Diego Rivera- Zapatista Landscape 1915
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As an artist I have always tried to be faithful to my vision of life, and I have frequently been in conflict with those who wanted me to paint not what I saw but what they wished me to see.
–Diego Rivera
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Big fan of the work of Diego Rivera (1886-1957), the great Mexican painter/muralist and husband of Frida Kahlo. There is much I love in his work such as the way his colors harmonize and soar off the surfaces, the sheer brilliance of his compositions, the scale and breadth of his murals and the fact that his work was beautiful and powerful in whatever genre or style he chose at any given moment. He was also fearless in expressing his political and philosophical beliefs in his work, often becoming a strong element in his work.
I also admire his absolute devotion to his own voice in his work, as noted in the quote above. He painted his own vision, not what others desired him to see. That’s a big thing for any artist and not something easily done. Too often artists try to work for the approval of other eyes, for people who want their work to remain as they have always known it.
It’s understandable from the perspective of a viewer to want an artist to remain in that space that first attracted the viewer. They know and like the work as it is and perhaps can’t imagine it becoming more than it is if it somehow evolves or changes. Or they fear it will become less or something that doesn’t speak to them in the same way. As I said, it’s understandable.
But from the artist’s point of view this present a threat in that this may stop them from expanding their creative vision. They begin to be afraid to go off their own beaten path, to try new things, to move out of their comfort zone to challenge themselves, and to grow their self-created universe. They remain in a known space and may never know how expansive their vision might be if they only tried.
From what I know, Diego Rivera always moved to new creative spaces with his work. He painted with his own voice, even in his commissioned murals. I still stumble on pieces of his that surprise me.
A true inspiration.
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Diego Rivera’s Mural at the City College of San Francisco
Detroit Institute of Arts Mural Segment
Diego Rivera- Flower Seller
Diego Rivera- The Alarm Clock
Diego Rivera- Nocturnal Landscape 1947
Diego Rivera- Symbolic Landscape 1940
Diego Rivera- View of Toledo 1912
Detroit Institute of Arts Mural Segment
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I think “Flower Seller” might have been the first Rivera piece I saw. Whether it was the first, I remember gasping and thinking, “Who is this?”
I smiled at your comment that “too often artists try to work for the approval of other eyes, for people who want their work to remain as they have always known it.” That’s a problem musicians face, too. (Dylan? Electric? Horrors!) You surely remember this classic. Every now and then I pull it out and have a listen again, just because.
Always good to hear Ricky. Yes, Dylan is probably the best example of fans wanting a musician to stay put. There is video from a 1966 show in England that documents how his folk fans felt about his electrification. After playing the first half of the show folk style with only his acoustic guitar, he comes out for the second half with a band and his electric guitar. The crowd moans and boos. Dylan tries to quiet them by telling that this first song was a folk song. The crowd roars and claps its approval. He then announces that the song’s title Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat and they grind out a very bluesy and electric version. It is a great piece of film but I can’t find it anywhere to share. Here is the audio portion:Dylan England 1966 Audio