Inspired by the unfinished mural of David Alfaro Siqueiros
In San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, an unfinished mural by David Alfaro Siqueiros lies hidden in a large corner room of what was once an eighteenth-century convent. In the 1930s, the building was converted into the Escuela Universitaria de Bellas Artes, where Siqueiros—one of Mexico’s most influential muralists—was hired to teach. A disagreement with the school’s owner led to his abrupt departure, leaving the mural incomplete. Today, the room and its mural appear on the list of must-visit tourist attractions.
Upon entering the space, I was struck by both its scale and the graphic power of the mural. I immediately sensed that the colors and forms could generate compelling abstract images.
There images are the result of an hour spent in that room—sometimes alone with a security guard, other times alongside fellow visitors. Using intentional camera movement and multiple exposures, I created a series of photographs that were later combined with additional layers of my own imagery. Together, they form a personal response to the space and my interpretation of what it might mean to complete Siqueiros’s unfinished mural.
In San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, an unfinished mural by David Alfaro Siqueiros lies hidden in a large corner room of what was once an eighteenth-century convent. In the 1930s, the building was converted into the Escuela Universitaria de Bellas Artes, where Siqueiros—one of Mexico’s most influential muralists—was hired to teach. A disagreement with the school’s owner led to his abrupt departure, leaving the mural incomplete. Today, the room and its mural appear on the list of must-visit tourist attractions.
Upon entering the space, I was struck by both its scale and the graphic power of the mural. I immediately sensed that the colors and forms could generate compelling abstract images.
There images are the result of an hour spent in that room—sometimes alone with a security guard, other times alongside fellow visitors. Using intentional camera movement and multiple exposures, I created a series of photographs that were later combined with additional layers of my own imagery. Together, they form a personal response to the space and my interpretation of what it might mean to complete Siqueiros’s unfinished mural.
© Barb Kreutter