I believe that the purpose of art is to provoke a response from an audience, whether it be positive or negative, and to get that audience to develop their own understanding and interpretations of the artwork. Artists can also use art as a means of portraying a message or taking a stand on a specific issue, but nonetheless, artists typically want their artwork to be visually appealing and thought provoking. Art museums can help people to understand the purpose behind an artist’s work by talking about the motivations of the artist, their background and/or the historical context during which the work was created. Very often, society is quick to make their own assumptions, especially when it comes to artwork, seeing only the superficial aspects, and ignoring the deeper meaning driving a piece of artwork. Art museums can help to further analyze the artist and his/her work, so that viewers can make more informed interpretations rather than misinterpreting the art.

I think that Mexican muralists, such as Orozco, Siquieros, Rivera and Walter Beach Humphrey, all sought to create art that would promote a sense of historical pride in the people who viewed their art. The Big Three were creating murals in a time of revolution and civil war was being waged in Mexico, and their artwork certainly portrayed the proud Mexican and native people rising up against the upper class and restoring their identity as a nation. Humphrey also does the same on a smaller scale, wanting to show off some of the traditions and history of the college that appealed to alumni and students of the time. The Hovey Murals, in particular, represent the numerous issues that we have covered in class, such as the mixing of different groups of people, as well as the idea that one class of people is inferior to another. Like other works of art that have been censored in the past, the Hovey Murals have certainly sparked a wide debate and been highly controversial due to some of their sexist and racist undertones, but can be interesting to visit and experience when you have an understanding of the historical context and background.