Arte para el pueblo: A Look at the Postcolonial Potential of the Murals of los tres grandes and Their Value and Limits as Emancipatory Visual Narratives

Los tres grandes were the leading members of the Mexican Mural Renaissance, a government sponsored public art movement that emerged from the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920. Commonly labelled ‘architects of the nation’, these muralists contributed to a wellspring of nationalist imagery intent on revising Mexican history and redefining its identity. Despite the movement’s national and international acclaim, however, there exists a tension among scholars regarding its legacy. Generally, it is seen as a heroic and socially inclusive art, a movement which celebrated the rich cultural heritage of Mexico and stood up for those oppressed by its turbulent history. This perspective views the artists through a romanticised lens and heralds their commitment to popular struggles. Others, however, have criticised the movement’s connection with the state, viewing murals in a cynical, propagandist light, as providing a positive façade for a government that was far from egalitarian. Taking into account these divergent perspectives, this thesis uses a postcolonial framework to explore murals’ values and limits as emancipatory visual narratives. Combining an extensive historic backdrop with ideologies and artistic analyses, the study explores the nuances of this complex movement, looking at the ways in which murals respond to and challenge Mexico’s colonial legacy in their reshaping of Mexican identity. Central to this investigation are murals portrayals of indigenous and mestizo culture, class, gender and religious appropriation. These themes reveal a movement deeply invested in re-articulating identity in response to colonialism, however, they are not void of contractions. Through analysing these attributes and tensions, this research asks to what extent the work of these artists may truly be considered liberating and inclusive - an arte para el pueblo