Michael Calvello
English Department
Puente Project 2000

The Diego Rivera Mural: Pan American Unity
Image Visualization Exercise



Objective: The purpose of this exercise is for the viewer to directly experience the Diego Rivera Mural without the use of any informational sheet identifying the various people or the numerous historical events depicted throughout the mural.
  1. Introduce the idea of the visual image as the foundation of the study of literature, especially poetry.
  2. Have the viewer list as many image details as they can for a specific length of time. Approximately one hour.
  3. After this extensive listing of images, the viewer writes a 1-2 page response by sifting through the image-details selected from the notetaking exercise.

Types of possible topics: a poem, a short autobiographical piece, a narrative or a self-expressive creative piece of writing. To keep the type of response fairly wide open is to insure a variety of writings and a sense of freedom

If possible have the viewers observe the mural from the balcony as well as the lobby.