A mural is a representation of an image, usually on a wall or wall. For centuries, murals were located in churches, although since prehistory men have drawn all kinds of images on stones, generally related to everyday life. Despite the long tradition in the history of art, nowadays muralism manifests itself mainly in urban spaces, where artistic images of different themes are represented. City walls are the backdrop for this form of artistic expression .
Street artists
City walls are generally gray and uncoloured. The creators involved in muralism turn the gray of the walls into an explosion of color. The images can be simple entertainment or, on the contrary, they have some kind of social and demanding message.
In general, the art of muralism has a transgressive and provocative ingredient. In this sense, many of his images have a political content, as can be seen on the streets of Caracas, Belfast, Buenos Aires and Mexico City.
Muralism and graffiti are two closely related artistic expressions. Both are art forms with a clear social commitment and it is common to find murals and graffiti in degraded urban areas. It is worth remembering that graffiti was born in the 1970s, in the Bronx, a neighborhood in New York that has historically experienced conflict situations. Despite the similarities between graffiti and muralism, they are two different manifestations. The first uses strong colors and a street language , while the second has a more decorative intention and a didactic function .
In 1910, there was an armed conflict in Mexico that went down in history as the Mexican Revolution
Since then, some artists started the muralist tradition. The language of Muralism intended to connect with the national reality .
One of the most outstanding creators was the painter Diego Rivera. His murals had an evident revolutionary component, as they intended to educate and raise awareness of the population. The subjects covered by Diego Rivera are popular, but they deal with political and social issues.
Diego Rivera’s first mural was painted in 1922 at the National Preparatory School of Mexico DF and its title is “The Creation”. The theme is the origin of sciences and arts and with this work its creator intended to inspire a feeling of closeness to art as a transforming element of society.
