Blog #6: Revolutions, Creativity, Turmoil and Art

As we approach the Mural Movement in Mexico, my thoughts wander to how changes in society tend to create enormous ripples in the way people, and of course, artists, view the world. Just like language is an expression of perceiving the world, art can be viewed as its visual counterpart. A revolution changes many of the values in the society: a shift in the economy, the political values, the social hierarchy, the interactions between people. In its turmoil and its aftermath, new connections are made between all the strata of society. New strange winds blow over the consciousness of a nation bringing new life to the art created within the society.

Diego Rivera is an outstanding example of an artist that had the ability to perceive the world in a new way. His art is truly amazing in its choice of motives and the individuals he depicts. Rivera also put his subjects forward to the viewer in a very new way filled with symbolism of his society and culture.







His work puts forward a new view: People from all walks of life accented by rough lines and bright colors. Symbols of the internal world of his mind merged with the society he lives within. In a similar fashion his partner Frida Kahlo brought forward nuances of her spirit and world that are now immortal in their uniqueness.





Are revolutions, and artists that grow up and experience these types of ripples, always connected to a shift in the creative flow of the arts? Do the turmoil in society always cause a shift in the arts? In a sense we have already witnessed such a major change in Mexico in the acculturation of the indigenous people with the Spaniards and the centuries that followed. Of course, in this case art merging in quite a different fashion. During the 20th century one can examine art produced in China as well as in the Soviet Union after the revolutions.

Of course, the political symbols are many. One aspect about Rivera's art in Mexico is that it appears to be more personal compared to the extreme political symbolism in the art from China and the former Soviet Union. An example from the latter is the painting to the right made by Valentina Kulagina in 1930 (just 13 years after the Russian Revolution). It is of course an image to bolster the defense effort of the nation, but the style is quite different compared to tradition in its exaggerated block-like depictions of the walking workers which transform as they move. A shift in perception has occurred and one may always wonder about the reasons and the minds of the viewers in these situations. However, it is possible that my own cultural lens blocks my ability to see beyond the paintings. What is clear is that every revolution changes the course of the arts in a new, and often, unpredictable fashion.

Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina

This class, its readings and blogs have inspired me to reread an amazing history book. It is called "Open Veins of Latin America - five centuries of the pillage of a continent" by Eduardo Galeano. It covers the time span from the contact with the Spaniards and the Portuguese with a focus on the social oppression and disintegration of the indigenous people. It is very well written covering disturbing events as one learns about the exploitation of the people in the name of greed and riches. It reaches deep into one's soul with its disturbing content. At the same time I feel as if this is a very important book and highly recommend it to anyone remotely interested in the history of Latin America. The book provides an amazing foundation for making connections between the present and the past within this disturbing mosaic of history. Read it!