Siqueiros El Maestro: March Of Humanity - Latin America (1969)

[Music] Southwest of Mexico City in guaka is the studio of David Alfaro seos SOS is Mexico's leading muralist he is the last survivor of a trio of young artists who brought about a Rena in mural painting breaking with the painting traditions of Europe Mexican art was returned to its own Traditions through the works of SOS Rivera and Orosco here in guaka zeros is painting the largest mural ever created it is for his people it is their history he calls it the march of humanity in Latin America so vast is its conception that he must use a scale model as a guide the finished mural will be three times the size of Michelangelo's mural in the cine Chapel zikos has spent his life dramatizing ing his people's progress in his painting they call him elmro never before has he worked on such a grand scale in countless sketches he works out every detail of the mural in his sketches as in the mural he uses synthetic paints colors that will last for centuries for each figure he makes studies to clarify the composition [Music] while many modern artists have disowned the image of man in favor of abstract forms Cero's art follows and flows from his feelings for man in his murals he sees his people's lives in the context of social change and progress about easel painting and mural painting he says I believe that the difference between mural painting and eel painting is tremendous the eel painting is for the museums from the private collections the mural painting is for the people in general the sketch he started grows to a full figure on one of the murals panels yet it is dwarfed by the vast scale of the mural in Cero's art heroic conception and Monumental scale merge with his theme the people of Mexico the figure on the panel mounted in place achiev significance in the context of the total composition the mural style of SOS is violent and aggressive he uses sculpture to give an added Dimension colors and shapes move across the mural figures almost leap out at The Spectator [Music] the mural is composed on huge panels that are fitted together perfecto an army of assistants surrounds Aeros welders students from his school of mural painting an architect and an engineer to create his mural zeros is uniting sculpture and painting a technique he calls es sculpto Pintura yes I want to night a sculpture and painting in a one single expression of art I think what a mistake in the past to divide these two expression that can be together and create a most deeper and emotional expression in Statics his model is like a blueprint for him he says I make a larg scale model because that give me the possibility to find the reality that is going to be see by the public in movement he works on many things at once the model helps him to keep every detail of the mural in mind in another part of the studio he works on panels depicting the Mexican Revolution the immense scale of the mural poses problems different from those of easel painting [Music] when he stands close he can only work on a detail from a distance he can see the entire composition and direct his assistance the assistant is like an extension of his own arm while SOS Works in his Studio a building to house the mural rises in Mexico City the cultural palum cerus the panels of the mural will completely cover the walls and ceiling the panels are fireproof and the mountings are designed to withstand earthquakes the panels are mounted in place in guaka so ceros can see how they will look in the pal for him each panel is a separate painting now he must unite them make them fit into the composition of the whole mural where the panels join he works to eliminate [Music] borders B student assistants learn as they work the students in his school ensure that the tradition of Mexican mural painting will continue his mural is so big and so many things are being worked on at the same time that consecutive panels are often not near each other this creates problems the model helps to solve them his problem now is to transfer a detail a pair of hands from one panel to a second panel in another part of the studio a student assistant makes a tracing of the hands which will be continued on the second panel the tracing matches perfectly and the problem is solved the composition is now Unified as his work nears completion SOS becomes more and more critical he makes constant [Music] improvements Zero's vision of his people's history is given final form the march of humanity in Latin America is a realization of his bold Vision the philosophy of my mural the march of humanity in Latin America in the constant struggle of our peoples in all the continent for a most advanced Society for more integral Liberty and freedom in all the Spheres now the people of Mexico have their mural but to SOS the march of humanity is just one piece of work in his lifelong communication with and for the [Music] people SOS never sees his work as finished he will continue making changes until the last panel is taken to Mexico City [Music] while the panels are being installed in the polyforum his creative work goes on on another model he designs the exterior of the polyforum through his unceasing creativity zikos has achieved the stature of a giant in his time he has helped to bring new life to mural painting and to create a vibrant cultural movement for Mexico a nation where the history of art is counted in [Music] millenniums for