The central ideologies of Marxism lied in their opposition of capitalism, industrial exploitation and unfair domination of the few rich bourgeoisie over the masses led to starvation by the means of economic competition. In his essay American Marxism Today Norman F. Cantor posits that there were three main doctrines of Marxism: labor theory of value, capital as a substance of its own life, dehumanization and alienation of the worker by the bourgeoisie (Cantor 234-235). The goal of Marxism is to bring the human face back to the industrial worker and give him the voice to resist the pressure of the “false consciousness” propagated by the dominant capitalists in order to shelter the workers from seeing their own disadvantages (Cantor 237). The socialist realism painting, as a way of speaking to the masses, becomes the focal point of socialist agenda. Bringing art to the masses, making it available and easily understood, has both an educational quality to it as well as that of equality of artistic experiences taken away from the elitist and intellectual few. A great example of a painting having socialist realism style and symbolic qualities is Pan American Unity mural, painted by Diego Riviera in 1940 for the Golden Gate International Exposition and now located at the San Francisco City College. The mural, mounted at the Diego Riviera Theater, is a magnificent work of art in both its stylistic grandeur as well as symbolic depth, all at 1,800 square feet of powerful imagery. The work is impressive and although not painted by a Soviet Union artist reflects many elements of socialist realism painting prevalent in the country due to Diego Rivera’s sympathizing with the communist ideology. In socialist realist works emerging in early 1930s the art was no longer elitist, directed at the narrow group of intellectuals, but targeted masses, uniting them under the didactic purpose of celebrating new ideology and loyalty to the communist party. There was a strong focus on people uniting in labor, doing it with pride and energy and promoting the advancement of the country to the productive future. Glorification of the new classless society was also targeted with a highly optimistic imagery of tireless muscular men and women working side by side for the betterment of their community.
In her interview for CNN, Julia Bergman, an archivist of Diego Riviera for City College of San Francisco and his passionate admirer, shares her take on Riviera’s Pan American Unity: “It's replete with the fruits of men's and women's labor: breathtaking pyramids, bridges, a dam and even an island. Indigenous Mexican artists are seen here creating works of utility and beauty. Art is shown being reconciled with technology. Workers mine, fell trees, embroider and farm. A female and male architects confer as an ironworker looks on.”[1] One would be curious to ask how could Diego Rivera paint a mural that so closely resembled an art movement strategically chosen by the Soviet party to promote ideals of Communism while painting for the International Exposition sponsored by the country priding itself on the capitalist ideology? The work indeed resembles the stylistic characteristics of the communist artists in the Soviet Union. However, its main purpose stays with the celebration of the merging of the great Latin American resourcefulness and American technology in quest of international union, equality of the people and productive advancement. And since, vividly described by Cantor, United States in the years preceding the creation of the mural as well as following it had many socialist undercurrents in both academic and political circles, it was only fair that such symbolic work would eventually surface. Pan American Unity speaks of the great advancements of human labor and admires the strength of mankind subjugating nature to its will with the power of technology created by its intellect. The theme of unity is unveiling throughout the work: unity of men of different races working shoulder to shoulder in creating a new world, the synthesis of what looks like ancient tribal craftsmanship with the power of technological advancement, tools and machines. Diego Rivera explains in his autobiography My Art, My Life the idea behind the creation of Pan American Unity:
In this mural I projected the idea of the fusion of the genius of the South (Mexico), with its religious ardor and its gift for plastic expression, and the genius of the North (the United States), with its gift for creative mechanical expression. Symbolizing this union - and focal point of the whole composition - was a colossal Goddess of Life, half Indian, half machine. She would be to the American civilization of my vision what Quetzalcoatl, the great mother [sic] of Mexico, was to the Aztec people. (Rivera 151)
Diego Rivera does not entirely promote the communist ideology but tones his approach down to the general outlook of the international attitude created by industrialization and mechanization – productivity, technological advancement and social awareness of laboring class. I think that the most powerful image is purposefully put in the center of the mural, its focal point zooming into the image of the godlike creature, half-woman with her raised palm in gesture of power and leadership and half-machine made out of metal rods and bolts. The dark skin tone of the Goddess’ hand points at her Indian heritage and the ornamented wood- and stonework boast artisan skill prevalent in the Aztec Empire and now Mexico. The machine part, symbolized by the stamping press is the technological advancement of the American civilization with its machinery and industrial development. According to Rivera, the four turquoise spots strategically placed on the palm of the goddess’ raised hand signify her intent to stop the tyrannical horrors of impending World War II.[2] The theme of war is another topic explored throughout the work and is seen in two opposing dimensions. The first one is the war as political revolution necessary for change and liberation of society that Rivera admires and portrays with such figures as Simon Bolivar and Miguel Hidalgo as well as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln. The first war is righteous and necessary for society’s needs and is based on concept of human rights and freedom from oppression. The gaseous war cloud on the right side of the painting, however, represents the war that is poisonous and tyrannical and “encompasses dictators Stalin (portrayed with blood-tipped pickax as the murderer of Trotsky), Hitler, and Mussolini to represent the onset of World War II, a war that in 1940 he perceives to be totalitarian aggrandizement.”[3] The wars in Pan American Unity are necessary if led by the intention of breaking away from oppression and toxic if pursued under violent and egocentric leaders.
I think that one has to take the mural increment by increment until the whole work combines into symbolic whole, all parts falling correctly into place. I can see the stone workers, goldsmiths, potters, weavers, loggers and many other workers being productive, creating without sense of exhaustion or unhappiness. I also see tools and machines of labor: carving knives, axes, paint brushes, cranes and tractors. According to Amy Dempsey, the social realist art works have distinctive characteristics that set them apart: “Paintings approved by the State typically showed men and women at work or playing sports, political assemblies, political leaders and the achievements of Soviet technology, all portrayed in a naturalistic idealized fashion, in which the people were young, muscular, happy members of a progressive, classless society, and the leaders heroes.” (Dempsey 168) All of these stylistic characteristics can be seen in Pan American Unity – the united labor of energetic healthy workers of different races, their leisure presented with the bathers as well as prominent leaders of generations past. However, it is ironic that although socialist realism painting was supposed to be populist in nature and easily understood even by the uneducated masses, Pan American Unity is an intricate symbolic work that in contemporary time should be read on multiple levels requiring presupposed knowledge of pressing socialist and international agenda as well as acquaintance with leading political figures of the time.
Bibliography:
Cantor, Norman F. American Marxism Today. The American Century. HarperPerennial, 1998
No author sited (August 31, 2001). The Art of Work: Diego Rivera. CNN on the Web. Retrieved October 29, 2011 from http://articles.cnn.com/2001-08-31/business/rivera.mural_1_mural-diego-rivera-labor-day?_s=PM:CAREER
Rivera, Diego. March, Gladys. My Art, My Life: An Autobiography. New York: Citadel Press, 1960
Dempsey, Amy. Socialist Realism. Styles, Schools & Movements. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd, 2010
Zakheim, Masha (1998). Pan-American Unity. Historical Essay. Retrieved October 29, 2011 from http://foundsf.org/index.php?title=Pan-American_Unity
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