Choque [Shock], the publication of the Alianza de Trabajadores del Arte Plásticas (ATAP) [Alliance of Visual Arts Workers] sets forth the opinions of Diego Rivera regarding art for art’s sake, which he considers “sandez sentimental” [sentimental nonsense]. In other words, the mission of any artist who creates this work is to provide “intoxicating and anesthetizing work” for the semi-colonial bourgeoisie. Or it could be said that “arte puro” [art for art’s sake], that is, “arte abstracto” [abstract art] is the spoiled child of the capitalist bourgeoisie in power. Therefore, in Mexico, there are the beginnings of a group of pseudo-artists and bourgeois scribblers who call themselves “poetas puros” [pure poets] but are actually nothing more than pure faggots.” In fact, the function the journal Choque was to crush art for art’s sake.

Diego Rivera (1886–1957) applied all kinds of reasons—neurological, zoological, reasons based on historical materialism, and even religious exegesis—to back up his arguments for a progressive, superior art. But all this was not enough for him. The muralist went on to attribute a list of connotations of art for art’s sake: decadence, tastelessness, ugliness, dirtiness, agedness, hypocrisy, wickedness, and weakness. The article is a true gem of Rivera’s aesthetic ideology. The exalted spirits of the 1930s gave rise to confrontations whose aim was to crush the opposition. Thus, Rivera doled out this treatment to artists who were creating art for art’s sake. On the other hand, the painter was denied access to the majority of publications in Mexico at the time due to his Trotskyist affiliation. For the time being, Choque was offering him the front page, in large format, shared with Pablo Picasso—as a subject of these discussions—an artist Rivera accused of representing art for art’s sake. Around 1935, the Liga de Escritores y Artistas Revolucionarios (LEAR) [League of Revolutionary Writers and Artists], took over the Trabajadores de las Artes Plásticas (ATAP). Thus, we may deduce that a militant Trotskyist such as Diego Rivera would have been ruled out of the writers sought by the new publishers of the journal Choque.