Presencia de América Latina
Presencia de América Latina(Presence of Latin America), also known asIntegración de América Latina(Integration of Latin America), is amuralpainted by Mexican artistJorge González Camarenabetween November 1964 and April 1965. The 300-square-meter mural, painted inacrylicson roughstucco,is located in the lobby of theCasa del Arteof theUniversity of Concepción(Ciudad Universitaria de Concepción), inConcepción,Chile.Its principal theme is the unity and brotherhood of the different Latin American cultures.[1]
Description and interpretation[edit]
Structure of the mural[edit]
The mural is divided into three parts: a flat, central panel measuring 20 by 6 meters, and two sides panels set off at oblique angles to the central part. Each panel measures 7.6 by 6 meters. The mural as a whole is 211.2 m2.[3]In addition to this, the mural makes use of a staircase with right angles leading up to a second-story art gallery, increasing the total area to 300 m2.
Symbolism[edit]
The mural describes thehistory of Latin Americathrough the use of angular, symbolic images, which emphasize the value of fraternity between the different ethnicities of theLatin Americanworld. The work is read chronologically from right to left.
Pre-Columbian culture[edit]
The right panel representspre-Columbian America.On the lower part a woman with fish in her hands emerges from theAztec pantheon,symbolizing the riches of the sea. The woman is accompanied by the green mask ofTlaloc,god of rain. Before her isQuetzalcoatl,the serpent-shaped deity who symbolizes culture and who is depicted coiling around the staircase to the art gallery. On the upper part one can see Zontemoc ( "The Falling Sun" ), a god who symbolizes the twilight of pre-Columbian culture. Completing this first panel of the mural, at the right is a mounted Spanish soldier, wearing armor and carrying a dagger, fighting against an eagle-man armed with a mace, symbolizing the battle of the conquest.
Miscegenation[edit]
The central panel begins a bit to the left of the first part with the Spanish soldier and a Native woman, the principal creators of miscegenation. Jorge González called this partThe Original Couple( "La pareja original"), who walk over layers of coal, in which there are imprisoned, sleeping women, symbolizing the riches of the earth: silver, gold, iron and copper. On the surface of this swarm of bodies and precious stones, sprouts a pregnant woman covered with vines, representing the fertility of the earth. From her surge Americancornand Old Worldwheat,nourishment that sustains the bases of industrialization, technology and science, represented as an intricate steel machine on the upper part of the panel.
At the center of the panel there are several overlapping faces, which symbolize the fusion of the races: the largest in red, represents the American race. Below these faces a life-sized, naked woman has a map of Latin America on her lap. She constitutes the principal subject matter of the mural.
On the woman one can see acapitalthat symbolizes theGreco-Romancontribution to Latin American culture; and a bit to the left, great blocks of solid rock, which create a great, vertical structure, symbolizingMesoamericanarchitecture.
Fraternity[edit]
| Presence of Latin America | |
|---|---|
| Spanish:Presencia de América Latina | |
 The left panel of the mural with the nopal entwined with the copihue and the national flags. | |
| Artist | Jorge González Camarena |
| Year | 1964-65 |
On the left panel of the mural there is anopal,which merges with the vines of acopihue(the national tree and flower of Mexico and Chile, respectively). The nopal is pierced by daggers, symbolizing the historic mistreatment of Latin Americans, and its roots entwine cadaverous warriors, who nourish the nopal and give it life.
All along the top of the mural, the flags of the different Latin American nations wave in sequence. The sequence begins at the right with theflag of Chileand acondor,the national bird, and ends with theflag of Mexiconext to aneagleand aserpent,important national symbols of Mexico. The flags are organized from right to left, following the geographical placement of the nations from south to north. Thus the sequence begins with Chile,Argentina,Uruguay,Paraguay,Bolivia,Brazil,Peru,Ecuador,VenezuelaandColombiaofSouth America;continues withHaiti,Cuba,Panama,Costa Rica,Honduras,NicaraguaandGuatemalaofCentral Americaand theCaribbean;and ends with Mexico ofNorth America.The onlypeoplesexcluded are those who are notsovereign,that is, the French colonies ofClipperton Island,Guadeloupe,French Guiana,Martinique,Saint Barthélemy,andSaint Martin—as well as theUnited States territoryofPuerto Rico.
TheAndesappears in the distant background, and crowning the entire mural are the verses of the Chilean poet,Pablo Neruda:
...There is no beauty like the beauty of America spread out in its hells / in its mountains of rock and power, in its atavistic and eternal rivers...
(...Y no hay belleza como esta belleza de América extendida en sus infiernos / en sus cerros de piedra y poderío, en sus ríos atávicos y eternos...)
Symbol of the University and Concepción[edit]
Along with the clock tower of theUniversity of Concepción,the muralPresencia de América Latinais a true symbol of the culture ofConcepción.[4]It is frequently visited by foreign and domestic tourists and reproduced insouvenirs,book covers and catalogues, among other products.[6][7]In 1994 it was depicted on apostage stampto commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the University. It was recognized by theGovernment of Chileas aNational Historic Landmarkunder Decree Number 147 of 30 April 2009.[8]Also in recognition of its heritage and cultural value toGreater Concepciónand theBío Bío Region,it was one of the cultural artefacts recognised with a plaque in 2009 in celebration of theBicentennial of Chilein 2010.[9]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Echeverría, Albino (2009)."MURAL" Presencia de América Latina ": DEL PINTOR MEXICANO JORGE GONZÁLEZ CAMARENA".Atenea (Concepción)(500): 157–166.doi:10.4067/S0718-04622009000200012.ISSN0718-0462.
- ^Short documentary about the Mural "Presencia de América Latina"livingatlaschile.com, released on January 18, 2014, retrieved on February 18, 2014
- ^Peralta, Tole (1965).Muro y mura.Case de Arte "José Clemente Orozco," Universidad de Concepción.
- ^abNuestro.cl (April 2007)."Mural" Presencia de América Latina ". Emblema de la cultura penquista"(in Spanish). pp. 3 pages.Retrieved10 November2008.
- ^Echeverría Cancino, Albino (2005).Presencia de América Latina: apuntes para la historia del mural.Universidad de Concepción, Chile: Dirección de Extensión. p. 8.
- ^"Editorial Universidad de Concepción"(in Spanish). Archived fromthe originalon 5 November 2008.Retrieved10 November2008.
- ^Turistel, guías y rutas (Chilean tourism guide)."Pinacoteca de la Universidad de Concepción - Atractivos culturales: museos de Chile"(in Spanish).Retrieved10 November2008.
- ^"Monumento Historico: Mural 'Presencia de America Latina' de Jorge González Camarena"(in Spanish). Government of Chile. Archived fromthe originalon 16 January 2014.Retrieved17 June2013.
- ^"Mural de la Casa del Arte recibió su Placa Bicentenario"(in Spanish). Universidad de Concepción. 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 16 January 2014.Retrieved17 June2013.