ART FOR A CHANGE - Siqueiros

Siqueiros came to Los Angeles as a political refugee in 1932. He stayed for six months before being unceremoniously deported after his visa ran out. His arrival in the U.S. came during the great depression when factories closed and thousands were thrown out of work. While in L.A. he painted three important murals. The first was created at the prestigious Chouinard School of Art. Siqueiros had been invited by the school to teach a class in mural painting, and what better way to educate his students than to directly involve them in the creation of a mural.

The 20 by 30 foot painting was on an outside wall of the school, and for the first time the artist put aside his brushes and turned to an industrial spray gun to paint the fresh concrete. The results revolutionized mural making. The work, titled Mitin Obrero (Worker's Meeting), depicted a militant union organizer and the multi-cultural crowd of workers who had put down their tools to listen to his oration. The painting was almost immediately covered by a tarp to prevent public viewing and within a year it was completely destroyed.

The second and most famous of Siqueiros' L.A. murals was painted on a rooftop overlooking the City's historic Olvera Street. The Plaza Art Center wanted the artist to paint an exotic picture of Latin America replete with tropical birds and lush jungle. Instead Siqueiros covered the 130 foot wall space with a terrifying visage. Titled América Tropical, the mural's central focus was an Indian crucified on a cross, on top of which sat the eagle of imperialism. The background consisted of ruined Indian pyramids, a reference to the European sacking of indigenous grandeur. To the left and right of this scene, armed peasants were coming out of the jungle to wage a war of liberation. The mural represented a great advancement in art making since it was the first time any artist had used a projector to transfer enlarged images to a surface. Needless to say, conservatives were outraged over the mural and it was immediately whitewashed. It sat abandoned for decades until the J. Paul Getty Museum decided to restore it (a process that today is still ongoing).

The artist's third mural in Los Angeles, Portrait of Mexico Today - 1932, had better luck. Film director Dudley Murphy was a great supporter of Siqueiros, and to show his appreciation the artist painted a mural at the director's Pacific Palisades home. Luckily for us all, the 170 square foot work was donated to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in 2001. Situated in a semi-enclosed garden structure, the mural depicts two impoverished peasant women with a partially clothed child standing between them. The trio are placed on the steps of an ancient Indian pyramid surrounded by jungle. To the extreme left of this scene are the bodies of two slain workers, blood trickling from their mouths.

Overlooking the slaughter is a portrait of the American capitalist, J.P. Morgan. Close by and under the gaze of the approving Morgan, sits the Mexican President, Plutarco Elías Calles. Shown as an armed bandit with stolen money bags at his feet, Calles is portrayed as an errand boy to the foreign masters of El Norte. At the opposite end of the mural crouches a communist soldier bearing a rifle, representing the forces that would forever end the oppression of the workers.

Siqueiros passed away in 1974, never having achieved the recognition in the U.S. that he so richly deserved... until the Santa Barbara Museum of Art honored him with a community celebration. October 20th, 2002 was a milestone for the concept of freedom of expression, but it was also a great day for art and a vindication for those artists whose works reflect a social consciousness. While dozens of luminaries from the world of art, commerce, and politics were part of the ceremony (including the Mayor of the city of Santa Barbara and a representative from the Mexican government), it was the thousands of ordinary people who attended the unveiling that served as the highest tribute to the revolutionary artist. People thirst for art that reflects their reality and aspirations, and today's artists must rediscover the path blazed by David Alfaro Siqueiros. ¡Viva Siqueiros!

Siqueiros jailed in Mexico (1960), for "subversive activities."

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is located at 1130 State Street * Telephone (805) 963-4364.
For complete information on the Siqueiros mural, check the Museum's website, at: www.sbmuseart.org

Check out the book, "Siqueiros, His Life and Works" by Philip Stein

Cover art for Philp Stein's book, "Siqueiros, His Life and Works"

Philip Stein, a.k.a. Estaño, wrote the definitive biography on Siquieros, Siqueiros, His Life and Works. Estaño is a tremendously talented painter who worked with Siquieros in Mexico for some ten years, helping the master to create some of his most renowned murals. The 400 page book provides incredible insights into the work, life, and times of one of the world's greatest political artists. The book includes 72 pages of color and b&w plates and photos.