In 1920, following a decade of a civil war, the Mexican revolution overturned a dictatorship and emerged as a constitutional republic. Mexicanidad emerged as a way of establishing a new modern national identity.
The Portland Art Museum (PAM) in Portland, Oregon had a special exhibit on Mexican Modernism. According to the display:
“Mexicanidad, a political and populist movement that developed following the revolution, blended agrarian and Indigenous traditions with the anti-colonialist sentiment that fought for independence from Spain one hundred years earlier. As key members of the revolutionary movement, artists captured this vision in murals, paintings, prints, and photographs.”
With regard to the artists of Mexican Modernism:
“They experimented with style and imagery and actively contributed to the creation of narratives linking Indigenous and mestizo cultures to the founding of the new modern nation. Aware of the global movement of modernism—which stressed innovation in form, a tendency towards abstraction, and an emphasis on materials and process—Mexican modernists turned to ancient artworks as models for abstraction and as guides for figurative realism.”
Shown above is Festival of the Birds by Carlos Mérida (1891-1985), 1959, polished board.
According to PAM:
“Mérida created large-scale murals and smaller works, combining the geometric abstraction of European modernism with pre-Hispanic aesthetics. In this painting, the birds above the figures’ outstretched hands recall the image of a bird found in Mayan texts that Mérida studied.”
Shown above is Id. by Gunther Gerzso (1915-2000), 1961, oil and sand on canvas.
Shown above is Portrait of Jacques Gelman by Gunther Gerzso (1915-2000), 1957, oil on canvas.
Shown above is Portrait of Jacques Gelman by Ángel Zárrago (1886-1946), 1945, oil on canvas.
Shown above is Portrait of Natasha Gelman by Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991), 1948, oil and chalk on Masonite.
Shown above is Portrait of Natasha Gelman by David Alfaro Siqueiros (1896-1974), 1950, oil on canvas.
Shown above is Siqueiros by Siqueiros by David Alfaro Siqueiros (1896-1974), 1930, oil on canvas.
Shown above is Portrait of Margot MacInteyre by Emilio Baz Viaud (1918-1991), 1950, watercolor and dry brush on cardboard.
Shown above is Portrait of Nazario Chimez Barket by Emilio Baz Viaud (1918-1991), 1952, watercolor and dry brush on cardboard.
Shown above is Bride from Papantla by María Izquíerdo (1902-1955), 1944, oil on canvas. Papantla is a region in Veracruz.
Shown above is Circus Scene with Gypsy by María Izquíerdo (1902-1955), 1940, gouache on paper.
Shown above is Circus Scene by María Izquíerdo (1902-1955), 1940, gouache on paper.
Shown above is Living Nature by María Izquíerdo (1902-1955), 1946, oil on canvas.
Shown above is Portrait of Cantinflas by Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991), 1948, oil on canvas.
According to PAM:
“Cantinflas was known as an endearing, penniless character who used his sharp wit and humor to get out of jams. He became an iconic symbol of Mexico’s working class thanks to the comedic actor Mario Moreno, who portrayed him in many films produced by Jacques Gelman. Here, Tamayo depicts Cantinflas on a film set, surrounded by crews and equipment.”
Shown above is The Diner Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991), 1938, oil on canvas.
According to PAM:
“Many of Tamayo’s works depict scenes of everyday life but often set in a dreamlike space. The compressed perspective and manipulated proportions of this painting suggest an anxious psychological state, reflecting the stresses of modern life.”
Shown above Frida with Blue Satin Blouse by Nickolas Murray (1929-1965), 1939, carbon print.
Shown above Frida on Bench #5 by Nickolas Murray (1929-1965), 1939, carbon print.
Shown above Frida with Red Rebozo by Nickolas Murray (1929-1965), 1939, carbon print.
Shown above Frida by Guillermo Davila (1898-1990), 1929, gelatin silver print.
Shown above is Frida Kahlo by Edward Weston (1886-1958), selenium-toned gelatin silver print.
Shown above Girl with Still Life by Juan Soriano (1920-2006), 1959, oil on canvas.
According to PAM:
“In the late 1930s Sorriano painted several images of children holding and contemplating mysterious objects, suggesting the unique ways in which children perceive the world around them, often uninhibited by established ideas of utility or beauty.”
Shown above is Re-creation of Archangels by Juan Soriano (1920-2006), 1943, tempera on paper.
Shown above Paisaje de México I by Lola Álverez Bravo, about 1950, photomontage.
Shown above Paisaje de México II by Lola Álverez Bravo, about 1950, photomontage.
More art museum exhibits
Portland Art Museum: Frida Kahlo, mestiza artist (museum tour)
Portland Art Museum: Diego Rivera and Mexican Modernism (museum tour)
Portland Art Museum: Isaka Shamsud-Din, Black artist (museum tour)
Portland Art Museum: 17th century paintings (museum tour)
Missoula Art Museum: Folk animal sculptures by Bill Ohrman (photo diary)
Missoula Art Museum: An Unnatural History (photo diary)
Missoula Art Museum: Burnt Fossils (photo diary)
Museums 101: Quilted bears (art diary)