For this week's CCC's Street Art Contest I decided to submit a mural of a very interesting nature. It is located in the center of Mexico City, on the walls overlooking a parking lot on the corner of Simón Bolívar and San Jerónimo. What may strike the passerby at first, is the large size of the wall painting, but a closer look reveals some intriguing mysteries, when the same observer starts wondering, what it is actually they are looking at.
A Wide Range of Characters
So let's see: on the left there is some kind of animal. Its ears are small and pointy, its tongue long, its fur fluffy, and its tail short. What could it be? This is the first mystery I don't have a good answer for. But then it just gets weirder...
On the opposite extreme is a young boy. While the beast on the left is drawn in an awkward and unnatural style, the child on the right is just bursting of photo-realism. Even the shade under his shirt sleeve is just like from a photograph. Very interesting extreme.
The remaining three characters look like from a cartoon. There is a bigger guy, wearing a black hood and mask, and two smaller ladies he's holding in a tight embrace. One of the women is drawn like a typical Mexican representation of death, with her skeleton chest and skull face. The other one is wearing a pink dress.
What's Going On???
Okay, if you are like me, it may have taken until now to realize that the hooded guy has taken the head of the girl with the pink dress into his mouth. Is he trying to eat her, or just using her head as a pacifier? In either case, it's disturbing enough.
At a closer look, we can see that the two women are holding hands, with their fingers interlaced in an intricate way. Are they lovers? If so, it may be understandable that the pink girl may be risking her life, being with the personification of death. But getting your head bitten off by a huge leathers-and-chains fetishist? Pretty death next to her is at least smoking a cigar... though it may remain an open mystery whether death herself can die from it.
So what about the kid and the beast on the flanks? They seem to be quite interested in the center group, with one of them grabbing at the pink-dressed victim, the other one licking the flowers on death's hat. But other than that, what is their purpose in this image? This begs more than one explanation.
Who's The Muralist?
Once again, it almost seemed like there was no sign left behind by the creator of this mural... except for a small tag on the hooded character's arm saying www.spok.es. And true enough, this link takes you to the artist's site, showing you lots of cool pieces of street art, including this one. But who is this artist? This site should offer some help (and more images by this great muralist). Plus, it takes you to his social media page.
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