Corporativo Interlingua, Patricio Sanz 11, Colonia Del Valle, CDMX
"Idealism in Colors" by Atentamente una Fresa
A mural like "Idealism in Colors" can be interpreted in a variety of different ways. For its creator, the urban artist Atentamente una fresa, her work is about technology, identity and the country in which she lives and to which she belongs.
However, she also touches upon other issues such as the eradication of social class distinctions, education, individual recognition, access to information, access to media, different forms of expression, and socialism.
As the artist explains herself, these were the greatest challenges she faced during the process of creating her mural:
"It was really difficult to paint this work, mainly because of its height, and of course because in this particular case we were unable to use either a crane or any kind of electric platform, as we were painting the mural on an old building. So we had to use scaffolding which was many meters high – a very difficult height to work at. That meant climbing up and down all day, carrying paint in the hot sun. As far as the challenges are concerned, the height was what made things difficult – it was more like doing sport".
About Atentamente una Fresa’s background: she studied industrial design and specialized in sculpture, animation, and painting. She began painting murals so as to take spectators on a journey into surrealistic worlds. All of her works feature pop surrealism and low-brow art styles.The low-brow style is characterized by a playful and humorous use and combination of objects from popular culture in the style of surrealism and fantastic realism.
All these elements can also be found in her work "Idealism in Colors", which features a large figure hanging from a black-and-white Quetzalcóatl. Held by its legs, the figure, wearing mustard-colored pants and a water-blue pullover, is stretching out its arms to support two other figures who are holding a book and a computer in their hands.
She painted her first mural in her mother’s house, followed by others at the university. But her real apprenticeship began when she met Senco. “I worked with him for a few months and got to know the scene – other artists who supported me and became my friends”, she explains.
Anyone who comes to know the work of Atentamente una Fresa will never forget it on account of the distinctive characters she portrays. Figures that are elongated or shrunk on the facade, that adopt poses, perhaps reading a book or peering into one of the corners created by the painter.
As the artist explains herself, these were the greatest challenges she faced during the process of creating her mural:
"It was really difficult to paint this work, mainly because of its height, and of course because in this particular case we were unable to use either a crane or any kind of electric platform, as we were painting the mural on an old building. So we had to use scaffolding which was many meters high – a very difficult height to work at. That meant climbing up and down all day, carrying paint in the hot sun. As far as the challenges are concerned, the height was what made things difficult – it was more like doing sport".
All these elements can also be found in her work "Idealism in Colors", which features a large figure hanging from a black-and-white Quetzalcóatl. Held by its legs, the figure, wearing mustard-colored pants and a water-blue pullover, is stretching out its arms to support two other figures who are holding a book and a computer in their hands.
“...if you leave your fears behind you, if you become part of society, and if you accept criticism, comments, and everything else, then you will grow exponentially, and the more you share, the more you will grow”.
Atentamente una Fresa
About the artist
Atentamente una Fresa is a Mexican artist whose career sounds rather like a fairy-tale: “I began painting in my local areas – unlike other artists whose work was illegal at first.” This was not so much about not daring to paint on a wall, but rather “because as a woman in Mexico you take a big risk if you do something that is borderline illegal, even if it is art”.
She painted her first mural in her mother’s house, followed by others at the university. But her real apprenticeship began when she met Senco. “I worked with him for a few months and got to know the scene – other artists who supported me and became my friends”, she explains.
Anyone who comes to know the work of Atentamente una Fresa will never forget it on account of the distinctive characters she portrays. Figures that are elongated or shrunk on the facade, that adopt poses, perhaps reading a book or peering into one of the corners created by the painter.