Yesterday’s excursion south of the city brought an unexpected surprise.
In San Martín Tilcajete…
I spotted a mural by my favorite mural colective.
A tip of the hat to the Tlacolulokos of Tlacolula de Matamoros.
Posts Tagged ‘urban art’
Tip of the hat
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, San Martín Tilcajete, street art, Tlacolulokos, urban art, wall art on November 30, 2019| 2 Comments »
A picture is worth 1000 words…
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Mexico, molcajetes, mural, Oaxaca, photos, street art, urban art, wall art, woman wearing rebozo, woman with basket on head on November 9, 2019| 4 Comments »
The strength, power, and spirit of Oaxaca seen in a mural on Calzada de la República near Calle La Alianza in Barrio de Jalatlaco.
More bonita basura
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged garbage bins, graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, phots, popular travel destinations, street art, transh bins, urban art on October 22, 2019| 8 Comments »
The art of the trash bin in black and orange…
Full color…
Fronts, sides, and backs…
Whimsical, symbolic, and abstract…
Garbage art on the zócalo has gone forth and multiplied.
Garbage art
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged garbage bins, graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, trash bins, urban art on October 9, 2019| 6 Comments »
Black and white and blue in Tlacolula
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, Tlacolula de Matamoros, Tlacolulokos, urban art, wall art on October 6, 2019| 8 Comments »
The artistry and message of my favorite mural painting collective, the Tlacolulokos, continues to be revealed on the walls of Tlacolula de Matamoros. Today, on a brief visit, blogger buddy Chris and I stumbled on three of their masterpieces. The first one I’d previously seen and blogged about in 2017 under the title, Who tells your story. However, the second mural was new to both of us.
A blouse divided.
A broken heart — not your usual randa de aguja (needlework technique) blouse detail.
Their message, not mine.
The third mural was a couple of houses down and presents a more historic and celebratory entrance.
Spanish swords and Mitla grecas provide driveway decoration.
A headless woman woman in traditional Tlacolula costume walks toward the entrance.
Thoughts of an upcoming festival castillo, agains the backdrop of the valley’s mountains, dance in her missing head.
Her carrizo shopping basket is filled with purchases for the festival.
From the first Tlacolulokos mural I saw in 2014 to their Tokiolula mural through today, their art continues to speak to me, teach me, and inspire me to really see the people and culture around me.
Macedonio Alcalá never dies
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Music, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged Dios nunca muere, Macedonio Alcalá, Mexico, mural, Oaxaca, photos, street art, urban art, Uriel Barragán Bouler, wall art, waltz music on September 26, 2019| 1 Comment »
A mural celebrating the life and music of composer and violinist Macedonio Alcalá has joined a bust of fellow Oaxaqueño composer Álvaro Carillo in the Jardín Carbajal (Macedonio Alcalá at Cosijopi). The mural by Uriel Barragán Bouler was unveiled August 22, 2019 in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the death Macedonio Alcalá. The composer is best known for his piece, “Dios nunca muere” (God Never Dies) — a song that has become Oaxaca’s unofficial anthem and provided the artist with the theme of the mural.
According to one legend: While Macedonio Alcalá was convalescing from a serious illness, he was visited by a group of indigenous people from Tlacolula de Matamoros, who asked him to compose a waltz for their festival of the Virgen de la Asunción. Subsequently, the flutist José Maqueo went to see him, and noticing the poverty stricken situation of Macedonio Alcalá, without him noticing Maqueo left twelve pesos under the pillow. The next day the composer found the money and told his wife: “Look, God never dies, always comforts the afflicted,” and he immediately began writing “Dios nunca muere.”
Whether it’s true or not, it’s a lovely story to accompany a lovely waltz.
From front to back
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged illustrations, M.W.H., Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art on August 9, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Zapata stays
Posted in Creativity, Culture, History, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged Armarte, Emiliano Zapata, graffiti, Lila Downs, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, song Zapata Se Queda, street art, Taller-Galeria Siqueiros, urban art, URTARTE, wall art on April 26, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Even if you’re dreaming of sitting on a beach with a book and glass of wine in hand, there are reminders that one hundred years ago, on April 10, 1919, Mexican revolutionary hero Emiliano Zapata was assassinated.
In southern Mexico, in the words of Lila Downs, Zapata Se Queda (Zapata Stays) and remains a beloved martyr who continues to inspire.
And, to remind all to never forget, and continue the struggle. The cry of “not one more” echos from the streets.
Mural on the wall of Taller-Galeria Siqueiros on Calle Porfirio Díaz.
Women of the walls
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged crumbling walls, Mexico, Mexico City, murals, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art, women's faces on September 5, 2018| 6 Comments »
A local’s guide to Mexico City: 10 tips describes a mural project by Aida Mulato and Jóvenes Artesanos to help rehabilitate her Roma neighborhood following the September 2017 earthquakes. According to the article, “The colourful murals celebrate indigenous communities and women, who continue to suffer most from the earthquakes. The project supports the larger goals of Jóvenes Artesanos and gives various support to about 150 artisans with whom Mulato works. With 15 murals painted already, the goal is to create a circuit of 68, representing the country’s indigenous populations.”
What an enlightened and wonderful contrast to the game of cat and mouse, street mural artists have been facing here in Oaxaca for the past few years, where many (including me) have been asking, are Color and culture, unwelcome? However, while they may be more ephemeral than we would wish, artists are still at work on the sides of our own crumbling buildings, and murals still can be found on the walls of Oaxaca.
Enjoy them while you can, they may be gone tomorrow.
Tlacolula, Tlacolulokos, Tokiolula
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Guish Bac, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, Tlacolula de Matamoros, Tlacolulokos, Tokiolula, urban art, wall art, women's faces on August 5, 2018| 5 Comments »
If it’s Sunday, it must be market day in Tlacolula de Matamoros. However, it’s not just the market (one of the oldest and biggest in Oaxaca) that keeps me returning, it’s also the prevalence of fabulous murals decorating walls and sides of buildings. Unfortunately, here in Oaxaca city, there has been a growing intolerance by the powers-that-be to these cultural and often political expressions. However, in Tlacolula, they seem to be encouraged and celebrated — and the Tlacolulokos collective has elevated mural painting to a high art form.
We discovered their latest mural a few weeks ago as we were navigating out way through Tlacolula on our way back from the Feria del Barro Rojo in San Marcos Tlapazola. As with their previous work, using iconic imagery they continue to explore and honor the strength of the beautiful and brave Zapotec women of Tlacolula — this time, in what seems to be a “blue period.”
I was more than a bit puzzled by the above and very prominent words featured on the mural and had to do a little research — after all, that’s what librarians do! It turns out, “Tokiolula” refers to the 1960s and 1970s when the Tlacolula market was known for selling cheap and often counterfeit goods — mostly from Asia. That ended in the 1980s, but, unfortunately, has been creeping back.
As for Guish-Bac… “in Zapotec dialect of Tlacolula, Guish Bac is said to mean ‘in the middle of the sky’ or ‘in the middle of the path'” (Revista Cultural Bení Guish Bac Gulal – my translation) and, according to the footnotes in this dissertation, it refers to “people from Tlacolula.”
Sad-eyed lady…
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged art, artists, Bob Dylan, Erika Santiago, Joan Baez, Mexico, murals, music, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Sad-Eyed Lady Of the Lowlands, San Eyed, street art, urban art, wall art on June 4, 2018| 2 Comments »
Passing Erika Santiago‘s haunting mural along the wall outside Almacén Mexicano on Calle Valentín Gómez Farías, Sad-Eyed Lady Of the Lowlands began playing in my head.
Sometimes art brings a song. And, maybe we are all a little sad these days.
Smile more
Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged abandoned buildings, crumbling buildings, graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, The Positive Affect, urban art, wall art on May 9, 2018| Leave a Comment »
Even if it looks like the world is crumbling around you…
On Reforma, at the corner of Constitucion in Oaxaca — courtesy of The Positive Affect project.
Magic carpet ride
Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged art, Magic Carpet Ride song, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Steppenwolf, street art, urban art, wall art on March 12, 2018| 6 Comments »
On Calle de Ignacio Allende at the corner of Tinoco y Palacios, a new mural is ready to take you on a magic carpet ride.
Well, you don’t know what we can find
Why don’t you come with me little girl
On a magic carpet ride
You don’t know what we can see
Why don’t you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away
— Magic Carpet Ride, written by Normal Cook, Robert Manuel Clivilles, and David Bryon Cole; performed by Steppenwolf.
Hopefully, this mural won’t be slapped with “pintura no autorizada” signs like its predecessor.
Unauthorized!
Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged art, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, pintura no autorizada, street art, unauthorized painting, urban art, wall art on December 5, 2017| 1 Comment »
Walls of murals may be welcomed and encouraged in Tlacolula de Matamoros and Villa de Zaachila but, alas, such is not the case in the city of Oaxaca. Remember the image on my Surfin’ safari post in September?
Calle de Ignacio Allende at the corner of Tinoco y Palacios
And it wasn’t even finished — it is even more impressive now!
However, do you see the two sheets of paper defacing the mural?
Here we go again… Like Color and culture, unwelcome and Lapiztola’s incredibly moving mural on the side of Museo Belber Jimenez, the authorities have declared this wonderful piece of art did not have their permission and will, most probably, be painted over. Don’t they have more pressing problems to deal with? Hint: The multiple buildings “en mal estado” scattered throughout the Historic District that are in danger of collapsing onto pedestrians and drivers.
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Women in struggle
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Politics, Protests, Travel & Tourism, tagged Armarte, art, International Women's Day, marches, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, political art, political commentary, protest, stencil art, street art, urban art, wall art, women's rights on March 11, 2019| 2 Comments »
Armed with their art, the women of Armarte OAX have taken to the streets to raise their voices in struggle.
And, they aren’t alone in Oaxaca…
In the early evening of International Women’s Day, thousands of women “reclaimed” some of the most dangerous streets of the city demanding an end to street harassment, punishment for rapists, the cessation of violence against women, and safe abortion.
Struggle, the other “women’s work.”
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