We only have one more full day in America before heading to our new jobs and lives in New Delhi, India. There’s so much to do: packing, cleaning, winterizing, etc. Or… I could procrastinate and write a quick blog post.
I totally spaced off writing about our visit to the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Tony and I spent much of a day here recently, and we didn’t even see half of the museum! It’s fantastic. The exhibits were brilliant with fascinating interpretive displays that added great depth to our experience. Many signs featured a print of a particular painting with highlighted parts explained or analyzed. Some described the artist’s technique; others placed the artwork in its historical context.
When we visited the information counter, the lady said, “You must know about Rivera Court.” Instead of saying, “Hmmm… no, what’s that?” I just muttered, “Uh-huh.” So we walked into Rivera Court absolutely unprepared. Here’s what the museum’s website says about it:
The Detroit Industry fresco cycle was conceived by Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886–1957) as a tribute to the city’s manufacturing base and labor force of the 1930s. Rivera completed the twenty-seven panel work in eleven months, from April 1932 to March 1933. It is considered the finest example of Mexican mural art in the United States, and the artist thought it the best work of his career.
Rivera was a Marxist who believed that art belonged on public walls rather than in private galleries. He found his medium in the fresco, where paint is applied to wet plaster. Its vast size allowed him to explore grand and complex themes, which would be accessible to a large audience. In Mexico, Rivera’s murals tied modern Mexican culture to its indigenous roots, revealing the ancient Indian cultures as Mexico’s true heritage. Similarly, Rivera’s Detroit Industry murals depict industry and technology as the indigenous culture of Detroit.
When we crossed the threshold into Rivera Court, a docent approached us with an iPad. It was loaded with wonderful videos about Diego Rivera and his work, including an interactive map of the murals. You could click on a part of the mural to get a video about that specific section. I could have stayed there for days!
We “think” we’ll be back!
