The following comparative time line provides an orientation to the roots, elements and development of the rich artistic heritage of Mexico. The time line presentation allows for a sense of movement and awareness of events at equivalent times in the western and oriental worlds. 10,000 B.C. […]
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During the heady days that followed the Mexican revolution, the air was filled with fervent nationalism. The euphoria of new beginnings brought out the best in creative vision from talent that fed on this intoxicating energy. From the ranks of this creative elite came Adolfo Best Maugard, his imprint on Mexican culture more profound than […]
Continue ReadingIt would be a terrible oversight to write an “Arts in Mexico” column without paying special tribute to Francisco Toledo, one of Mexico’s greatest living artists. In the eyes of many, he is Mexico’s greatest, with a range of talents second to none. His name has come to be synonymous with Mexico’s soul or at […]
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I’ve just recently seen the ” Tamayo Illustrador” exhibition at the Museo del Periodismo y las Artes Graficas in downtown Guadalajara. Rufino Tamayo is a Mexican icon, and this was one show I didn’t want to miss. I wasn’t disappointed. Though my first introduction to Tamayo was through his magical, richly textured oils, I found myself […]
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When we talk of Mexico’s great painters, Francisco Goitia isn’t the first name that comes to mind. Yet, without a doubt, he is one of last century’s great painters. He the spirit of his times and reflected the hearts of his people with love and passion. Francisco Goitia was born in Fresnillo, Zacatecas on October […]
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An old man smiles, crooked teeth in a beautiful mouth, head cocked to the left, eyes squinting with delight. A young woman, softly rounded and warmed by sunlight, gazes hopefully into the future. A fisherman stares pensively into space. He waits, expectantly, but resigned. The portraits are evocative, the technique flawless. I wander through the […]
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Siqueiros: Biography of a Revolutionary Artist is a fascinating read for anyone looking for a great story with fascinating characters. It’s also an enlightening read for anyone interested in Mexican history, and a must read for anyone who has moved to Mexico and calls it home. To understand the heart of the Mexican people is to […]
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The year was 1966. America was mired in an unwinnable and unconscionable war. The Civil Rights movement was about to burst on the scene after generations of festering below the surface of White consciousness. And all over the so-called free world, a restless energy was growing among the youth that was to become a formidable […]
Continue ReadingAt least ten years before the “Big Three” – Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros – came into their own as world-renown muralists, a lone painter was setting the groundwork. His name was Saturnino Herran. He was the first Mexican artist to envision the concept of a totally Mexican art. And he laid the foundation for the development […]
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A great ideological struggle is never a day at the beach. Whether its matrix is race, nationality or economic inequality, the fight of the oppressed against the oppressor is always a somber affair. Nobody realized this better than José Clemente Orozco. Born at a time when Mexico was ruled by a seemingly revolution-proof dictator, Orozco […]
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