The first major period of Mexican art and promotion of mural painting began in Mexico in the 1920s the most famous being the ‘big three’, Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. The art movement was centered around social and political messages as part of efforts to reunify the country under the post Mexican Revolution government. We had the good fortune- actually planned well in advance- to see an excellent exhibit at the Palacio de las Bellas Artes in Mexico City last winter, two floors, featuring the artists named above. And of the three Rivera is still my favorite. There is no lack of information about these artists, but the following story is a bit unusual. Continue reading Muralists→
The first vicious controversy over a wall between Mexico and the U.S. took place 85 years ago in New York City. Two larger-than-life personalities were involved: the US philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and the famed Mexican artist Diego Rivera. The battle was waged over a mural Rivera had painted in the newly erected Radio City Music Hall in Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan. Continue reading The Case of the Missing Mural→
Contrary to Oscar Wilde’s assertion that “art is useless,” we believe art in its many forms is what makes life worth living, adding dimension to our often dull daily routine. Said more eloquently by Picasso, “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” In anticipation of Christmas gift buying, this month we offer a selection of books that take art to a new level. Continue reading Five Eclectic Art Books to Enjoy or Give as Gifts→
At noon on a beautiful, sun-drenched day walking down Reforma Avenue in the capital city, I observed lines of employees obediently returning to their high-rise offices after the simulacro (practice evacuation for an earthquake), reminding me of our 1950s grammar school air-raid drills in preparation for any future bombs coming from Russia. I thought to myself how stupid it was, disrupting everything to practice leaving a building. But after all, this was the 32nd anniversary of the big earthquake in 1985 in which more than 10,000 chilangos lost their lives. Understandable, then, I decided. Continue reading REPORT FROM MEXICO CITY – Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On→
Maybe not so much. We probably all know more than we think we do about the highest points of Mexican art—Pre-Columbian Art, in which art and architecture, craft and communication were one; and post-Revolutionary art, best known for the major muralists (frequently called the “modernists”) who became international art superstars; their work was known as La Escuela Mexicana de la Pintura (Mexican School of Painting). Encouraged by their own government to help form the Mexican identity following the chaos of the Revolution, the muralists studied in Europe, painted in the U.S., and became national heroes. They tended to overshadow more personal painters who are now cherished—Frida Kahlo (1907-54) who was considered a surrealist at the time, and Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991), who rendered Mexican imagery with European techniques, and who was also at times considered a surrealist. (Neither thought of her- or himself as a surrealist at all.) Continue reading What Do You Know about “Modern” Mexican Art?→
Pottery has long been considered an art form in Mexico, and in Oaxaca, women have reigned supreme. The Aguilar family is perhaps one of the best known of the pottery families. The dynasty began with potter Isaura Alcántara Díaz as a young girl, learning the traditional pottery making techniques of the Oaxaca Valley, which were originally mostly limited to making utilitarian items. She began to experiment with decorative human figures, imaginatively capturing the daily activities of pueblo life. Women in indigenous garb were portrayed in every aspect of life and her work deeply influenced her children and grandchildren, who continue today to shape Oaxacan folk art. However, like most pottery art, once a piece is broken, it loses its value. Continue reading The Art of Repair→
September was miserable month for Mexico. On September 7, the southern coast of Oaxaca and parts of Chiapas were scourged as an 8.1 earthquake shook the region for ninety seconds. This was the most powerful quake in the history of Mexico. Then only twelve days later, a 7.1 devastated parts of Puebla, Morelos and Mexico City. Huatulco was left unscarred, but during the entire month, the country felt like it was riding a roller coaster, as aftershocks kept peoples nerves on edge. Continue reading How Juchitán and Ixtaltepec Are Surviving the Tragedy→
“If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.”
― Charles Darwin
How do you like your music served: big-name stars at stadium concerts, via radio as you make your way through midtown traffic, dance club pulsations where you hear the bass in your heart, alone in your living room with Nina Simone and a glass of merlot? Continue reading Editor’s Letter→
Son Jarocho is a type of folk and dance music originating in the coastal state of Veracruz. “Jarocho” is a colloquial term for the people and culture of Veracruz. Son Jarocho has developed over the last 250 years, blending and fusing the music of indigenous, Spanish, and African roots. The indigenous components come primarily from the region known as the Huasteca, which includes parts of the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Guanajuato. The Huastecs are of course now only a fraction of their former population, with the Nahua the remaining dominant indigenous group (speaking Nahuatl, considered the dominant dialect of the Aztecs). The people who occupy the region share much in culture, including the music addressed in this article, and festivals such as Xantolo (Día de los muertos or Day of the Dead). Continue reading Son Jarocho→
By Deborah Van Hoewyk
By Leigh Morrow
“If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.”
By Julie Etra
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