Strangulation of Mythology, Study 1930

Editor: This is José Clemente Orozco’s charcoal drawing, "Strangulation of Mythology, Study," created in 1930. The frantic energy is palpable, it’s difficult to disentangle the figures but that adds to the drama. What stands out to you as you examine this piece? Curator: The enduring power of mythology is compellingly questioned here, isn’t it? The strangled figure—likely representative of old myths—highlights a conscious effort to dismantle and reimagine traditional narratives. What kind of symbolism do you see reflected through the formal gestures? Editor: I guess, literally, a stifling or suppression, right? The layering of bodies feels oppressive. But what does Orozco seek to replace these strangulated mythologies with? Curator: That's the key. He’s reaching for something new, relevant to his contemporary world. Consider the period - the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution. Mythology is burdened with the past but, what might rise from its ashes? Think about Mexican identity…what persistent images would Orozco, a Mexican muralist, see as important to reimagine after colonial rule? Editor: Maybe new icons representing revolution and social justice? The active destruction implies a violent birth of new ideas. Curator: Precisely! Observe the deliberate sketch lines – a blueprint for a powerful, reborn Mexican identity, wrestling with its colonial history. Do the figures have any cultural semblance in terms of recognizable persons and attitudes? Editor: I see hints of pre-Columbian art in the angularity and monumentality, even in this small drawing, tying the "new" to an older, suppressed "new." Curator: Exactly! The layers of cultural memory. I wonder if he intended this work as a call for collective catharsis, an act of violently stripping old, colonial mythologies so they are repurposed, recontextualized, as Mexico sought its place in the 20th century. Editor: I see what you mean! It makes the act of strangulation more than just destruction. Curator: Yes. More like a painful but necessary transformation. Hopefully, by delving into these potent symbols and challenging conventional interpretations, we might glean insights applicable to other modern social reform movements, and maybe into ourselves, no?