For today's submission to CCC's Street Art Contest #134 I have a piece of a bit unusual street art. I found it somewhere in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, and it doesn't fall into any of the typical categories. It is neither one of the impressive huge pieces that have probably been commissioned by whoever owns the wall it is on, nor is it one of those guerilla art pieces spray painted in a moment no one was looking. Instead, it is on the wall covered with stickers and other stuff people have been leaving behind. Except, these images are also something a bit unusual.
Sun, Moon, and Stars, Death and Devil
Looking at the images, they may strike you a bit medieval. They are kinda crude drawings of skeletons (really not that unusual for Mexico), and other symbology you may expect on Tarot cards or something. At a closer look, the characters reveal themselves to be a king on the right side, and a devil with a human holding an orb together. They are surrounded by stars, tearing eyes, bloody tears, a sun and a moon, as well as various plants. As for the meaning behind these symbols, I could not attempt to guess, but maybe you can provide an interpretation that makes sense.
For me, the images are reminiscent of either old playing cards, tarot cards, or the traditional Mexican game Loteria, a sort of Bingo based on words, that may appear inside of a story. On the other hand, they could be just doodlings from a teenager's notebook (with a taste for the gothic style). Whatever the origin and the inspiration, the imagery looks like something that could take you back into a timeless world if you just look at it close enough.
The artist who created it is apparently Groenewold M. whose site is most recommendable to visit, as it reveals a whole bunch of other images drawn in the same old Mexican style. To see the rest of my mural collection, please check out Mexican Murals post series.