Title: To Those Who've Come Before Us!
Location: 210 E. Broadway
Details: Mural on the wall of the Tucson Acadamy of Leadership &
Arts
She Said:
As my partner intimates, singing and dancing skeletons figure
prominently in Hispanic art, appearing regularly in murals and other
artwork in Tucson. This painting, with its juxtaposition of
fleshed out and skeletal figures, stormy sky and mountains, lizard and
camera eye, combines imagery in a fascinating way, and gives us, the
viewers, a unique look at the world. Though we may not always be
comfortable admitting it or accepting it as such, death is a part of
life; the title of this piece underscores that, as do the smiling
skeletons.
He Said:
With the strong Hispanic influence in Tucson, murals can be found in
many areas of town, livening up the street scene. Interestingly, these
often have skellys as part of the design, and the skellys, as shown
here, are often having fun, playing music, or dancing. This, I think,
shows a significant difference between the Anglo culture where the dead
are to be feared and treated with great trepidation, and the Hispanic
culture, in which the dead are friends and relatives who have gone
before
us.
Copyright © 2004 S. Halversen. All rights
reserved.