Those who have walked through the halls of Durango High School have most likely noticed the plethora of murals around the school. From Kandinsky to Edward Hopper, the variety of paintings is endless. All kinds of art styles are somewhere around the school painted on the boring white walls, making the school not only brighter, but more interesting as well.
After taking art history my sophomore year, I could walk through the halls and name all of the paintings – a feat I was proud of. I found students’ amazing artistic abilities intriguing as they could portray their talent through famous works.
Recently, some students wanted to paint the Marilyn Monroe portrait by Andy Warhol. Unfortunately, when the approval request from administration came back, it was denied because Monroe is typically viewed as a sex symbol. Between the multiple history classes I have taken, I am aware that Monroe was, at the time, seen as a sex symbol. But now, my peers around me view her to be gorgeous, progressive and iconic. She was not a size 2, 6-foot, long-blonde-haired woman with blue eyes. Rather, Monroe was 5-foot-5 and a plus-size model – nowhere near today’s ideal perfection, yet she is still viewed as one of the most beautiful women of the time. It is clear that she was a curvaceous woman with a body type much heavier than anything now seen in magazines.
As art is more about the viewer’s reaction rather than the artist’s, anyone can infer their own interpretation of a painting. A portrait of a face usually forces the viewer to look at the face and see the beauty in front of their eyes.
The portrait the National Art Honor Society students wanted to paint would have been of Monroe’s face, nothing promiscuous or risqué. What Warhol wanted to evoke through this painting is highly debated, but it is safe to say that he created this image to show how easy it is to sell people as products. Warhol is famous for his Campbell’s Soup Can images similar in function to the Monroe portrait, as both were advertisements.
Just because my administrators see Monroe as inappropriate to appear on the wall doesn’t necessarily mean the students who walk the halls believe the same thing. Advocating for many of my peers, we see Monroe as having stood up for what she wanted to do with her career. She was the second woman to start her own film company, and the first woman to get script and director approval for her films. Monroe is a good role model to girls of my generation, showing that we are able to push past our boundaries and accomplish whatever we want. Monroe was an advocate for human rights and made her dreams a reality through hard work and dedication.
Historically, she is a sex symbol, and therefore may not be the best mural to put up in a building in which learning is the main goal. But how will my generation be able to progress if we can’t have an opinion and the drive to stand up for ourselves?
Students’ ability to get their voices heard has always been an issue, no matter what high school you walk into. As young adults, our opinions are often brushed off because we are not wise enough to see the whole picture of a situation.
Even though a mural could not be painted, I see this as an opportunity to show how my generation is advocating for what we believe in and always pushing each other to think in a broader perspective. I am proud to say that my generation will constantly stand up for what we believe in, no matter how big or small. We are ready to look toward the future and create opportunities for others and ourselves around us.
Laura Mummery is sports editor of El Diablo, the Durango High School student newspaper. She is the daughter of Mary and John Mummery.
