Title
Dolores Del Rio, Hollywood, 1990
Creator
Description
Dolores Del Rio, Los Angeles, 1990, 6529 Hollywood Boulevard (at Hudson Avenue), Hollywood. A portrait of the successful Latina actress (1906-1983) featured in more than 50 English and Spanish-language movies. She began her career in 1925 starring first in silent films and later in talkies. In 1942 she left Hollywood for Mexico City, where she formed the first actor's union. She also worked in Great Britain, Argentina, Spain, and Italy. Acrylic, 26' x 14', by Alfredo de Batuc assisted by Arutyun Arutyunian, Johanna Coleman, Arlen Gutierrez, and James Stubbs. Sponsored by SPARC. -- Robin Dunitz, Street gallery, p. 91, #32.
Subject
Date
Format
Contributor
Annotation
Dolores Del Rio was a superstar who helped to create the allure and glamor of Hollywood’s Golden Age (1920s-1960s). Commissioned by the Neighborhood Pride Mural Program and organized by the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC), the mural depicts the internationally renowned Mexican actress at the height of her fame. The sky, clouds, and banner or banderole directly reference the graphic style and colors of orange crate labels. Designed to boost Southern California’s early twentieth century citrus industry, the orange crates provided a romantic picture of the companies that relied on land speculation and the labor of Mexican migrant workers, including the artist’s father who participated in the Bracero Program. Also referenced are devotional paintings, particularly those of Our Lady of Guadalupe. However, rather than religious subjects, the oval scenes that surround the large portrait further narrate a story. Bright flowers framing the composition contrast with the central portrait of the actress and the four inserted vignettes from her movies. The artist’s use of black and white documents the industry’s technical limitations at the time and his critique of the film industry’s preference for whiteness.
Dolores Del Rio identified as a Mexican actress, although the media also referred to her as Spanish or Latin. With the conversion to sound in cinema, Del Rio continued to play leading roles in top production films. The homage to the actress documents Del Rio’s contributions to cinema with a list of her movies on the left and bottom portions of the mural. (Authors: Karen Mary Davalos with Alfredo de Batuc)
Dolores Del Rio identified as a Mexican actress, although the media also referred to her as Spanish or Latin. With the conversion to sound in cinema, Del Rio continued to play leading roles in top production films. The homage to the actress documents Del Rio’s contributions to cinema with a list of her movies on the left and bottom portions of the mural. (Authors: Karen Mary Davalos with Alfredo de Batuc)
Access Rights
Image is displayed for education and personal research only. For individual rights information about an item, please check the “Description” field, or follow the link to the digital object on the content provider’s website for more information. Reuse of copyright protected images requires signed permission from the copyright holder. If you are the copyright holder of this item and its use online constitutes an infringement of your copyright, please contact us by email at rhizomes@umn.edu to discuss its removal from the portal.