After the first part of this double post has been such a success, I'm excited to bring you the second part, of what's around the corner. And as always, I'm posting this as my participation in the weekly Street Art Contest by CCC, this time number 29.
Just like in the first part, the location is the corner of Miguel Quintana and Gral. Villegas in the neighborhood Ampliación Daniel Garza in Mexico City. This week I want to focus on the part of the mural on the south-facing wall on Miguel Quintana.
Tlaloc, Quetzalcoatl, and Lots of Traditional Imagery
I hope I didn't promise too much when I said this entire corner was a complete visual overload. This is also why I decided to split the work in two. Just like the part I presented last week, this wall also features Mexican deities, in fact, two of the most famous ones: The forked-tongued blue face on the right end is Tlaloc, the personification of water. The blue wavy pattern on the bottom also corresponds with this deity. The long green character winding its way along the top of the wall is the Feathered Serpent Quetzalcoatl.
To the right of Tlaloc we can see a symbol from the center of the famous Aztec Sun Stone. It represents the Nahuatl word Ollin, the name of our current era. The face in the center is a little bit different from the Sun Stone, which may represent the face of Tonatiu the Sun God, depending on where you stand on this debated issue. Further to the right a cat-type creature stands in front a field of corn. While maize has always been important in pre-colombian cultures, this cat I can't place anywhere.
Shamans and Warriors
The right end of this wall painting shows more pre-hispanic symbology. It includes a woman in indigenous clothes raising her fist high in the air, some type of spiritual drummer, and a warrior dressed in the outfit of the prestigious eagle warriors. In the background maize is growing, symbolizing the most important food plant of mesoamerica. The only thing I can't properly place is the rendition of the all-seeing eye in the upper background. I am not familiar with this symbol, at least not in the context of pre-hispanic culture.
Artists Shrouded in Mystery
Again I am faced with the question of who I can credit with creating this elaborate piece of art, and again (or still) I can't seem to find a satisfactory answer. The only inscription on the mural I found were the words "Somos Poniente" or "we are the west" (okay...) and the tags Aseok (or is it Aseck?) and ADK. While all of these names could be associated with murals, none of them are even close in terms of style of location.
Also, since this mural is a direct continuation of the one I featured last week, I would assume the same names could be mentioned again (if they are in fact the names of the artists): Sytck, Nepha, Tarok, Bosco, Yuhani, Dork ... not that it helps us in any way.
Finally, here's what this mural looks from the front of the corner. From this angle, there can be no doubt about it: they are two sides of the same image, painted on a street corner that would look completely boring without it.
If you liked this, check out my developing series on Mexican murals:
Winston Churchil and the Bike Movement
The Beauty of Death and the Struggle of Life
Different Types of Wall Painting
Political Expression, The Painting is on the Wall
A Familiar Face
Chilakillers: Murals, Chilaquiles, and More
Under Metro Line 4
Respected and Less Respected Paintings
Murals of the Barrio in Aguascalientes
Murals Under Periferico
A Cartoon With A Public Health Message
A Warrior Princess in Mazunte
New Images Covering Old Ones
Get to Know Your Local Cacti
A Mural for a Movie
Commercial Murals for Small Businesses
Not Much New in Almost a Year
Feminist Art on a Blue-Collar Business
High Above the City
Laboratory Work on the Cocoa
Elite Warriors in the Parque México
A Journey Through Rock-and-Roll, Contest Winners
Playing With Bugs on the Rooftop
La Familia Burrón in the Center
Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central
New Stairs Art in my Neighborhood
Painted Garage Doors
The Children of the Feathered Serpent
Four Sides to a Water Box
Skate On Forever
A Healing Mermaid Under Mexican Skies
Axolotl in the Parque Lira
Axolotls Wherever You Look
The Rapidly Changing Wall of the Casa Picnic
Illuminated Illumination
Tlaloc in His Element
Aztec Legends in Metro Tacubaya
All Your Favorite Mexican Motives
Worsening Situation for Women
The Kiss of Death
Honoring the Departed
The Flower of Life in a Face
A Less Appreciated Wall Painting
Funky Graphics in the Condesa
When Big Red Lips Start Growing on You
New Pictures on Old Walls
A Beast With a Mesmerizing Look
Beautiful Animals in the Roma
Horrific Animals in the Roma
A Poetic Message About Tremors
Sesame Street the Mexican Way (güey)
The Turtle Center in Mazunte
B-Side Murals in Mazunte
Beautiful Art in La Boquilla
Return of the (Pinche) Chinche
A Crow, A Fly, And A Shaded Barbarossa
More Exploding Hearts in Mazunte
A Frida Kahlo Mermaid
A Small Glimpse of Zipolite
One More Mural from Mazunte
Localvore Message at La Esperanza Store
Welcome to the New Normal
Frida Kahlo's Mask Adivsory
The Sacred Condiments
Love, Death, and Some Very Diverse Characters
A Flaming Child
Predator and Prey
Changing Murals on the Facade of the INBA
A Lonely Wall With a Lovely Face
Reclining in Tacubaya
Insect People in Cuauthémoc
More Insect People in Cuauthémoc
Lions on Regina
Three Cool Cats
Simple Beauty on the Corner
Something Decent on the Casa Picnic
A Lovely Vista of Chapultepec Castle
Fantastic Critters in Jardín Balbuena
A Corner To Look At
Amazing Prehispanic Art in Daniel Garza, Part 1