Painting the town: Jesus Lopez Vega
Like many stories, the beginning is difficult to define. Does it start with the indigenous Coca people who lived and fished and worshipped along the shores of Lake Chapala many centuries ago? Or perhaps with the invasion of the Spanish conquistadores and their Catholic religion that heralded momentous changes to the landscape and the people of Mexico? Perhaps we can narrow the focus to the arrival in Ajijic of Neill James in the early 1940’s, an intrepid world traveler and author who settled on the shores of Mexico’s largest lake, charmed by the culture and people. Neill James started art classes for the local children and here, finally, is where Jesus Lopez Vega enters the story.
Born in 1962, Jesús and his older brother Antonio were some of the children whose natural talents for the arts blossomed under the tutelage provided by Miss James.
Many of Jesús paintings involve the landscape and culture of Ajijic today, the church, the village square and the celebrations and festivities that are a joyous expression of Mexican culture. Although his art is represented well on the small canvas or in sculpture, it is his larger than life murals which have captured the essence and soul of Mexican folkloric tradition, imbuing space with bold colour and a sense of magic realism.
In an article by blogger Judy King, of Ajijic, Jesús states: “When I look at the murals here in Ajijic I think of how we have brought back the spirits of masters of the Mexican mural, each in our own way. We Ajijic artists express the same types of feelings and comments. Diego Rivera was the most historic muralist. Orozco was the most artistic; Siquieros was political and Rufino Tamayo, my mentor, was the cosmic one. His composition of color and figures transmits the pre-Columbian spirit.”
Jesús explained, “Mexico’s mural movement began right after the Mexican Revolution (about 1920), and there was a lot the great muralists needed to say. Murals are more than large paintings that make ecological, political and social statements. It is about our culture; it is about expressing our feelings — most of the time what murals say goes against the system”.
“Remember,” he said, “it is a way of communication that comes through from your soul, from your spirit. It speaks the truth. That is not always pretty, but it needs to be heard.” His series of paintings that depict the ecological devastation of Lake Chapala, once world renowned for its plentiful and delectable fish, are a statement to the effects on the local communities.
In a recent conversation Jesús stated that “most of my paintings have to do with pre-Columbian imaginary; they are vivid in color, a link of communication between the ancestors’ world to modern times, often focusing on the archeological artifacts which have been found in Lake Chapala.
The breathtaking mural that Jesus created in the Centro Cultural in Ajijic describes the myths of this area. Jesus explains the meaning of the mural:
TEO-MICHICHIUALLI (TEO – deity, MICHIN – fish, CIHUALLI – princess) “This mythological mural represents the fertility of Lake Chapala as a young princess. Thousands of pre-Columbian artifacts were thrown into the lake in her honor, to give thanks for abundant water, fish, birds, and to maintain the good climate and the rainy season. They say that she sends the winds from the four different directions – north, east, west and south, to keep the waters circulating and in harmony.
Teo-michicihualli was furious, especially when the moon was full. She would punish the lakeside inhabitants by taking (absorbing) water from the lake through a water spout, creating a big dark long cloud, known by the local people as a “water snake”. This phenomenon would hit the mountains causing a huge thunder storm with lightening. In it’s path, this water spout would destroy the nearby villages.
The moon, the lake and the woman were a common trilogy because of their monthly cycles. Each month the moon becomes full. Women have their menstrual period. Sometimes local people still get scared at the month of May’s full moon, just before the rainy season starts, afraid that a disaster could happen. The lake gets choppy, eventually creating big waves, throwing out from its waters organic waste, some dead animals or human remains, thus turning the water crystal clear.
People created calendars of agriculture especially cycles of corn crops from this trilogy. Their ceramics show cycles of corn cults, painted with oxide red paint and some engravings with symbols of water on ceremonial ceramics.
There also are other minor deities represented, like “cihualli” the corn god who is a feminine figure shown with corn around her body.
“Tlaloc” the rain god is throwing a water spout from his mouth and giving birth to his daughter “Teo-michicihualli”. “Tlaltecutli” a feminine goddess represents the earth and the universe. The skulls and bones signify the underworld which is where the universe was created and settled at the beginning of times. The rest of the mural is the immigration of the first people to settle Ajijic.
The art of Jesus Lopez Vega is at once joyous and recriminating as he celebrates the enduring legacy of his ancestors and love he has for his family and community, while reminding us of the sometimes toxic effects of modern life.
You can visit Jesus at his newly expanded Galeria de Arte Axixic, or through his website at: arteajijic.net
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