Beautiful Books

Books about Mexican muralists:

Mexican Muralists: Orozco, Rivera, Siqueiros by Desmond Rochfort

Diego Rivera. Obra mural completa/Diego Rivera. The complete murals. Text by Luis-Martin Lozano and Juan Rafael Coronel Rivera, directed and produced by Benedikt Taschen, photography by Rafael Doniz and Francisco Kochen.

This weekend: Orozco, Rivera and Siqueiros on the plaza

The great muralists (from left to right), Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros

Life-size digital images of the world’s greatest murals will be projected this weekend on a 30 meter tall screen mounted in the Palace of Fine Art’s plaza.

This is part of a project by lecturer, author,and specialist in Mexican art, Gregorio Luke who has dedicated over 20 years of his life to promoting Mexican art around the world.  Iniciated as part of Tijuanarte, one of the most important artistic events in Mexico’s northeast, Luke’s intention is to eradicate the elitism that often surrounds art.

The dream of the muralists was to create art for the people, as they believed that art should be accessible to everyone, not just to privileged groups.

Speaking about his project he states that this is a part of the vasconcelist idea that people need to reacquaint themselves with their artists; the vasconcelist idea refers to the ideas of the Mexican writer, philosopher and politician, Jose Vanconcelos.  Luke continues by saying that the goal of these free open-air lectures is to make possible “…the rediscovery of ourselves; we have seen in Mexico that everything is failing, but nonetheless, there is much hope.”  He wants Mexicans to look at this art, not repeat what the muralists did, but study their work. By this means he believes Mexicans will find their own voice.

• Friday, October 14:  The Life and Work of Jose Clemente Orozco
• Saturday, October 15: The Creation of Diego Rivera
• Sunday, October 16: The works of David Alfaro Siqueiros

All the lectures, which take place at 8PM, are free and open to the public.

Gregorio Luke has presented exhibitions of Mexican culture in some of the best museums and institutions in Mexico and the United States, including UNAM, the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, Harvard University, Georgetown and MIT, among others, as well as in many European countries, China and Australia.

Gregorio Luke gives cultural lectures with the fervor and reverence of a missionary hungry for converts.  Luke speaks as if he’s seen a vision.  His listeners can’t help but see it too. – Agustin Gurza, Los Angeles Times