Goddess of creation lives strong

Aztec myth tells the story of Coatlicue the Earth goddess who gave birth to all celestial things being murdered by all 400 of her children. Coatlicue's children included a water god, the god of war, a star goddess and the god of the afterlife.

Coatlicue made the world, but Southwestern College Professor of Art Michael Schnorr made Coatlicue.

Schnorr and former student Susan Yamagata brought Coatlicue to life in Chicano Park, home to the largest collection of Chicano murals in the world. Schnorr and Yamagata are two of the only non-Chicanos to paint a mural there.

"Being non-Chicanos, we had to work twice as hard," explained Schnorr. "It was a heroic effort, we had so much to prove. That mural represents a different kind of thinking."

His masterwork, which is the most photographed and well-known mural in Chicano Park, portrays Coatlicue with her arms extended, holding the sun in her right hand and the Earth in her left hand. She is also pictured giving birth to Tlaloc, a water god. Myth suggests that Coatlicue in this form, tells the story of creation.

"We chose to paint her in that form because a lot of the women in the murals at Chicano Park are heavily stereotyped," said Schnorr. "You have the Virgin Mary and the big-breasted low rider-type women. We wanted a big and strong woman portrayed in the park."

Schnorr combined vivid colors with elaborate brushstrokes to make the deity appear to pop off the bridge support she was painted on. Although Schnorr and Yamagata were pleased with their mural, some people did not understand.

"It upset a lot of people," he said. "It caused a lot of concern.

We took a traditional image and painted her in a very modern way. As soon as people saw her, they understood."

Less than a year after its completion, the mural was vandalized. Bottles of paint were thrown at the masterpiece, causing paint splatters in several areas on and around her.
Undeterred, Schnorr used the attack to add to his creation. With the help of Salvador Torres, chairman of the Chicano Park Arts Council, he found a way to incorporate the vandalism and make Coatlicue even more beautiful.

Schnorr painted dragons on Coatlicue's arms where the paint had splattered. He used red and blue paint to cover up the white paint splatters.

Behind her leg he painted an idealized portrait of a German shepherd. Schnorr's inspiration for the shepherd was a dog named Kilo who used to keep Schnorr company while he worked on the mural.

"There is something very magical about that mural," said Schnorr. "If you look closely the paint still shines. Even the artists that don't like me will come up to me and ask me how I did it. It has withstood the atmosphere better than any other mural, even the newer ones."

When Chicano Park celebrated its 40th anniversary in April visitors from all over the world came to the park to appreciate the towering murals and Schnorr's stood proud among the others.