The Legacy of Quetzalcoatl and Huitzilopochtli: Indigenous Imagery in the Murals of Mexico City and Los Angeles
Location
Science Center, A262
Document Type
Presentation
Start Date
4-27-2012 1:30 PM
End Date
4-27-2012 2:30 PM
Abstract
Social movements in Mexico City and Los Angeles inspired muralists to employ indigenous imagery to politicize and celebrate an identity oppressed by the state and neglected in popular media. The Mexican Mural Movement in the 1920s, and the Chicano Movement in Los Angeles in the 1970s, produced murals that often depicted the Aztec gods Quetzalcoatl and Huitzilopochtli. In this project, I explore the importance of the use of indigenous imagery, and explain the significance of these two gods for the painters and their audiences, then and now.
Recommended Citation
Williams, Samantha, "The Legacy of Quetzalcoatl and Huitzilopochtli: Indigenous Imagery in the Murals of Mexico City and Los Angeles" (04/27/12). Senior Symposium. 51.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/seniorsymp/2012/presentations/51
Major
Hispanic Studies; Latin American Studies
Advisor(s)
Ana Cara, Hispanic Studies
Project Mentor(s)
Steve Volk, History; Latin American Studies
April 2012
The Legacy of Quetzalcoatl and Huitzilopochtli: Indigenous Imagery in the Murals of Mexico City and Los Angeles
Science Center, A262
Social movements in Mexico City and Los Angeles inspired muralists to employ indigenous imagery to politicize and celebrate an identity oppressed by the state and neglected in popular media. The Mexican Mural Movement in the 1920s, and the Chicano Movement in Los Angeles in the 1970s, produced murals that often depicted the Aztec gods Quetzalcoatl and Huitzilopochtli. In this project, I explore the importance of the use of indigenous imagery, and explain the significance of these two gods for the painters and their audiences, then and now.
Notes
Session I, Panel 5: Express Yourself: Case Studies in Art, Politics, and Sexuality
Moderator: Nick Jones, Professor of English