A long-lost triumph rediscovered
In the late 1960s, just as the Chicano political movement was establishing its identity, hints of a mural were found bleeding through a whitewashed wall just off Olvera Street in Los Angeles. Originally created in 1932 by revered Mexican muralist and activist David Alfaro Siqueiros, the painting’s discovery was perfectly timed. Siqueiros, along with artists Diego Rivera and Josè Clemente Orozco, had become an inspiration for the then burgeoning Chicano art movement.
Siqueiros had been commissioned to create an image of America as the land of plenty. But the artist had other plans. Amèrica Tropical depicts two soldiers in the Mexican Revolution aiming at an American eagle sitting atop a double cross on which a Mexican Indian is being crucified. The painting was an enraged criticism of United States oppression and immediately sparked controversy. About a month after his shocking mural was unveiled, Siqueiros was deported from the United States. Within a year, the work was completely covered over. Later, Siqueiros said he’d never intended to paint “a continent of happy men, surrounded by palms and parrots, where the fruit voluntarily detached itself to fall into the mouths of the happy mortals.” It’s said he often painted at night to keep his artistic choices secret.
Info
Address Amèrica Tropical Interpretive Center, 125 Paseo De La Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012, +1 213.485.6855 | Public Transport Any means of public transit to Union Station; the center is across the street. | Getting there Paid lots and metered street parking | Hours Tue–Sun 10am–3pm| Tip Explore the Art Deco-era Los Angeles Central Library (630 W 5th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071), which has a gorgeous rotunda ceiling and a children’s reading room that’s been restored to its original splendor.
Effective protection, not restoration, of the mural began in the 1990s by the Getty Conservation Institute. It took more than 20 years to clean and preserve the discovery. The choice to restore was rejected because experts believed the original colors and artist’s hand would be impossible to duplicate.
The mural can be viewed from a rooftop landing quite a distance away. Still, it’s profound to gaze upon, especially knowing its history. The building beneath houses the Amèrica Tropical Interpretive Center. It’s full of interactive features with rich insight into the times, Siqueiros, and his nearly forgotten masterpiece.
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