Ritual - Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 28° 25.003 W 016° 33.171
28R E 347900 N 3144346
This mural is on the side wall of an apartment block.
Waymark Code: WMQPRQ
Location: Islas Canarias, Spain
Date Posted: 03/14/2016
Views: 4
It is number ten in a series of wall murals known as ‘Puerto Street Art’.
This brightly coloured mural shows the head of a local farmer together with his goat.
The mural is a celebration of a local custom in Puerto de la Cruz where farmers bring their goats to bathe in the harbour on the 24th June. This centuries old tradition is partly to clear the animal of any fleas and parasites in the salty sea water, but also as a fertility ritual as after this ritual is when the goats will be bred.
"There’s even a purpose to the timing of this, which the wisest of the goatherds know. A goat pregnancy lasts five months. Which means after the bathing party a lot of kids are born at the end of November/beginning of December, just after the start of the winter rains have resulted in the land blooming into life again after a long dry summer. Which in turn means there’s more food to feed the extra mouths."
link
There is an information board about the series of murals near to mural number one in the series on Calle Mequinez near to the harbour...
The city as a canvas
Puerto de la Cruz is an Atlantic city open to the sea, so it makes the ideal destination for experiencing the inflow of new and innovative ideas – which is exactly what mural painting is. So it’s no coincidence that it’s the venue for this museum of ephemeral art entitled Puerto Street Art.
One of the most important in the world thanks to the standard of its first rate artists.
In a small space so visitors can take a complete tour in one hour.
Set in the historic heart of the city, so in addition to the plasticity of the works visitors can enjoy the historic urban and cultural value of the area itself.
Murals in a range of different styles created using several techniques and incorporating a whole variety of themes.
A visit to these murals is an impressive visual experience due to their majestic scale and the skill of the artists who have created their works on these huge walls. This is La Ranilla, a historic part of Puerto de la Cruz where - in addition to the art – you can stroll around the streets and enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life and its shops and small restaurants.
Puerto Street Art is a way to rediscover the city as a creative space.
The artist of this piece is known as Sabotaje al Montaje and a website about this series of murals has the following information...
“This work depicts one of the figures responsible
for the defense of ancestral traditions such
as the “bath of the goats” in Puerto de la Cruz.
Matías Mata, better known by his artistic name
"Sabotaje al Montaje", began painting in the
street in 1990 and since 1998 has been
involved in projects and events with a national
or international scope. In recent years he has
developed and experimented with large-format
murals. He is the artistic coordinator of
Puerto Street Art”
link