As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, the Mexico City waterworks are sponsoring local muralists throughout the city in their project hidroARTE. As a result, many wall paintings are water themed. I'm not sure if this is a requirement, or if the artists just like to emphasize this essential element most of our world is made of. Regardless, the water god seems to be on every wall, so to speak.
Tlaloc the God of Water
The face in the center of this image is Tlaloc, the Mexican water deity. The name is Aztec, but the representation of the goggle eyes and sharp teeth protruding through his wide open mouth, is much older, from the Teotihuacan culture. Of course the worship of water in all its manifestations, such as rain, lakes, or mountain springs, is probably as old as human culture itself. Interestingly, today Tlaloc remains one of the most recognizable gods in the prehispanic pantheon, together with Quetzalcoatl.
Water and the Diversity of Life
In this mural Tlaloc is surrounded by the many forms of life water can take. Okay, we're really talking animals here, and even there it's only vertebrates that are represented. Never mind! We have a fish and a frog on the bottom, creatures that live in, or close to water. Above them there is a bird, and a dog to represent mammals. And yes, water is everywhere, giving life to all living things.
Awesome Art
Even though the depiction of life excluded all invertebrate animals, not to mention plants or fungi, this image is high up on my lit of favorites. It may be the way water is painted in it, transparent but still visible. Or it could be the way how your gaze is always drawn towards the middle, right at the water god.
The artist to be credited left his tag Newro, which led me to identify him as César Itzcoatl Guerrero. The piece can be visited on the corner of Avenida Michoacán and Diagonal Patriotismo, right on the edge of the neighborhood Condesa with San Miguel Chapultepec. And it should be! From the way it looks there may be some construction coming up soon, bringing an end to this wall painting, which apparently has been up for quite some time already.
If you liked this, check out my developing series on Mexican murals:
- 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
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