Other local tributes to the artist: the tunnel named for DR (instead of the usual engineer) that goes from Paseo de la Presa in the direction of the bus station -- and a bizarre bronze statue on Juan Valle that shows what he would have looked like with short legs. Nationally, the 500 peso note, with Rivera on one side and Frida Kahlo on the other.
Guanajuato Legends & Arts
My main Mexican blog is MEXIGUANA www.rochellecashdan.blogspot.com but here I post other tidbits, especially photos of art exhibits in Guanajuato, along with my translation of a famed Guanajuato legend. To read my online stories and poems, google rochelle cashdan.
Saturday, 14 March 2015
Guanjuato Reclaims Diego Rivera: last day of special exhibit Sunday, March 15
As part of a whole month of honoring Diego Rivera, born here, the Casa Museo Diego Rivera, is hosting a special exhibit of his works on loan. As you enter, you will see one of his cubist works, painted during the years he lived in Paris. For viewers who know his murals but not his easel work, the exhibit is a revelation, as are also the three large bronze reliefs made from his sketches. And look for a drawing the versatile artist made of a rural US scene.
The traveling exhibit is on the first floor. Take the elevator up one floor more to see works that are always on view at the Museum, both by and of Rivera.
Other local tributes to the artist: the tunnel named for DR (instead of the usual engineer) that goes from Paseo de la Presa in the direction of the bus station -- and a bizarre bronze statue on Juan Valle that shows what he would have looked like with short legs. Nationally, the 500 peso note, with Rivera on one side and Frida Kahlo on the other.
Other local tributes to the artist: the tunnel named for DR (instead of the usual engineer) that goes from Paseo de la Presa in the direction of the bus station -- and a bizarre bronze statue on Juan Valle that shows what he would have looked like with short legs. Nationally, the 500 peso note, with Rivera on one side and Frida Kahlo on the other.
Thursday, 12 March 2015
Guanajuato: MuAG (Women Artists of Guanajuato)
Twenty-three artists showed their work in the VII edition of Mujeres Artistas de Guanajuato that opened tonight in the Dieguino Museum next to Teatro Juarez. At the bottom, Loreta, the organizer, happy afterward. Talina Rodríguez created the image of Coatlicue, the mother of the Aztec gods, the photo not as sharp as I would like it, better to see it for yourself. To see pre-Hispanic sculptures of Coatlicue, google "Coatlicue images."
The one sculpture and the 22 paintings all featured women. I always like going into this museum that blends convent ruins with a modern approach to natural light.
The one sculpture and the 22 paintings all featured women. I always like going into this museum that blends convent ruins with a modern approach to natural light.
Sunday, 1 February 2015
Guanajuato Artists: Kate Delos at 81 Positos through February
Kate's double exhibit, Obras en dos partes, is just what the title says. The rear galleries on the ground floor show Delos's work based on nude figures, the front gallery --my pick--shows more recent work suggested in part by Guanajuato colors and shapes, with the artist working her magic on both parts. An expo-venta.
entrance hall to the three-floor gallery |
detail from "The Weight of History" |
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
20th Century Italian Artists at MAHG, Leon until January 31
My visits to Leon run the gamut, this time from eating tacos in a place I like a block off Lopez Mateos, walking to the art museum, and afterward stopping off at Costco.
Above and beside, two toys I saw at the exhibit Mexican Toy Exhibit just ended, but they should all be back on permanent display at San Miguel's Toy Museum by now.
Below, a sampling of the variety in the Italian
exhibit: one of two striking fabric sculptures made of painted canvas; an embroidered geometric "painting" made up of tiny stitches; and of course, other paintings in many different styles, of which the horses by de Chirico shown are so different from the architectural-surreal painting we usually see reproduced.
Informative texts to guide the viewer through the exhibit.
This exhibit of 20th century art from Italy is fascinating for showing how art crosses borders, both in themes and techniques. Highly recommended if you are going to Leon on a weekday as the traffic is slow and sidewalks crowded with the annual Fair in full swing.
By the way, the fully accessible museum building and galleries are world class. The bookstore there has piles of good reads and picture books in Spanish.
The shopping bag even had the lettering we are used to seeing |
Constance prompted me to watch for the loom |
Below, a sampling of the variety in the Italian
exhibit: one of two striking fabric sculptures made of painted canvas; an embroidered geometric "painting" made up of tiny stitches; and of course, other paintings in many different styles, of which the horses by de Chirico shown are so different from the architectural-surreal painting we usually see reproduced.
Informative texts to guide the viewer through the exhibit.
This exhibit of 20th century art from Italy is fascinating for showing how art crosses borders, both in themes and techniques. Highly recommended if you are going to Leon on a weekday as the traffic is slow and sidewalks crowded with the annual Fair in full swing.
Children's Room for classes (no one there on the weekend) Note the enlargement of the needlework design |
Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Sunday, 14 December 2014
What Guanajuato children are doing through TAN473
Today I went to the TAN473 exhibit held in a gallery off the patio leading to UG's Cine Club.
Below a sampling of what I saw: busy children, names in bright colors [left], prints done by 8-12 year olds [below]. Katie Clancy started this project several years ago. It now reaches out to girls at Buen Pastor, boys in Irapuato and children who live in La Venada neighborhood.
TAN473's motto: Creativity+Education=Change,
The 473 in case you haven't guessed comes from the local telephone prefix. You can find out more by googling or going to Facebook. Donations and volunteers welcome.
Prints that took patience
Below a sampling of what I saw: busy children, names in bright colors [left], prints done by 8-12 year olds [below]. Katie Clancy started this project several years ago. It now reaches out to girls at Buen Pastor, boys in Irapuato and children who live in La Venada neighborhood.
TAN473's motto: Creativity+Education=Change,
The 473 in case you haven't guessed comes from the local telephone prefix. You can find out more by googling or going to Facebook. Donations and volunteers welcome.
What's more involving than a kid's own name? |
Color, color, everywhere |
Individual art, group pride |
Friday, 31 October 2014
Memorable Photo Exhibit of Mexican Japanese + Quotes
Held over through Sunday the 2nd...
Diego Rivera House-Museum
Positos No. 47, Guanajuato, Gto.
Tel. y Fax. 01 (473) 73 2 11 97
HORARIOS: Martes a Sábado: 10:00 a 19:00 hrs.
Domingos:10:00 a 15:00 hrs.
ENTRADA: $ 15.00 General, $ 5.00 Estudiantes
Diego Rivera House-Museum
Positos No. 47, Guanajuato, Gto.
Tel. y Fax. 01 (473) 73 2 11 97
HORARIOS: Martes a Sábado: 10:00 a 19:00 hrs.
Domingos:10:00 a 15:00 hrs.
ENTRADA: $ 15.00 General, $ 5.00 Estudiantes
I happened to see this while I was reading Pico Iyer's book about his year in Japan. My take as the granddaughter of immigrants: A moving, thought-provoking exhibit enhanced by the excellent photo-portraits.
"We always had the liberty to do what we want but our parents told us, "Do it well". |
Watching over their museum? |
Friday, 24 October 2014
Cervantino 2014: Exhibits Closing Sunday. Time Left for Rick Bartow
Seeing this, I experienced the fear unleasshed anger arouses |
Rick Bartow identifies with his Yurok roots but I consider him a "universal,": that is, world class artist. Among the painting titles in this small retrospective are For Fellini,The Dog that Attacks Me, Vietnam, Genet,and Shoki Dancing.
Because the Guatemalan textile exhibit is outstanding, I'll mention it again. Viewers get a sense of how women and men from the indigenous language groups have woven their identity--you will see one photo that shows it isn't easy in a polarized society. Or if you prefer, just home in on the weaver-enbriuderers' mastery of design and color.
At the Alhondiga I spent most of my time looking at Rodrigo Moya's photos and reading what he said about his long career as a photographer.
While he was working as a videographer, a photographer acquaintance took him into his darkroom. "I was hooked," says Moya. "I was like an aborigine seeing his first machine."
You will see Moya's photos of celebrities outside the Alhondiga and inside his political photos shot in Mexico, Venezuela and Cuba. "From the beginning, I had two cameras," Moya states metaphorically, "one to shoot what I was told to shoot and the other for shooting what I wanted."
In the Alhondiga patio, you can walk among Capelo's Totems and Shamans and if you have time to lighten up, the illustrations upstairs at the Diego Rivera are delightful..I haven't seen the work of Guanajuato's printmakers yet at the Olga Costa.
firs
Monday, 20 October 2014
Cervantino 2014: Photo Portraits of Women Writers at the Iconografico (MIQ)
In most of her photos, Nesher superimposes words on the body |
Nesher takes a different tack here |
.
Although it doesn't show clearly, there's a favorite Mexican image, Death, behind this writer. |
Saturday, 18 October 2014
Cervantino 2014 Graffitti anyone? Guanajuato's Newest, Largest
You'll find the Plaza de Toros near the State Auditorium |
The two lead artists explain the project |
At the bottom, the artists' names |
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Cervantino 2014: Guatemalan Textiles - Design at its Finest
Monday, 30 June 2014
Reading one of Jose Emilio Pacheco's poems aloud at Guanajuato tribute
Jose Emilio Pacheco died this year shortly before his 75th birthday which would have occurred today. The University of Guanajuato, along with universities in Mexico City, prepared a special tribute to this marvelous poet and novelist. The local event started with a short documentary about his life, then Guanajuato people were invited to read a favorite poem.
Many of Pacheco's poems are about animals, concrete instances of their cruel fate in a world dominated by humans. I picked a short poem called "Inmortalidad del Cangrejo" - The Immortality of the Crab - describing the fragility of the individual crab but still the species continues. After I read, the man behind me borrowed my book, choosing to read about the fate of an octopus that meets its death on a beach littered with plastic.
I moved to Mexico for many reasons but one push came from hearing a Mexican farm worker recite a long poem he knew by heart in front of an attentive audience in the Oregon countryside one Cinco de Mayo.
I found the poem I read in the Spanish quality paperback edition I bought in Mexico City of Album de Zoologia,, a book of Pacheco's animal poems illustrated by the distinguished Oaxaca artist Francisco Toledo. Earlier the University of Texas Press published a bilingual edition.
The news of Pacheco's death came through instantly on my cell phone. |
I moved to Mexico for many reasons but one push came from hearing a Mexican farm worker recite a long poem he knew by heart in front of an attentive audience in the Oregon countryside one Cinco de Mayo.
I found the poem I read in the Spanish quality paperback edition I bought in Mexico City of Album de Zoologia,, a book of Pacheco's animal poems illustrated by the distinguished Oaxaca artist Francisco Toledo. Earlier the University of Texas Press published a bilingual edition.
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