Day of The Dead Murals XII

The Murals of Jalatlaco.

Just above the entrance to Jalatlaco on the corner of Hidalgo with La Republica, on the downhill half of the Pisa Pizza store front, I saw a man painting this wall pink about two weeks ago. There has been such an increase of murals here in Jalatlaco this past year that whenever I see a wall being painted I anticipate that within a few days a new mural will appear. For the most part I have been correct.

While the whole of the wall was painted pink the mural only occupies that section between two doors. But it is a wonderful mural, probably one of the best. I certainly hope it doesn’t fade.

Elsewhere in this blog I have pointed out that the art work here in Oaxaca shows a strong reference to Picasso and Matisse, despite the fame of several local artist ...not to say they too are not referenced. In his love of drawing Bouler summons up remembrance of Picasso. But here, on the flat ground ,we have a full out reference to the late Matisse papier colle. I am not all that fond of Matisse, I find him repetitious, but having seen a large exhibition of the paper cut outs at the Pompidieu Center many years ago I am very much in love with them. Here it works very successfully as a ground.

Note: Near the top of the door frame to the left of the mural there is on both sides a vacant space filled with a small cement portrait head of a young man. As the two appear identical I assume they were mold made. They remind me that during the Italian immigration into the USA in the early 1900’s the immigrant Italian masons often incorporated figures and portraits into the decorative plaster work with which I am most familiar in New York City. I wondered if these small heads were portraits of a family member, or self portraits, and if they had been made by an Italian mason. I have a sense that there is an Italian presence here in Jalatlco.