Monthly Archives: June 2020

++ UPDATED : : MURAL ART : : MÉRIDA : : YUCATÁN : : MÉXICO : : BUFFALO : :

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La casa de Yul, c.62, a bit north of Av. Cùpules, Merida.

++ UPDATE :  There are two new images below, shared by another friend. I’m open to receiving photos of Mexican mural art, with details of location, (and author, if possible).   Perhaps this space, or a new entry, could become a point of documenting these works.  Send me a comment to discuss arranging receipt of images. ++

Friend Pat shared an article with me this morning (++last week) which has inspired me to dig thru my photos of street art seen around town.  That sharing linked me to a digital magazine I was unaware of,  featuring local cultural aspects, Memorias de Nómada (my rough translation:  recollections from wandering).  While I daily read the Mexican press online at sites such as LaJornadaMaya.mx , DiarioDeYucatan, and HeraldoDeMexico.com.mx ,  I had not known of this magazine.  Pleased ta meet’cha!   The story linked above, telling of an artist named Yul who lives at the depicted building on c.62 between Estadio Alvarado and Avenida Cúpules, is all in Spanish, which introduced me to some fun new words; if you don’t read the idiom, you might enjoy browsing the photos and events at their Home /Inicio.

 

 Next up we have a building being painted in a style reminiscent of Dutch artist Piet Mondrian.  If you look closely at the photo you can see the artist, Samual Barrera, working on a section of yellow, wearing a blue shirt.  His ladder is around the corner.  The owner sold the building, and the side with circles in black, gray, red and white, near his ladder, has been covered over.

Two blocks north of Av.Colon, near c.6 and c.33-d, in Garcia Gineres, near Slow Food Market

 There is a long tradition of mural painting in Mexico, preceding the golden age of Mexican muralists, such as Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco. Below we see a replica of a mural done by the ancient Maya, at a home in Izamal.

Replica of a Mayan mural in Izamal.

 

A dynamic work, visible on the east side of c60 x c21 y c19, “Plan de Ayala” enroute to Costco

 

Near the old train depot in Mejorada neighborhood of centro Merida.  Photo by S.B.

 

Corn goddess gives birth to maize, inside old train station, c55 y c48, Mejorada, Merida. Photo: SB

 

Many of the items below are near Estadio Salvador Alvarado, on C.60 or 62.

Mural across from estadio Alvarado, on c.60

 

Mural across from Yul’s house. on c.62, near estadio Alvarado.

 

 

 

Fachada de jardín, c.64 x41y39, near central police station and Plaza de Toros, the bull ring.

 

c.64 near c.41, near central police station and bull ring.

 

The one below is a favorite.  It is too long to share completely, as the detail would be so tiny.  I’ve titled it “Launching Mayan women”.    They’re wearing huipiles, the classic embroidered house dress.  The mural is near a favorite coffee shop, Pan & Kaffe (c.43, x60 y 58).

“Launching Mayan women” (my title) on c.43, x64y62.

 

Mural painted by Mario Quiñones, on c.55 near c.74, centro.

 

Home of muralist Mario Quiñones, in centro, whose wife is a good seamstress.

 

Urban art from Buffalo NY (sharing the universal appeal of urban art). An abandoned department store on Broadway at Filmore, dressed in fabric.

 

MASKED ENFORCEMENT

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Photo by Suriyan Buntiam, ShutterStock (fair use)

The State of Yucatán has done a very wise thing by merging the wearing of masks with the operation of motor vehicles.  This act allows for enforcement by traffic cops.  All drivers must wear a mask while operating a vehicle.  Men, especially, are widely known to resist wearing masks.  But how many would risk a traffic infraction for the “liberty” of not wearing one? — the liberty to infect others.   Yucatecos should be proud of this law.  It is one of the wiser policies enacted anywhere.  (eg: The effectiveness of wearing masks is established as reasonable for reducing the spread of cv-19.)

 

¿¿ WHAT IS LEADERSHIP ??

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“Washing of feet” by Duccio, ~1308 (WikiArt)

Whether you’re an Atheist, a Buddhist, a Christian, a Daoist, a High-Flyer, a Hindu, or a Jew; a Shia, a Sufi or Sunni or Zoroastrian — whoever you might be — asking the question What does real leadership look like? has some currency today.   

No, those halos seen above are not required of leaders.  But a deeply humble sense of leading-by-example is still a key to success — which is well-illustrated in the exchange depicted above, of an “originalist” leading and teaching a dozen salt-of-the-earth followers, two of whom were either climbing the career ladder, or were naively aspiring to restore sanctity and ethical practice to their national theocratic system of worship.  So he seized this teachable moment.  Here’s a snippet quoting that teacher, by an unknown author simply called Mark. [scroll to v.42]:

43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant* of all.

[And then their leader proceeded to wash their feet, as a household slave could not be compelled to do in ancient Palestine at that time, but might do willingly, for a highly-esteemed family member.   ~John.]  Of course, said leader’s name is Jesus, of Nazareth, but his lesson is universal, and is still valid, although increasingly rare. Those who would lead, as well as those who vote, or might be wage slaves today, might think on this lesson.

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*Note: the King James translators intentionally mistranslated the word slave – as servant, as they did not want the ranks of British “attendants” to hear themselves described by such a destabilizing term understood as chattel, or personal property.  
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Leading by example seems almost a forgotten discipline, yet it is highly effective, and respected and memorable to those who may have been instructed thereby.