Life — March 13, 1913 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 521 The circular illustration labeled "MEXICO" depicts a chaotic scene of figures arranged around a wheel or circular mechanism, suggesting Mexico as a metaphor for a broken, spinning apparatus of government or social order. The accompanying text critiques the Futurist art movement's exhibition at New York's Armory Show (1913), dismissing it as mere technical display without genuine artistic merit. The author argues that while the Futurists celebrate destroying existing institutions and apparatus, such destruction without constructive replacement leads only to chaos—using Mexico's political turmoil as a real-world cautionary example. The text also includes sections titled "Dr. Watterson's Prescription" and "Against the Subway Contracts," suggesting commentary on contemporary New York political issues.