Last March, Argentinian street-artist Martin Ron painted the second installment of the “Proyecto Casa Amarilla” project, consisting of four continuous mural in the popular and colorful neighborhood of La Boca, in Buenos Aires. A destination for tourists and locals to enjoy a cluster of attractions. The project is a tribute to the culture and history of the neighborhood.
About the Mural
Martin Ron is known for his hyper realistic and huge scale murals combined with elements of fantasy, and this piece is no exception. Entitled “Tango & Rock”, in this mural the artist wanted to emphasis on Tango as being the most representative dance & music of the city of Buenos Aires, and very much connected to the spirit of the popular neighborhood of La Boca and its ghettos.
In Argentina, the onset in 1929 of the Great Depression, and restrictions introduced after the overthrow of the Hipólito Yrigoyen government in 1930, caused tango to decline. Its fortunes were reversed as tango became widely fashionable and a matter of national pride under the government of Juan Perón. Taquito Militar, by Mariano Mores played a monumental part in the rise of the tango and a major effect on Argentinian culture as a whole. This song was premiered in 1952 during a governmental speech of President Juan D. Perón, which generated a strong political and cultural controversy between different views of the concepts of “cultured” music and “popular” music, as well as the links between both “cultures”.
Tango declined again in the 1950s, as a result of economic depression and the banning of public gatherings by the military dictatorships; male-only tango practice—the custom at the time—was considered “public gathering”. That, indirectly, boosted the popularity of rock and roll because, unlike tango, it did not require such gatherings.
About the Artist
Martin Ron is an Argentinian street artist based in Buenos Aires. Not only is he the co-founder of the program “Urban Beautification”, painting the first large mural in the neighborhood of Villa Urquiza, he is known as one of the ten best muralists in the world.
He works with 3D technique, realism and developed a signature style using grid that is present in several of his murals and canvases of strong colors, textures blended with elements of everyday life.
He studied art and culture at the National University of Tres de Febrero, where he later taught as a teacher in Muralism courses. Currently, he continues to develop seminars and workshops independently.
