Title:
Location: Broadway Avenue between Church Street and the Radisson
Hotel.
Details:
He Said:
This is one mural that I bet has been seen by almost everyone in
Tucson. Or perhaps I should say, that everyone in Tucson has had the
opportunity to see. It's
on one of the busiest streets in downtown Tucson and is about 12 feet
high, but how many have stopped to look at it?
While not obvious from the picture to the left, this mural depicts the
Spanish conquistadors invading the Americas, soon to trample over the
Natives and their lands. Ironically, there is a small cactus garden
directly below that is nearly trampled by the invading pavement.
She Said:
My partner speaks most eloquently about the subject of this mural. It
does indeed paint a picture of the conquistadors, who, though
romanticized by many, were by almost all reports extremely cruel and
oppressive to the Native peoples whom they encountered, and whose lands
they so arrogantly stole.
It may seem that the artwork we pick for this website often carries a
message other than that of simple decorative work. If it is true that
art imitates life, then so be it - the message is there for anyone to
see, if he or she chooses to look for it, or to acknowledge it. This
mural may not be the most elegantly executed painting that we have
shown, but it tells a story that bears repeating.
Copyright © 2005 S. Halversen. All rights
reserved.