Mexican Murals - Four Sides of a Water Box

Walking along the Rubén Dario street in Polanco, just behind the Anthropology Museum next to Chapultepec Park, I came across a curious structure. It was rectangular, made up of four concrete walls, and if it hadn't been for the murals covering each end every side, I would have never even noticed it.

I never managed to find out what the actual purpose of that building was, but something tells me it could have something to do with the infrastructure of the public water works. At least most of the images seem to have something to do with water. Or I may be wrong, and clean, living water is simply a popular motive, in a place like Mexico City, where there is a shortage and a dangerous overabundance of it at the same time.

Homage to Tlaloc, the God of Water

The first image I captured is on a shorter side of the building, and is an esoteric mix of celestial bodies, such as the the sun and the moon, a pyramid of water, the letters A and L (if that's what they're supposed to be), and above the pyramid, on the face of the sun, the circular holes reminding the beholder of the carved images from Teotihuacan, which have been interpreted to represent the rain God, called Tlaloc in Nahuatl. In the top-right corner of the picture, some deity (maybe Tlaloc himself?) can even be seen pouring water. Though I can't say anything more certain in interpreting this mural, it is certainly interesting to look at.

Of Birds and Bees, and Butterflies and Reptiles

The next mural around the corner also looks quite interesting. In the background it shows a lush and wet landscape, probably the Valley of Mexico, as the two volcanoes suggest. This may be what this valley used to look like, before the lake was turned into a city. The central feature of the image is a human being, wearing a pre-columbian headdress and clothes. In his hands he is holding what looks like a caiman or a similar small reptile.

The other three creatures in the picture are the quetzal, a small bird that had been much appreciated for its long, green tail feathers, before it vanished from the ecosystem; the monarch butterfly, which is still around, but in fewer and fewer numbers; and the bee, an insect whose numbers are also dwindling, and which has gotten much publicity lately, for being an important pollinator of many of the foods we eat.

Could it be that the artist is drawing our attention to the fragility of the ecosystem, and how water connects us all? The other thing I'm curious about, is who the person was that modeled for the image... As for the artist, the tag identifies him as muralist Kober Graff.

Passionate Sunset and Bubbling Fishies

Following along the corner of the structure, the next image is a long one, showing a coast with an exotic sunset, dipping the blue and black of the water into an interesting red and orange light.

To add to the sensual corniness of the mural, there is also a woman in the water. She has flowers in her hair, and her face suggests she is contemplating love... or maybe she is just a bit hung over.

Most interestingly, all around her bubbles are rising from the water carrying exotic fish. I don't even know where to put this bizarre contradiction. In any case, the fish don't seem to be bothered by the fact that they're swimming in air bubbles.

The artist left her tag in the top-right corner, so we can know this mural was made by Hell Esnaiper.

Under the Sea or In the Sky

Having almost made it around the structure, the last longer wall features an interesting image of a young woman in a hat, a gigantic figure of a bearded man, looking almost divine next to her.

Though the setting is highly suggestive of more celestial images, there are some features that might indicate otherwise. Right in front of the lady is a giant sea turtle, and there are some juicy tentacles lurking behind the bearded fellow.

Once again, I feel a bit overwhelmed interpreting this mural. Maybe the lady has drowned, and is now facing some sort of sea deity, a type of personification of the ocean.

As for the artist, the big lettering leaves no doubt that it's Remi Hop Hop.

No Fifth Side, Yet More Murals

By now the little building has been completed. Still, there are a few more images I didn't cover. They share the side with the latter mural, and are painted onto the wall of the taller part of the structure.

This picture is a mix of a bird, two fish, lots of flowers, a human face and geometric shapes, all assembled in an interesting jumble. I will not even attempt to explain the symbolism in all this, but only say that much, that it's a beautiful thing to look at. In any case, it's a lot nicer to look at than the naked wall itself.

If you liked this, check out my developing series on Mexican murals:

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