As I was walking through the Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City the other day, I saw this fine example of street art, and I could not keep myself from taking a pic (in order to post it and share it with all of you, of course). Even though, strictly speaking it is not a mural, as it's not a proper wall painting. In fact, it looks like a pair of plywood boards covering a gate. Still, it's a good enough surface to spray-paint, and as a result, the people passing by will notice the image, and not the gate. Clever trick, especially if it's visually pleasing, like this one.
A Famous Artist Back Again
Looking at the picture carefully, you'll notice the name of the artist, Chris Dyer (twice). Being from Las Vegas (Nevada, USA) he is certainly not local. But his name sounds so strangely familiar, as if I had presented one of his murals already... Looking through my increasingly extensive series, I even found where: It's the mural on the public restroom, less then two minutes walking distance from there. "There" in this case is the corner of Calle Michoacan and Ave. México, which circles the Parque México.
Ometeotl? Fishbomb? Or Just Art?
Regarding the interpretation of this image, there is not much I could say. It is some kind of creature with a human-like face, at least the nose, eye, and mouth resemble human features. Otherwise it is a fun playing around with shapes and colors. Not being satisfied with this, I started looking into the words surrounding the visual. Ometeotl is the dual deity of Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl, but this picture doesn't seem to be about them. Instead, it may refer to the annual Ometeotl Festival, taking place in the nearby town of Tepoztlan, where the artist has also participated in.
As for this particular mural, his facebook page can have some clues, where he describes this painting as one of his fishbombs. What on earth is a fishbomb, you ask? The urban dictionary may offer a definition, though I think this is also not what the artist meant. Instead, I assume he uses the term to describe ... well, a colorful image like this, where the observer may find shapes of a face or a body. Okay, so be it. In any case, I'm glad to have stumbled across this cool looking fishbomb.
If you liked this, check out my developing series on Mexican murals:
- A Less Appreciated Wall Painting
- The Flower of Life in a Face
- Honoring the Departed
- The Kiss of Death
- Worsening Situation for Women
- All Your Favorite Mexican Motives
- Aztec Legends in Metro Tacubaya
- Tlaloc in His Element
- Illuminated Illumination
- The Rapidly Changing Wall of La Casa Picnic
- Axolotls Wherever You Look!
- Axolotl in the Parque Lira
- A Healing Mermaid Under Mexican Skies
- Skate On Forever
- Four Sides of a Water Box
- The Children of the Feathered Serpent
- Painted Garage Doors
- New Stairs-Art in my Neighborhood
- Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central
- La Familia Burrón in the Center
- Playing With Bugs on the Rooftop
- A Journey Through Rock and Roll
- Elite Warriors in the Parque México
- Laboratory Work on the Cocoa
- High Above the City
- Feminist Mural on a Blue-Collar Business
- Not Much New in Almost a Year
- Commercial Murals for Small Businesses
- A Mural for a Movie
- Get to Know Your Local Cacti
- New Images Covering Old Ones
- A Warrior Princess in Mazunte
- A Cartoon with a Public Health Message
- Murals Under Periferico
- Murals of the Barrio in Aguascalientes
- Respected and Less Respected Paintings
- Under Metro Line 4
- ChaliaKiller's – Murals, Chilaquiles, and Lots More
- A Familiar Face
- Political Expression: the Painting is on the Wall
- Different Types of Wall Paintings
- The Beauty of Death and the Struggle of Life
- Winston Churchill and the Bike Movement
Please check out these great communities I'm contributing to:
#ecotrain | What is EcoTrain | Discord Community
#tribesteemup |The 8 Pillars of @TribeSteemUp
#team-mexico | Discord Community
#cyclefeed | Introducing CycleFeed | Discord Community