Research: Dr. Mariano Villalba

A Comprehensive Study of the Interplay between Occult Movements and Mexican Mural Art

Building on our doctoral research, this postdoctoral project explores the interplay between occult movements and Mexican mural art, with a particular focus on female artists, between Mexico and the United States during the interwar period. The doctoral research demonstrated how esoteric currents played a role in constructing a mythical and poetic account of Mexico's national origins during the 1910 Revolution, primarily conveyed through visual and literary representations. This research examined the affiliation of prominent male muralists like Diego Rivera (1886-1957), José Clemente Orozco (1883-1949), and Xavier Guerrero (1896-1974) with esoteric organizations, and how the use of esoteric and pre-Hispanic themes in their works predominantly aligned with the ideological orientation of the post-revolutionary state. This postdoctoral project expands on this foundation by examining the works of lesser-known female artists and early promoters of Mexican art, such as Cordelia Urueta (1908-1995), Anita Brenner (1905-1974), and María Izquierdo (1902-1955). It aims to explore how these Mexican artists engaged with esoteric literature and organizations in Mexico and the United States, and how the integration of esoteric and pre-Hispanic themes in their works sought to challenge the oppressive and patriarchal myths promoted by the post-revolutionary state. This study leverages unexplored archival sources in Mexico, including correspondence, photos, and reports, as well as anthropological literature, to document the personal connections between these artists and esoteric organizations and explore the integration of this literature in their artistic works. Additionally, the research adopts a comprehensive art-historical approach that combines contextualization and visual analysis of the presence of esoteric themes in mural artworks and public buildings. By integrating decolonial and global history perspectives explored in the doctoral research, this project emphasizes the intersection of gender, ethnicity, and cultural representation in Mexican mural art. Our findings aim to reassess the evolution of Mexican muralism by highlighting the original contributions of underrepresented women artists who have been overlooked due to their association with the occult. Image: María Izquierdo (1902-1955), Allegory of Work, 1936.