MEXICAN MURALISM

The Mexican mural movement came out of the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution, which took place from 1910 to 1920.  Q04(A)  The Mexican government at that time began to fund large-scale wall paintings in civic buildings and structures, with the objective of creating a historical narrative and identity for the general public, of which most(= most of which) were poor and illiterate.  Q04(B)  The government felt that through the creation of massive, public murals,/ a new kind of Mexican sentiment(S)    embodying the cultural values of Mexico would instill(스며들게하다) (V) a greater sense of pride and sentiment in the general population.(=Murals were meant to i________ a great sense of pride and sentiment in Mexicans.) One of the main concerns of the government was to u_______ the population under one ideology, thereby e_________ing artists to produce works that would educate and benefit the masses.

Q01-1 Many artists at the time seized the opportunity to produce these artworks, claiming that muralism would be an art of social and political discourse. In other words, they saw it as a creative opportunity to blend art and politics together, which was a quite radical idea at the time.  Q01-2   Q04(D)  Although many of the artists 〈commissioned to produce murals〉 had different ideologies, styles, and personalities, their desire to use art as a means for social revolution is evident in their works. (= Murals were viewed as a t_____ for social revolution by artists.)

Three artists grow / grew in prominence out of the movement and are / were widely recognized for their innovative and influential art pieces today. The first of these artists, ①David Siqueiros, is considered to have been the most innovative. His artworks are characterized by bold lines and brushstrokes that stood out prominently, as well as their tendency to use overly exaggerated perspectives.  Q02  His goal in mural painting was to create a new type of mural that incorporated(=used) modern technology. In order to carry out  his vision(= creating wall paintings using modern technology)  and break from traditional forms of painting, he would spray, pour, drip, or splatter paint onto his murals.

② Diego Rivera was also a significant artist of the Mexican mural movement, but unlike Siqueiros, he favored a more traditional style of painting. His artworks incorporated bright, vibrant colors, with a heavy emphasis placed on oranges, reds, and earthy browns. The most prevalent scenes he created were market scenes that were reminiscent of Mexico’s historically indigenous cultures. He firmly believed that Mexicans needed to be imbued with a new vision of life, and he tried to instill Mexicans with a strong sense of pride in their cultural heritage.

The last artist, ③Jose Clemente Orozco, took an entirely different approach from Siqueiros and Rivera in creating murals.  Q03  He focused more on depictions of human suffering and the atrocities that had become common during the Mexican Revolution. His objective in portraying  the horrors of war  was to provide(V)  what he felt was an honest portrayal of Mexico’s heritage(O). Despite producing some artistically astounding murals, his work was heavily criticized by both the government and art critics for failure to(= not being able to) capture the essence of providing the Mexican people with a new sense of cultural pride and identity(= original intention of promoting muralism in Mexico).

1. aftermath = effect

embody = represent      astounding = astonishing

radical = drastic, extreme

evident= obvious, apparent

prominence = distinction, conspicuousness

incorporate = integrate

vibrant =dynamic, vivid

prevalent= widespread, general

reminiscent= suggestive, evocative

indigenous= native

imbue= fill up

atrocity = act of cruelty, outrage, brutality

어휘 |  mural 벽화    aftermath 여파    take place 일어나다, 발생하다    objective 목적, 목표    illiterate 문맹의, 글을 읽고 쓸 줄 모르는 opportunity 기회    muralism 벽화주의    political 정치적    instill 스며들게하다  blend 결합하다, 섞다    radical 급진적인    commission 의뢰하다 personality 개성, 성격    innovative 혁신적인, 독창적인    influential 영향력 있는    brushstroke 붓놀림    exaggerated 과장된 perspective 원근법, 균형감    prevalent 일반적인, 널리 행해지는    reminiscent 연상시키는    indigenous 토착의, 원산의 imbue 가득 채우다    heritage 유산    entirely 완전히    depiction 묘사, 서술   atrocity 잔혹행위  portray 묘사하다    astounding 놀라운, 놀랄 만한 criticize 비판하다