Pre-Hispanic America 1950

Editor: Diego Rivera’s “Pre-Hispanic America,” created in 1950, feels to me like an explosion of figures and forms across the canvas, seemingly without a central focus. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Initially, the high contrast draws the eye. Rivera uses vivid colors, deploying them to define each plane. Consider the interplay between the red figures on the lower left and the more muted tones of the mountainous landscape on the right. Does this tension enhance the composition, or does it detract from it? Editor: I find it challenging. There is no hierarchy. How do you read such chaotic arrangements of figuration, Professor? Curator: Perhaps "chaotic" is too simple. Consider how the architectural elements--the temple and the pyramid--intersect with natural motifs. There's a layering, a superposition of different systems. What does this juxtaposition communicate? Are we looking at harmony, contrast, or some form of critical dialogue? Editor: So, rather than seeing chaos, perhaps there's a structured conversation occurring on the canvas? The more you look, the more relationships appear, hidden within the texture. I see that there is organization within apparent chaos! Curator: Precisely. The eye needs training. Observe how Rivera's color palette echoes elements within both the "natural" and "cultural" sections of the mural; the red figure is of similar tone to the hummingbird. This creates unity and directs one to consider those relationships within the pictorial space. The arrangement speaks, what does it communicate, formally speaking? Editor: It really opens my eyes, and teaches me to think that sometimes, perceived disorder is precisely where one may find intricate interconnections. Curator: Art allows this kind of thought and it should, the exercise gives one the freedom to reflect on visual space as we reflect on existence.