Thanks to a Roberto Montenegro painting and a sighting of Mexican graffiti, I learned about life (but mostly death) this past Sunday. Since July 1, the Phoenix Art Museum has been displaying the Modern Mexican Painting exhibition from the Andrés Blaisten Collection at Phoenix Art Museum. Featuring 80 paintings by 45 of Mexico’s bold artists including Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, and José Clemente, the exhibition shows the striking, definitive look of Mexican art made between 1910 and 1950.
What stood out to me was Roberto Montenegro’s painting Síntesis (1935). In this harrowing depiction of death there is a frightened horse, a glaring hawk, mounds of metal, barbed wire, and a dying man strewn across the front. A mysterious golden head hovers with a dark red and purple sky in the background. To accentuate the point is a skull in the very center. Death is scary—duly noted.
However, driving on Roosevelt after viewing the exhibition, I saw the graffiti murals on Tacos de Juarez near 7th St. Painted by Lalo Cota, this mural portrays a very different depiction of death than I had seen in the gallery. Cota’s mural was also attention-grabbing, but in a different way. With the bright colors, oversized hats, and alcoholic beverages in hand, the skeletons looked to be having a good time. In fact, I think most ASU students would be down to party with them.
Both pieces included a representation of skulls, but each elicited a completely different response. Montenegro’s depiction of a skull was haunting, while Cota’s use of skulls was playful. The fear of death was alleviated through the detail of lighthearted grins and fluttery eyelashes in Cota’s. Death isn’t scary when it’s wearing a big floral hat and sipping a margarita.
The Modern Mexican Painting exhibition continues until Sept. 25, and Lola Cota’s murals can be seen on many different buildings going down Roosevelt. You won’t want to miss either one.
