Asfáltico On Display (Mendoza, Argentina)

Asfáltico, #9 (Worms!). Mendoza, Argentina, 2016

“People say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish… but that’s only if it’s done properly.”
― Banksy, Wall and Piece

“Speak softly, but carry a big can of paint.”
― Banksy, Wall and Piece

“Art is an evolutionary act. The shape of art and its role in society is constantly changing. At no point is art static. There are no rules.”
― Raymond Salvatore Harmon, BOMB: A Manifesto of Art Terrorism

Better Late Than Never?

Dang, it’s about damn time I pushed this one out of my DRAFT inbox and out into the blog-o-sphere.

A number of years ago (2016!), I had planned to get together with this creative group of urban artists to photograph them as they worked a local mural project in Mendoza, Argentina but, alas, for many days the timing and rainy weather conspired against it.

While waiting to meet them, though, I did get a chance to tour the town in search of their many landmark murals and, here, I collected some examples of their vision and style.

A caveat: After so much time has passed, don’t expect to find the art in the same condition as you see it here as human and natural forces have taken their inevitable toll–so consider this post, then, sort of a historical record from the year 2016.

[Eventually, we did get together and I was able to watch them in action and that session is documented in my April 15, 2016 blog post.]

Thoughts on “Urban Art”

As the Asfálticos themselves might tell you, rolling, brushing, and spraying paint on outdoor walls is the pure democratization of art. There is no need to pay any price of admission to see their work. The rich, the poor, the street sweeper, the politician, the lawyer, the newspaper kiosk hawker, the bakery owner–all have an equal opportunity to view and interpret what they see as they walk by on the public sidewalk.

Another aspect of their art that they (and I) find fascinating is how it deteriorates over time. The rain, sun, wind, as well as other (usually lesser) graffiti artists and taggers, all extract their toll over the months and years. The original work is not static, but a dynamic statement… always changing… subject to the whims of the environment and human intervention. What the Asfálticos put up originally is not what you will see five years later.

So, here are a few Asfáltico examples from the streets of Mendoza, Argentina…

The mural above as well as the next few you’ll find on the walls of the Escuela de Bellas Artes, next to the Casa de Gobierno, in downtown Mendoza:

Asfáltico, #5. Mendoza, Argentina, 2016

Is this a commentary on how difficult it is to balance the many roles and expectations imposed on the modern western woman?

Asfáltico, #7. Mendoza, Argentina, 2016

I love the powerful colors. That’s one heckuva dog schnoz:

Asfáltico, #8. Mendoza, Argentina, 2016

I’m not sure if this one is theirs (no signature I could see), but you’ll also find it on the back side of the Escuela de Bellas Artes. Mate (MAH-tey), a sort of tea, is pretty much the national drink here in Argentina and a symbol of warm friendship and shared conversation and memories:

Asfáltico, #4. Mendoza, Argentina, 2016

Great fanciful beasts of land and sea are a common theme, as in this mural located in the Las Heras suburb:

Asfáltico, #10. Mendoza, Argentina, 2016

You will find a number of spectacular murals by various artists along the ciclovia in the Godoy Cruz suburb, among them this one by Asfáltico:

Asfáltico, #12. Mendoza, Argentina, 2016

A closer look at the above:

Asfáltico, #13. Mendoza, Argentina, 2016

At this tranvia stop (Anzorena and Avenida San Martín), Asfáltico has done a nice job of honoring some popular vocal artists, including Sandra Amaya and Mercedes Sosa: