Diego began this sequence of art works, just over two years ago. I had some work in an exhibition called “Dare to Wear”. We had a celebration of the Day of the Dead and were asked to come to it dressed as a dead artist. I chose Diego Rivera because I knew there would be a lot of Frida Kahlos, but I was more interested in her husband. He was a Mexican mural painter (I’ve often had fantasies of painting huge murals), and a left-wing revolutionary, a friend of Trotsky. Very successful, very famous, very powerful. What would it be like to be a man like that? Ugly, overweight, but with great sexual power nevertheless, making huge works of art, whole buildings celebrating the working man (instead of miniature depictions of inward-looking life), making his presence felt smoking huge cigars, wearing dungarees (like Walt Whitman), careless of personal relationships yet capable of tenderness in painting flowers and fruit. The neckpiece is based on his name, in case people did not recognise who I was impersonating.
All artworks and writings © Rosemary McLeish 1985-2024
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