Día de todos los muertos

“Popular Art is the art of the People. A popular painter is an artisan who, as in the Middle Ages, remain anonymous. His work needs no advertisement, as it is done for the people around him” - Manuel Alvarez Brav

In Dia de todos los muertos, meaning ‘Day of the dead’ in English, Manuel Alvarez Bravois able to showcase the traditions that define indigenous people from Mexico. His work focuses on subtleties of human interaction around death and life rooted in the culture of the Mexican people. He capture their practices during special holidays to allow their identity to shine through. In this image Alvarez captures the girls happiness through a shot of her smile. The girl is wearing a cross to showcase her faith in the Catholic Church and has been given a sugar skull with the word ‘Love’ by her significant other in honor of the dead. What do you think the subject is feeling? What does this tell you about her place in her community and her traditions?

 

Artists' Visions of Identity
Día de todos los muertos