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A Dream of a Sunday Afternoon
We’d planned to have an early dinner at a fairly decent Mexican food restaurant, part of a chain called Abuelo’s. In addition to learning that “abuelo” means grandfather, I learned about a mural in the restaurant that I’d seen a dozen times but had never really looked at. And the entire experience was delightful. (The picture below is the original.)
First, the waiter was a pleasure. He was young, friendly and attentive, without being overbearing or annoying. As we waited to order, I looked at a mural that filled one entire wall of the room. I’d noticed it before, assumed it was a clever depiction of folk art, but gradually began to realize that it was filled with distinct and unusual characters.
When the waiter returned to our table, I asked him if he knew anything about the mural. He said, “it’s funny that you ask because we were just talking about it the other day. I think it’s a historical painting of Mexico . . . but let me ask the manager about it.”
That he was curious himself and went to find the manager, in a chain restaurant no less, pleased me. After his “historical” comment, I looked more closely. There was a man with military medals on his jacket; a group of people seeming to look down into a grave; a skeleton/woman in a wedding dress with each arm linking into the arms of a man and woman.
Just then the manager came over. She was a bright-eyed, young and beautiful black woman, who could have been a model. Her long curly locks and her smile added to her charisma. She immediately sat down at our table and was pleased that we had asked about the mural.
It turns out that the mural was an interpretation of a mural made by Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozo and David Alfaro Siquieros. She explained that it reflected the themes of the political party of that time in Mexico. Here is a partial description :
This fifty-foot fresco takes the viewer on a Sunday walk through Alameda Park, Mexico City’s first city park that was built on the grounds of an ancient Aztec marketplace. The large mural represents three principal eras of Mexican History: The Conquest, The Porfiriato Dictatorship, and The Revolution of 1910. In chronological order starting from left to right we meet numerous prominent figures from Mexican history. In the center of the mural is Diego Rivera at the age of ten being led by the hand by the Dame Catrina (“La Calavera Catrina”), a skeleton figure parodying vanity created by the popular Mexican engraver Jose Guadalupe Posada. The well-dressed gentleman in a black suit and derby hat is Posada, who stands on the right of Dame Catrina and gallantly offers her his arm. Posada was highly respected by Rivera, who claimed him as one of his artistic luminaries and teachers. Posada’s narrative style was an extremely influential model for Rivera’s mural painting.
Frida Kahlo, married for many years to Rivera, also appears in the picture. (She stands to the left of Dame Catrina.)
As Ashley, the restaurant manager, told us about the mural her joy in sharing with us was contagious. She even gave us a printed description of the piece.
I was especially moved to realize that in spite of many visits to this restaurant, we had mindlessly eaten our meals without curiosity or appreciation of our surroundings. History was displayed artistically right before us. An artist or artists had spent many hours to create this testimony to a vibrant period of Mexican history.
* * * *
Just as intriguing was the story I discovered later of the founder of Abuelo’s, James Young:
Abuelo’s owner James Young never would have imagined when he immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan 38 [now, 46] years ago, that today he would own 41 Mexican food restaurants in 15 states.
Born to Chinese parents who fled to Taiwan to escape communism and civil war when he was just a child, Young is the very essence of the American Dream.
He began working part-time at McDonald’s for $1.90/hour in 1975, and later bought out a taco stand to start his business in Lubbock, TX.
* * * *
We live amidst great stories every day of our lives. People come from all over the world to find a place for themselves in this country. Some only notice the limitations and acquiesce to them; others see opportunities and run with them.
It’s easy to get caught up in the humdrum routine of our own lives. Or we can look around us, and appreciate that there is great beauty, fascinating stories, and admirable accomplishments right in front of us. People who take risks, who create beauty and contribute to this great country.
We all have much for which to be grateful.
Published in Culture
Is that every artist?
I stand corrected.
He supported Trotsky. Against Stalin. Stalin controlled communism.
Rivera never stopped being a radical communist, he just didn’t like Stalin’s brutal communism. He preferred Trotsky’s brutal communism.
That was a typo. I meant to say “I don’t like these artists.” I was pointing out that I just have an opinion about these people, and I don’t hit people in the head with heavy weights.
Lots of people didn’t like Jews because they are Jews, and that’s bad, but it falls short of murder, which is what the Nazis did. Perhaps he would have been a Nazi were he alive, perhaps he would have gleefully tossed in the zyklon tablets, perhaps. But I’m unwilling to condemn him for a “perhaps.” Perhaps when he saw firsthand the injustices he would have objected. We don’t know.
If you want to hate his music for his dislike of Jews, that’s fine. It can’t be denied that his music was used by those who eventually committed horrendous crimes and he shared an ideology that was used to justify those crimes, so it’s okay by me. When Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd do their mock opera, you should turn it off. Were I Jewish, and the crimes were more personal to me, I would likely do just that. If Nazi death camps came into being again, I would join in, I’m sure. But we conquered that ideology, at least for now, and it doesn’t appear to be coming back any time soon. Communism however is alive and well and threatening to take over our own country as a strong growing movement.
I was going to send this response in a PM, but I want everyone to know how much I like your comment! You’re a smart guy, and sometimes when you come on so strong with your reactions, it’s hard to respond tactfully. I truly do understand your point, and I’m giving it some thought: to what degree should a person’s ideology affect my perception of their art? Think about Pete Seeger or Joan Baez or others who sang anti-war tunes. Since Rivera does a visual art, his positions are blatant. When we hear a beautiful tune with ugly lyrics, maybe it’s easier to be forgiving. It’s easy, too, for me to dislike Sean Penn, for his views. Thanks for the input. I’d love to hear what others think, too.
I think I’m an acquired taste . . .
I didn’t realize that. That does alter my opinion somewhat.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought Skyler was a woman. Wasn’t Skyler complaining about the pains of childbirth last week?
Of course you can answer Skyler.
I’m not a woman. Skyler is my call sign when I was in a Marine A-6 squadron. I was short and skinny and they said I looked like Skyler Fishhawk in the “Fish” cartoon strip. Uncle Cosmo kept sending Skyler to summer camp, but he always ended up accidentally at Camp Lejeune or Camp Pendleton with the Marines.
I don’t recall discussing child birth.
Nor has Diego Rivera executed political prisoners in the basement of the Lubyanka, yet you conflate his art with communism. Perverse, indeed.
Yet, he supported such people materially, ideologically, and at great danger to himself. He was a committed communist, and he supported murderous communists throughout his adult life.
Oh. @skylerler I was referring to Susan’s post on February 12th (“My Heart is Still Aching,” comment #16) where you said
The way you phrased it, I took it to mean you gave birth. You can see the ambiguity. Sorry about that. No disrespect meant.
That’s hilarious. I never even considered anyone would think that. Skyler is, after all, a man’s name until a silly movie came out and now a bunch of little girls are named Skylar.
Haha, I thought there was a disconnect. I always thought you were a man but then it seemed you said you gave birth. I assumed I had been wrong. Though today that might not be impossible. LOL. I’m glad we cleared that up.