smog and sprawl are the harsh environmental conditions that resulted in the deterioration of the mural. The relationship of LA with the land evolved through time, however, it is still known for its sun. Sunshine influenced the transition phase, motivating conservators to build a shelter that protects the mural from direct contact with the sun (William and Greg). The urban culture of LA supported the mural painting as the artists used the walls for painting politics and social aspects. LA environment mobilized communities and expressed frustrations through mural art. The murals influenced physical perceptions and quality of neighborhoods. the government during the 1930s promoted the creation of mural art on the walls for the educational and social purpose. The city of LA has close relevance with the mural of Tropical America as it conveyed a socio-political message (Piqué, Derrick and Parker). The interpretive centre works to preserve the mural in historical and artistic contexts.
The construction of the viewing platform allowed the people and visitors to view the mural. The construction of the protective shelters saved the mural from damage. The interpretive centre works to provide all information regarded the mural to the community. The GCI also engaged in active monitoring of the mural that ensures its stability for the next ten years. The mural represents great significance for the city or Los Angeles as Siqueiros created it on the exterior wall of the city. The mural was created during his stay at LA, allowing him to imprint the social-political realities of the American imperialism. The artist transformed the Olvera Street to a Mexican city portraying the story of indigenous people and poor peasants. The mural also holds significance for the city as Siqueiros designed it during his stay at LA (Pulido, Cheng and Barraclough).
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Aesthetic analysis
The mural of Tropical America created by Siqueiros was an attempt to spread a socio-political message thus becoming part of a muralist movement. The movement was sprawled to promote the concept of nationalism and revolution. Mexican Muralist Movement was focused on using art to transmit a deeper message that would provoke people towards revolution. The emergence of the rich visual language in the public spaces made art accessible to all people. The movement had a significant role in educating and informing the public about the political and social conditions of the country. Cultural identity, resistance, oppression and progress remain important aspects of the movement (Sebeok and Danesi). The independent movement provided a free platform to the artists where they could use their skills for portraying deeper realities of the world. It rejected the external pressures or influences of the government allowing painters to use the free platform to express their viewpoints. It worked as a valid tool for communication outside boundaries of galaxies and museums (Stahi).
The central idea behind the Mexican Muralist Movement was to educate the illiterate people and inform them about the realities. Art for the first time brought to light new possibilities including cohesiveness of communities and the people. The messages emphasized on the promotion of cultural identities, traditions and political agendas. The most important artist of Mexican Muralist Movement involves Diego Rivera who was inclined towards favouring socialism. Early muralists along with Rivera concentrated on portraying industrial revolution, progression due to technology and capitalism. They wanted to convey the theme that realities were unavoidable and that denying rights of common people is not possible. The murals captured the events occurring under the umbrella of industrial revolution and capitalism. Mexican murals remain heavy predecessors of public art and still recognized for their unique artwork.
The concept of mural art and illustration of various artistic concepts on the walls emerged with the movement. The movement plays a substantial role in the liberation of art and the belief that art is free for all and that everyone to represent their ideas or beliefs can use it. Governments during the 1920s commissioned muralists for the purpose of showing the positive side of the nation and mostly to support a political ideology. Creation of murals always-involved controversies and either they were for social or political cause. Graffiti and street art also developed under the influences of the muralist art (Rainer, Buzzanca and Palumbo).
Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco played a dominant role in the creation of Mexican Muralist Movement. Diego Rivera’s mural painting ‘The Creation’ (1922) remains one of the most historical pieces of the movement. Rivera’s creation was actually commissioned by the government and paved way for many new muralist artists. The revolution occurred in 1910 before the creation of Rivera’s mural. The mural conveyed the message that entire Mexico is rising and becoming part of the post-revolution. It was more of an indigenous ideal containing assimilation of modern ideas. Jose Clemente Orozco was another famous muralist associated with the muralist movement. His artwork ‘The Banquet of the Rich’ (1923-1924) represents a revolutionary idea. The mural was created against the orders of the government, revealing his bravery and strength to challenge the traditional settings. the mural created by Orozco represented a political message as he portrayed the working class at the bottom of the social order. He used his artistic skills to showcase them in a state of fighting. The picture clearly depicts that the working class is involved in disputes among themselves, providing more power to the wealthy. Due to their negligence, the wealthy enjoy the luxurious banquet.
Leonard Folgerait explains the mural as “the ridiculously grotesque distortion of the faces and bodies of the rich trio in the upper register is clearly intended to represent their decadence and abuses of power. They are able to frolic in this manner, not heeding any danger from the working class, because the workers are too busy fighting amongst themselves to pose any threat to their bosses” (Art). The artist displays artistic sense as he represents the self-destruction of the poor due to their own ignorance. They are busy in attacking each other while the powerful enjoy their wealth. The mural directly addressed the illiterate working class who remained unaware of their actions (Piqué, Derrick and Parker).
David Alfaro Siqueiros was also a prominent figure of the muralist movement commonly known as Mexican realist painter. He worked to convey his political ideology and used his radical technique to interact with the illiterate working class. He used traditional Mexican iconography to transmit the theme of Mexican immigrants and peasants against American imperialism. His mural targeted Mexican and working class that provoked them to demand revolution and end of the imperialist regime. Murals have close relevance to his political and social agendas as he convinced the masses about demanding freedom and justice. His revolutionary public art disenfranchised public by promoting an idea of revolution. The art was revolutionary in the sense that he allowed many newcomers to break traditional art of European influence and promote their native tradition (Economist). His meeting with Diego Rivera encouraged the artists of movement to focus on their revolutionary idea. With his collaboration, Siqueiros managed to create a union of technical workers, sculptors, painters thus allowing him to stand against the governments.
During his artistic journey, he focused on educating the workers and promoting their knowledge regarding Marxist ideology. Siqueiros three murals created in America were part of the muralist movement. He created three murals at different locations of LA with the goal of addressing the masses specifically working class. Tropical America remains largest of the three murals created to showcase the miserable conditions of the Mexican working class. The murals contributed to the movement as they convinced poor laborer to recognize their conditions. Tropical America revealed the exploitative nature of the America state and the owners. The powerful managed to enlarge their profits while the indigenous people and immigrants of Mexico failed to gain peace or happiness. Class gap and social inequality remained the common theme of three murals, motivating working class to demand change (LATimes).
The three artists cultivated the style adopted the Mexican iconography to reveal the indigenous culture that helped them in promoting Mexican identity. the non-European heroes tried to create their native identities and use Mexican iconography that allowed Mexican people to craft nation’s history. The common themes in the murals included Aztec warriors fighting against the Spanish, working-class suffering in poverty and the powerful enjoying the statuses. Creation of epic murals on public buildings, walls and open spaces was enough to promote rebellion among working-class. Siqueiros murals anticipated the historical event and new order while other Mexican artists also encouraged masses to stand against repression (YouTube). Mayan aesthetic was apparent in the murals of three artists as they used the common Orozco’s painting in 1942 criticized the role of technology by highlighting negative aspects of disorganization, prostitution, inequality and materialism. Innovative iconography introduced in the Mexican muralist movement plays a substantial role in the revolution. Muralists had prominent roles in reorientation of histories, recovering lost stories and drafting new narratives that later inspired the Chicano artists (GCI).
The role of Diego Rivera remains prominent in the muralist movement as in early years of cubism he tried to associate his art with Picasso’s work and brought modernism to Mexico. The Mexican muralists such as Rivera and Siqueiros reflected their interests in cubism. Picasso remained one of the prominent artists of the cubist movement using art for the promotion of abstract art. Through ideology of non-representational art, they emphasized on unity by depicting scenes and events on the canvas. Public message was also a common element of cubists such as Picasso’s d’Avingon (1907) captured the nude women. Muralist movement also shows close relevance with the expressionism movement allowing artists to portray the anxieties existing in the world during the 1920s (Zamora). expressionism was a revolutionary form of art emphasizing on introducing new standards of judgment and creation.
Through painting, the artists managed to capture the anxieties and emotional state of the people. Through the use of bold colors, it represented social criticism by touching the topics of injustices and inequalities. Edvard Munch’s painting ‘The Scream’ (1893) remains one of the most striking contributions of the expressionism movement. The painting represented the deaths and agony depicting the darker side of the world. The purpose of the movement was to respond to the adversities resulting from the technological progress of the twentieth century (Pulido, Cheng and Barraclough). The movements provoked the three muralists and remain one of the primary reasons behind the muralist movement as they adopted same techniques and ideas. The adopted kind of informed choice making the aspects of expressionism and cubism visible in their street art. The notion of street art remains more prominent in the muralist movement as Siqueiros along with the other artists made their art on walls and most crowded placed of LA. The purpose was to target the common people passing by streets that also influenced an entire generation of the Mexican artists (Barco).
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City and humanities analysis
The socio-cultural assessment of the most significant mural of Siqueiros ‘Tropical America’ depicts its significance in all eras. Latinos artists and their culture an integral part of city’s artistic heritage. Muralist culture influenced not only the people of LA where Tropical America was created but it also affected the neighboring cities. The mural had dominant impacts on the culture and society of LA as it promoted the theme of revolution. The mural influenced the working class, highlighting the theme of oppression. The image of the crucified native American was a protest against the officials of United States. The immediate impacts of mural involved the development of self-consciousness in the indigenous community regarding inequality and American imperialism. The artists coming after the period adopted the muralist ideology of Siqueiros apparent in the street art and Portrait of the Bourgeois (1939). The cable street mural also represents the great influence of Tropical America. Siqueiros mural maintained longevity and remained imprinted on the artists of all eras. The creation of the mural at Olvera Street criticized the unfair role of the state. The image clearly highlighted the immigrants falling prey to the hypocrisy of the government visible in the American dream. Murals have also used a tool to address state’s injustices and also adopted by the artists during neo-Nazi movements (Pulido, Cheng and Barraclough).
The muralist movement of Siqueiros focused on Marxist ideology explaining the gap between two classes; rich and the poor. The interpretation of Tropical America also reveals the same differences between two classes depicting the oppression of indigenous community. The mural was a clear message that continued to educate upcoming generations about the concept of social injustices and inequalities. The mural was also an attempt for Siqueiros to acclaim cultural identity and encourage Mexicans to keep their identities with them. American imperialism was an attack on native identities, cultures and statuses. The mural preserved the history of American imperialism and remained an area of interest for the new artists (Rainer, Buzzanca and Palumbo).
The experimental workshop of Siqueiros encouraged many new artists to address the social issues and use their artistic skills to highlight the harsh realities of the world.
The artists in the twenty-first century still use muralist philosophy to protest against the hypocrisy of the American government. Siqueiros and Jackson Pollock adopted similar styles to fight against the Fascism. The art used by Siqueiros was linked to the traditional art adopted by religious practitioners of the thirteenth century. The purpose of art in past was to promote religious beliefs and enhance humanity. The techniques adopted by Siqueiros in capturing the realistic issues of the American society had a close resemblance to Mexican culture. The artist wanted to assure that he remains connected to his native culture and convinced to use Mexican iconography in his murals. The creation of an indigenous Indian in the mural reflects his concerns about the poor. The creation of the pyramid represents the connection of the mural with Mayan art style. Pyramids and temples were common features of the Mayan art used by the artists if the ancient times to represent religious beliefs (Goldman).
The soldiers in the mural display the powerful American’s who controls the lives of the Mexican laborer. The purpose of the mural was to circulate a public message and to address the uneducated people belonging to the working class. The message was prominent and string as it reflected the miserable conditions of the Mexicans who came to the country of dreams for fulfilling their desires. The Americans exploited the workers and managed to keep the biggest shares. The mural also intrigued the working class to think about the reasons for their deprived state. The mural was used to educate and inform common people to reject the imperialist rule and demand equal rights. The mural influenced not only the city of LA but also the working class in other areas of US. The impacts and role of `tropical `America become more visible in the civil war when the working class rose to demand equality and elimination of injustices. The mural influenced the Mexican immigrants to learn how American imperialism caused devastation to their fields and crops. The only beneficiaries of their labor remain the powerful white Americans while they irrespective of their struggles earn no reward or entitlements (Sebeok and Danesi).
The mural revealed the most astonishing realities by creating the shooters and showing their intentions of attacking the indigenous man. The creation of the artist influenced other Mexican artists and became one of the prominent causes of the Mexican revolution. The creation of jungle also transmitted the theme of oppression as the repressive laws caused complications for the working class. Power and inhumanity were common attributes of the American imperialism giving sufficient power to the whites. The mural promoted the belief that unfair role of the state resulted in miserable lives of the indigenous communities in America (Economist). The reason for choosing outdoor settings for the mural was to address the wider public. The direct encounter of the laborer with the street art allowed them to rethink about the role of imperialism and also motivated them to stand against the inequalities (GCI).
The city of Los Angeles reflects significance in the creation of the mural, as it was during Siqueiros exile in LA that he visualized the Mexican realities in an American world. The creation of the mural influenced the culture of US that also resulted in controversies. The government whitewashed the mural and tried to repress Siqueiros attempts of promoting emotions of rebellion (Goldman). The harsh environment of LA also caused damages to the mural after flaking of whitewash due to the hot sun. The mural was then restored by the Chicano movement during the 1960s. Chicano artists represented influenced by Siqueiros as they tried to convey the same socio-political message of power versus oppression. The artists in the Chicano art movement focused on using the same Mexican iconography adopted by Siqueiros in his creation of murals. The recreation of murals and wall art depicts the impacts of Tropical America on the modern artists of the twentieth century. Chicano artists focused on promoting social activism with the aim of eliminating unjust rule and promoting the concepts of equality. The art movement focused on bringing social change by provoking people of working class to demand rights. the touch of Aztec art in the Chicano art movement also reflects the influences of Siqueiros Tropical America (LATimes).
The mural influenced the new artists by providing them free of creating their thoughts and sharing with the people throughout the world. Chicano’s movement during the 1960s and 1970s also reflected the profound impacts of Tropical America. The revolutionists in the movement attempted to revive the history of the mural. The `great Walls of Los Angeles was also created under the influence of Siqueiros mural. The mural encouraged the new artists to follow the same techniques of muralist art and use them for conveying socio-political messages. The Chicano artists repaired the mural during the 1960s with their focus on reinventing the artistic movement. Trevino defines the mural as, “America Tropical was a land of natives, of Indians, Creoles, of African-American men, all of them invariably persecuted and harassed by their respective governments” (Economist). The anti-imperialist message never faded from the culture of America that also becomes visible in attempts of Getty institute to save recover the lost mural. Whitewashing the mural did not remove the art of Siqueiros as it kept on provoking modern artists (Rainer, Buzzanca and Palumbo).
The use of murals in the twenty-first century depicts the profound impacts of Siqueiros mural and Mexican Muralist Movement. The trend of using muralist art for social message did not vanish with the end of Tropical America. The murals and the philosophy still fascinate the modern artists to use their art as an expression of freedom and conveying their viewpoints without fear or hesitation. Siqueiros mural Tropical America provided direction to the new artists by promoting elements of expressionism and freedom. The traditional and historic symbolism of folk-art still influences the modern artists to cover different socio-political aspects of human life. Mural also provided a model of activism for subsequent artists trying to promote political agendas. The artists of the twenty-first century used the materials of Siqueiros and feel encouraged to adopt new approaches to show distinct concepts of society. Tropical America still inspires the artists trying to capture deeper realities of the world. Spray-painting and graffiti emerged under the influence of Siqueiros mural. In 2012 the Museum of Latin American Art revived the same theme of Siqueiros and presented Siqueiros in LA: Censorship Defied. The museum is still trying to unite artists and generate new murals with an expansion of Siqueiros ideas and theme. The mural will continue to influence new artists for using art for public and political agendas.
Work cited
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Economist. How a young revolutionary fooled the city elders. 2010. 17 03 2018 <https://www.economist.com/node/17090723>.
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