By Eugenio Amézquita Velasco
Translation: Metro News Mx
As a preview of the upcoming "Voces del Muro, Pasos del Pueblo" (Voices of the Wall, Steps of the People) Festival, visual artists José Luis Perales, Carolina García, María Hernández, and Beatriz Hernández have created a mural in the Barrio de Los Remedios. This neighborhood, with deep Otomí roots in the Pueblo Mágico of Comonfort, now boasts a work filled with color and love for the origins of the Pre-Hispanic and Traditional Dances of the region.
The recently completed piece has transformed an old, weathered wall into a vibrant work of art. This is just the beginning, as it joins a planned series of approximately 21 murals to be erected by around 60 visual artists from Comonfort and beyond.
This collective effort features the talent and vision of 47 individual artists, alongside various artistic collectives, who have chosen to pour their techniques into the walls of Comonfort. Participants include creators such as José Luis Perales, María Hernández, Beatriz Hernández, Ramón López, and Ricardo Vanegas. The project’s visual richness is further nourished by the creativity of Angelucho, Pamela Gámez, Adán Téllez, Celeste Flores Morales, and Art Hermes.
The visual narrative expands with the brushstrokes of Mariana Romero García, Israel Hernández Gómez, Alejandro Cortez, Jazmín Ivonne, Francisco Ibarra, and Andrés Copado. They are joined by Miguel Hernández, Andrés Spardaner, Alejandro García, Cikman, Alex Peña, and Adrián Verdi, who contribute contemporary nuances to traditional themes. The urban landscape is further transformed by the hands of Santiago Belman, David Mota, Juan Manuel Tovar, Gerardo Laguna, José López, and Paola Rodríguez Bárcenas.
The commitment to the environment is also shared by Carlos Rojas, Dannae Montoya, Monserrat Ortiz Valle, Alejandro Rivera Vázquez, the Ly By Art Collective, Everardo Pérez, and Lizette Maldonado. Finally, the cohesion of this project is solidified by the work of Eduardo López, Josafat, Daniel Rico, Hugo Solís, Ricardo Olalde, Blanca Tapia, Luis Ángel Godínez, Miguel Galindo, the prominent visual artist from Orduña de Abajo, Leslie Karen Juárez Mota, Miguel Rosales, and Javier Zárate.
Description of the mural "Voces del Muro, Pasos del Pueblo"
Regarding symbolism and iconography, the work is rich in Mexican cultural imagery, specifically linked to regional festivities and connecting with more than 10 different dances performed in this community. The presence of the Virgin of Los Remedios, held centrally, serves as the devotional axis of the community. Traditional dancers and characters are integral to the composition, featuring figures with polychrome flower headdresses, a "guache" (a character with a devil mask), and pre-Hispanic attire. These symbols represent religious syncretism and cultural resistance.
Due to its style and movement, the work is classified within Mexican Neo-Muralism with strong roots in Social Realism. It follows the canon of Mexican muralists, such as Guanajuato’s own Diego Rivera, regarding the robustness of the figures and the dignification of indigenous and popular features, while adapting to a contemporary urban art aesthetic. It provides a fresh vision by integrating elements of popular graphics and dynamic kinetic lines with traditional portraiture. It is not a copy, but a living interpretation of the local identity of Los Remedios.
Technically, the piece is situated on an exterior masonry wall of block or brick with a plaster finish. It utilizes a "dry mural" technique, as the artists work on a cured surface, taking advantage of the wall’s rough texture to add character to the figures. Given the vivacity of the tones, the technique employed is exterior acrylic. The execution shows a predominance of flat brushstrokes in the backgrounds, while the human figures feature light impasto to generate volume in the faces and clothing.
The composition is linear and horizontal. Kinetic ribbons of color (blue, yellow, red, green) connect the four main figures, creating a dynamic rhythm that guides the eye from left to right. The influence of monumental muralism is evident, with figures occupying nearly the entire vertical register of the wall.
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| “The red markings indicate the areas where the murals will be created. |
The artist employs naturalistic frontal light on the characters' faces to define their features, seeking an expository clarity where the local color of each element remains the protagonist. There is an intentional flattening of the pictorial plane; rather than an architectural vanishing point, the artist uses the overlapping of elements to generate a symbolic rather than physical depth. The linework is firm and confident, characteristic of those who master the monumental scale, seeking to dignify the characters through clear contours that separate the figure from the background. #MetroNewsMx #GuanajuatoDesconocido
