Conservation, Tourism, and Identity of Contemporary Community Art

A Case Study of Felipe Seade's Mural "Allegory to Work"

Virginia Santamarina-Campos, María Ángeles Carabal-Montagud, María de Miguel-Molina, Blanca de Miguel-Molina, Virginia Santamarina-Campos, María Ángeles Carabal-Montagud, María de Miguel-Molina, Blanca de Miguel-Molina

• Publisher: Apple Academic Press
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781351807081
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Hospitality, Travel & Tourism Industry
• Index: Business

This unique volume aims to promote new models of sustainable management in the field of contemporary mural art. Cultural heritage has become an essential tool for society, stressing the necessity to properly conserve cultural resources in order to maintain a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable development.

In this book, the mural "Allegory to Work" by the artist Felipe Seade, located in Uruguay, is used as a case study. The work of Felipe Seade, a prominent political mural artist of the twentieth century, reflects the influence of Mexican heritage and the socio-political themes of that time, which were commonly used by the Social Realism art movement. The authors look at the mural—and its restoration—through the lens of tourism, globalization, and new interest in cultural heritage. The book demonstrates that the restoration should be aware that the perspective of the protagonists must be incorporated in the intervention process.

This first-of-its-kind volume brings together historical, ethnographic, tourism, and scientific research that leads to a sustainable project, from the point of view of identity, economy, politics, and society. This volume, with over 50 color illustrations and many black and white photos, will be valuable for college and research libraries, undergraduate and graduate students, researchers and professors in the field of cultural heritage and art as well as those involved in community-based research.

PART I

CONTEMPORARY MURAL AND FELIPE SEADE

CHAPTER 1

CONTEMPORARY URUGUAYAN MURAL PAINTING: TRADITION AND RELEVANCE

A. E. SÁNCHEZ-GUILLÉN¹ and A. A. BERRIEL-BENVENUTO²

¹Associate Professor, Institute National School of Fine Arts, University of the Republic, 3328, 11300 Montevideo, Uruguay, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]

²Grade 2 Teacher, Institute National School of Fine Arts, University of the Republic, 3328, 11300 Montevideo, Uruguay, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]

CONTENTS

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Objectives

1.3 Methodology

1.4 Development

1.5 Conclusions

Keywords

References and Bibliography

1.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter is based on a study about the practice and research on mural painting “National Mural Painting: 1930 to 1970” (Sánchez, 2002, unpublished). Since then, students, alumni, and faculty of the IENBA (National School of Fine Arts Institute) continue to work, creating an area of production and research in mural painting, through the professional practice of visual arts. Since 2013, the School of Fine Arts participates in the research projects like “The social role of 20th-century Uruguayan muralism as a vehicle and model for the sustainable activation of heritage,” Decentralization, identity, and memory.” Most of the photos that accompany the text are photos of murals in which the authors themselves participated, either in their design or execution. Other photos were taken from the research project “National Mural Painting: 1930 to 1970.” Except for Figure 1.15, all photos were taken by the authors (Figure 1.1).

The objective of the research project “National Mural Painting: 1930 to 1970” was to present in an organized fashion the mural art in Uruguay, and its authors, in the context of modernity. Within this framework, researchers surveyed, ordered and systematized the existing documentation in the stated period and studied the link between mural painting, architecture, and urban planning, in the cultural-historical context of its time. The research included an inquiry into the world of the different artists and their motivations, as historical memory largely determines the relationship of the individuals with their environment; learning about the history and making sense of it requires awareness of the conditions under which the individual acts.

FIGURE 1.1 Mural painting in Barros Blancos, Canelones, Uruguay.

The experience of mural painting relates to sharing experiences and reflections about the “why” and the “what for” of creating art and recognizing the transcendent axis of holistic training, which includes teaching, research and community outreach.

The concern about heritage is one of the driving forces behind initiatives at the national and institutional level. The state of our heritage demands proposals that contribute to its recovery, valuation, and critical appropriation, and that are presented in a participatory manner, so that the majority of stakeholders become involved.

As artists and professors at the IENBA, we see mural painting as a useful tool for educational processes, since our teaching objectives are to promote supportive spaces of creation and to generate critical awareness of the market, by promoting egalitarian connections in our practice.

Therefore, we propose an elective course, delivered partly online, for 2016. This course aims to give students an overview of contemporary Uruguayan mural painting and to generate awareness about the importance of the state of conservation of these murals, the criteria used for their restoration, and the ethical issues associated with restoration practices.

In this course, we will share the results of two studies on the subject: “National Mural Painting, 1930 to 1970,” by Ariel Sánchez, and “The social role of 20th-century Uruguayan muralism as a vehicle and model of the sustainable activation of heritage: Decentralization, identity, and memory.”

The proposal for this course is based on the interest to rescue the rich pictorial mural heritage of Uruguay, which goes hand in hand with the concern for its preservation, dissemination, and appropriation.

At the IENBA there is a strong tradition of teaching mural painting; it is an important part of the institution’s engagement with the community. However, it does not offer training in conservation and restoration of works of art. It is therefore essential to design a pedagogical program to meet this demand and to explore possible links between the creation of knowledge in this field, instruction, and community outreach.

1.2 OBJECTIVES

The general objective is to research aspects of the production of mural painting in Uruguay in relation to the educational, historical, social, and artistic context.

The specific objectives are:

1. To explore identity traditions that form the basis of the research on mural art.

2. To contribute to the preservation, dissemination, and appropriation of the pictorial mural heritage.

3. To contribute to the promotion and social awareness on the issue, and the development of actions aimed at the sustainable management of the cultural heritage.

1.3 METHODOLOGY

To achieve these objectives two strategies have been devised:

1. Begin the systematization of some experiences and makes the results available to the public.

2. Create a network of pedagogical and educational experiences that follow the same direction as the research project in order to strengthen links and interactions among participants.

In this scenario, this report attempts only a synthetic approach to some of the key issues related to the topic (Figure 1.2).

1.4 DEVELOPMENT

Art is a phenomenon of such importance and social value that its access should not be limited to certain social groups. The creation of murals, as well as the research into their historical background, makes it possible for new generations to share the values these works embody. The attitudes adopted in their creation express a complex system of statements about reality and about the ethical and social commitment of artists. Hence, the interest in rescuing this intangible cultural heritage drives the research into the visual arts and goes hand in hand with the concern for the preservation, dissemination, and appropriation of a rich pictorial mural heritage (Figure 1.3).

FIGURE 1.2 Mural at Colonia Etchepare, a psychiatric institution in Santa Lucía, Canelones, Uruguay.

1.4.1 CONTEMPORARY MURAL PAINTING IN URUGUAY

In Uruguay, even the most remote precedent in painting goes back to Western art: its origins are determined by the development, structures, representations, and teachings of Western art. This origin does not inhibit the fact that, in the history of Uruguayan art, we find different positions or trends that marked our identity and determined a particular model in the field of visual arts. Identifying those defining traditions and proposing typologies complicates the categorization of each artist, as different influences often mix and we observed a large number of hybrid creations. The trajectories of different artists illustrate the different directions that mural art can take.

FIGURE 1.3 Mural painting at the Asociación Civil Villa Centauro, Villa García, Montevideo.

In Uruguay, formal education in the visual arts began with the Circle of Fine Arts (Círculo de Bellas Artes), an organization founded in 1905. Until then, the only way to access arts education was through scholarships to travel and study at academies in Rome, Florence, and Madrid. That is how the academy determined the ideological aspects that formed structures and market relations; its influences are still felt today as an undercurrent that flows beneath the art world. Uruguayan architect and art historian Peluffo Linari (2009:53) stated that while the Circle of Fine Arts...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• About the Editors
• List of Contributors
• List of Abbreviations
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• PART I: CONTEMPORARY MURAL AND FELIPE SEADE
• PART II: ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH OF THE PAINTING “ALLEGORY TO WORK”
• PART III: SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF THE PAINTING “ALLEGORY TO WORK”
• PART IV: INTERVENTION PROCESS OF THE PAINTING “ALLEGORY TO WORK”
• PART V: MUSEOGRAPHIC AREA AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM OF THE PAINTING “ALLEGORY TO WORK”
• Conclusions: Management, Touristic Promotion, and Social Enjoyment of Contemporary Mural Painting
• Index