Camille Torfs-Leibman 11/7/11 Pd 5-6

Diego Rivera: a Revolution of Political Art

Introduction A faithful communist, Diego Rivera would not let his country let wealthy foreigners discriminate upon the vital laborers, workers, and farmers of Mexico. After being a cubist for many years Rivera became the leader of the Mexican Muralist Movement. Diego Riveras murals displayed that Mexicos prosperity was in need of all Mexicans, natives, Mestizos, and Spaniards, but most of all the enormous value of the working class. Communism and Marxism, though, were not the political strongholds of Mexico, and many people were upset with Diego Rivera, and other artists that took a part of the Mexican Renaissance for painting lies. This did not stop Diego Rivera and other artists from continuing their constant struggle to inspire Mexican citizens. From the 1920s to 1940s, Diego Rivera painted revolutionary political murals on the walls of public spaces to empower Mexican citizens with a communist message in reaction to Mexicos ten year civil war.

I.

The political unjust exampled by the Mexican government towards the majority of Mexican citizens angered Diego Rivera and led him to painting murals for the people, to empower them with a communist message that he admired in Russia. A. Diego Rivera watched Russia bring rights to its entire people, while his own country, Mexico, still suffered from endless unfair treatment towards the average citizens. B. Diego Rivera was a strongly opinioned communist, who would not let his country diminish its most valuable people. But Rivera was no soldier, instead he painted for the people of Mexico, to empower them with the message of Marxist communism. 1. Death of the Capitalist 2. Night of the Poor verses Night of the Rich C. Diego changed his style of painting to better carry communism through to the Mexican people.

1. Cubism is often even too complicated for an educated artist, much less a Mexican laborer. 2. Out of the art galleries and onto the walls D. Diego Rivera saw the fighting that had consumed Mexico for a long time, he knew that war wasnt going to fix the country, so his paintings changed, and revolutionized the strength of influence art can have on a people. II. Riveras murals highlighted the importance of laborers, and the equality and rights they deserved. A. Diego began to paint murals because he wanted to publicize the importance of the Mexican working class; with these intentions many of the murals he produced portrayed laborers and farmers. B. Since the murals were on public display and featured characters relatable to the murals target audience, people more easily understood the message that Rivera wanted to send. C. Many of Diego Riveras paintings were scenes of work or festivals, and each mural critiqued or showed an unusual angel to the event. Redefining the obvious meaning of the scene and giving the painting a strong meaning. 1. The Burning of Judases 2. The Sugar Refinery 3. The Festival of the Distribution of Land D. When Diego Rivera first began to paint, the majority of painted subjects were light skinned, of a European race, and normally belonged to a wealthy family. Riveras working class focused murals, brought politics forever to artists. III. The poor people of Mexico were inspired by his art, but the rich and the middle class of Mexico demanded that the government no longer allow Rivera to express his politics through public art. A. To fulfill his mission to paint for the benefit of the common people, Diego displeased the rich people who also could view his public artwork. But Rivera revolting against these rich people who controlled the government, made the painting more captivating and more influential to its intended audience.

B. Diegos art often mocked and criticized the life style of wealthy people. While his justly honored those of the working class. This angered the rich and they began to go after Rivera with intelligentsia. 1. Night of the Rich 2. The Rich Banquet While the Workers Fight by Orozco C. There were both violent and nonviolent objections to Mexican revolutionary murals. 1. The Mexican Media was under the influence of the Intelligentsia 2. Painters went up to their scaffolds with guns. 3. Some Americans objected to Diego Rivera a true communist painting in their country. D. Diego Rivera could not just watch the fortunate people in Mexico further exploit those who had less, if it meant painting murals of such radical thinking that his life was threatened. It would be so.

Conclusion Diego Riveras murals taught Mexico to value its entire people, and that equality between all social classes would improve its economic troubles as well as its constant political and social issues. But his murals also taught the entire world that fighting, wars, and violence werent the only ways to persuade people of a political stance. Riveras murals show evidence of art being affectively used as an outlet for political beliefs. Diego Riveras artwork was artistically and politically revolutionary. Artistically, his art was innovative as the idea of massive wall murals to reach greater audiences had not been used for many years. Politically and socially, his artwork spewed with messages of the importance of the proletariat. It is a shame that humans do not have the capability to remember such an important lesson. As today people are still upset with the gap between the rich and the poor. The devoted Marxist created a movement which inspired many Mexicans to begin and paint themselves; his work has taught the public lessons of peace and equality.