Mexican+Muralists

The changes in Mexico have been documented with huge public murals that show to all viewers a nationalistic (proud) view of Mexican history. The period of revolution in Mexico in the early 1900s were fueled by economic inequality, issues with the US over power and land, and continued issues with Spain. Following the Mexican Revolution, the Mexican government supported the development of a new school of art to break with the dominance of the European tradition. This new movement sought to create a “real” Mexican art that would strengthen and reaffirm Mexican identity and the values of the Revolution. The Mexican Muralist movement was born as a means to provide a visual narrative of the post-Revolutionary vision of Mexican history and was driven by the ideal that art should be “by the public, for the public.” In this lesson, students will examine the use of art as historical narrative and social commentary, and create a mural inspired by the Mexican Muralist movement.

1. What are symbols? 2. How can art show nationalism? 3. Why would artists make these huge murals, who are they trying to educate?

Using the transparencies on the window create and fill out this chart on your iPad or a piece of paper.

Title:
 * Mural || What is happening in this mural || List 6 symbols in this mural || What does this mural show about Mexico's history, how does it show nationalism? ||
 * Mural 1

Artist ||  ||   ||   || Title:
 * Mural 2

Artist ||  ||   ||   || Title:
 * Mural 3

Artist: ||  ||   ||   ||
 * Mural 4

Title:

Artist: ||  ||   ||   ||

The Trench by Orozco Land Distribution by Rivera Juarez and the fall of the Empire Repression by Rivera