Week 3 : Diego Rivera's Mural as Lense for Race & Ethnicity

The formal theme of the Golden Gate Expo was the “Pageant of the Pacific,” a theme which allowed for this exposition to synthesize European, Eastern, and Latin American cultural influences depicted through architecture, landscape, and art. The influence of Pacific Rim cultures set the tone for this exposition as it permeated throughout the fair.

This idea of uniting races and elasticities is not only exemplified in the diverse architectural styles and different pavilions at the fair, but through a special mural. Diego Rivera, the famed Mexican muralist and painter was asked to come to the Golden Gate International Exposition to paint a mural about “Pan-American Unity.” The mural was made up of ten panels mounted on movable steel frames.

The fact that San Francisco invited a Mexican artist to contribute in this way confirms the idea that one of the main goals of this fair was to celebrate diversity and imagine the possibilities of an eclectic America. By using the cultures of the Pacific Rim as subject matter, Rivera literally paints a picture of this imagined future. He states

"My mural which I am painting now -- it is about the marriage of the artistic expression of the North and of the South on this continent, that is all. I believe in order to make an American art, a real American art, this will be necessary, this blending of the art of the Indian, the Mexican, the Eskimo, with this kind of urge which makes the machine, the invention in the material side of life, which is also an artistic urge, the same urge primarily but in a different form of expression."

While Rivera refers specifically to the end goal of creating new artistic styles, this overarching notion can also be applied to other realms which contribute to broader end goals.

Works Cited:

"Hard Times, High Visions: Golden Gate International Exposition Exhibit Items ." University of California, Berkley , 2001. Web. 23 Sep 2011.

Marnham, Patrick. Dreaming with his eyes open: a life of Diego Rivera. Berkley, CA: University of California Press, 2000.

"Pacifica II : A Project to Revitilize Pacific Unity ." Diego Rivera and The Golden Gate International Expo. N.p., 03/24/2011. Web. 25 Sep 2011.

Rivera, Diego, and Dorothy Puccinelli. Diego Rivera: the story of his mural at the 1940 Golden Gate International Exposition. San Francisco : s.n. , 1940

Week 2 : Economics

In order to understand the economics of this fair, it is important to contextualize these two years historically. 1939 marked the United States’ gradual recovery from the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II. These two events had major ramifications on the U.S. and consequently affected the Golden Gate International Exposition. This expo thus indicates a desire to bring people together and celebrate diversity and technological advancement in the midst of political and economic turbulence.

Given these conditions, it is not surprising that the fair netted huge losses – approximately $4,166,000 in 1939 alone. The total construction costs of the fair totaled $18, 937,000, and administrative and other expenses summed to $3,250,000. In an effort to recover some of the losses, the fair continued to operate until 1940.

The Expo required both private and public funding. On the private side, the Exposition Company made significant donations. Public entities that were instrumental in funding this fair included the Public Works Administration and the Federal Works Progress Administration, who strongly supported the building of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, and most important to the expo, Treasure Island.

Works Cited:

"Hard Times, High Visions: Golden Gate International Exposition Exhibit Items ." University of California, Berkley , 2001. Web. 23 Sep 2011.

James, Jack, and Earle Weller. Treasure Island : "The Magic City". San Francisco, CA: Pisani Printing and Publishing Company, 1941. Print.

Week 1: Tower of The Sun : Building

The Golden Gate International Expo grounds were on Treasure Island – a forty-acre island that was constructed and developed initially for the expo and that was slated to be the San Francisco International Airport after the expo. Built with 25 million cubic feet of dredged soil from the Bay, the island was located in between the world’s two largest bridges – the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge. The most notable component and centerpiece of Treasure Island is the Tower of the Sun.

Designed by Arthur Brown Jr. in the Beaux Arts tradition, this slim octagonal needle stands at 392 feet tall. Brown had also designed the San Francisco City Hall and the Court of Horticulture at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition prior to architecting the Tower of the Sun and another building, the Court of Honor, for the Golden Gate International Expo.

Ornamented with a statue of a phoenix at the top, the Tower of Sun’s icon is said to be representative of the city’s triumph after the 1906 earthquake and fire and a symbol of the difficult economic and political climate of the time.

It has also been said that this quintessential building is reminiscent of The Tower of Jewels (right), which was an important figure at the Panama-Pacific International Expo of 1915. The similarity between these structures is interesting in considering the different historical contexts yet homologous city.

Thus, the Tower of the Sun, Treasure Island’s most visible element, encapsulates a variety of themes pertinent to the Golden Gate International Expo. Not only does this building provide the Island with a certain verticality and put it on the map given its particular proximity to the New York World’s Fair, but its symbolism and style reflects San Francisco’s history and ability to revitalize in the face of challenging circumstances – an optimistic idea for the world at this time.

Works Cited:

"Golden Gate International Exposition | The Cultural Landscape Foundation." The Cultural Landscape Foundation, 2009. Web. 23 Sep 2011.

"Hard Times, High Visions: Golden Gate International Exposition Exhibit Items ." University of California, Berkley , 2001. Web. 23 Sep 2011.