Revolutionaries on the march 1924

Jose Clemente Orozco made this mural, Revolutionaries on the March, using big, bold strokes in a limited palette of browns and grays, and I think this shows how painting is really about making decisions as you go. Look at how the figures are built up with layers of paint, giving them a monumental, sculptural feel. The texture is rough, almost raw, which adds to the sense of urgency and struggle. I am drawn to the way Orozco handles the folds of the women’s dresses, turning them into these abstract shapes that both define their forms and flatten them against the wall. It’s like he’s playing with the push and pull between representation and abstraction, which is so interesting to me. Orozco’s work reminds me a bit of Käthe Kollwitz, with its focus on social themes and its powerful, expressive forms. But Orozco brings a distinctly Mexican perspective, rooted in the history and struggles of his own country.