Printable Flash Cards

"House of Tiles", Unknown, Mexico City, 1708-37. Based on renaissance sources. Space outside of it is rented out to people selling goods. 2nd and 3rd levels are living areas. Home of the Count of the Valley of Orizaba. On the street, currently is a restaurant and drug store. Has a center courtyard. Has "estiipes" carved w/precision. Made with lavastone. Parapet wall along roofline, extends the wall above the roof. Main doorway--nice/temple form=an oratory, would put shrines in corner of house or over doorway to protect/inform people. COLOR!!! The color is not typical of Mexico city, but more typical of Puebla. Glazed tile on building--Mesopatamia to Spain to the new world. The tilework=blue/white or green/yellow/red/white. Known as Talavera in Mexico, Majolica in America and other places. If the tiles are really glazy=glaze is done with lead. Less glazy=has more zinc, and is better. Interior patio has glass roof, but was originally open. Tilework on lower wall "dado".

Jose Obregon, "The Discovery of Pulque", 1869. Painted in a tight, academic style. Painter is Mexican born, not Spanish. It has Native subject matter, all about the discovery of Pulque. The king is Quetzalcoatl. The girl pictured is named Xochi which means "flower", and she is bringing Pulque to the king of Tula. Garments look old world, not native. Some is accurate, but parts are European, like the concept of a woman bringing the instrument of downfall to the man. What really happened was that Quetzalcoatl got drunk and exiled himself.

Hermenegildo Bustos, "Still Life, 1874. This painting wasn't sold, it was held onto by Bustos. It is a catalogue of things sold in market. Watermelon, cactus fruits, chili peppers, scorpion, frog, pineapple, guara....All items are pictured in actual scale. Unusual composition. Scientific depiction, accurate, categorization.

Miguel Norena, "Cuauhtemoc Monument", 1878-87. "Cuauhtemoc" means decending eagle, son of Montezuma II who was defeated by Cortez. Cuauhtemoc was 14 when this happened, and put up a fight. The sculpture is in a prominent position in a street in Mexico city framed by trees. Textiles are on the base, reminiscent of palaces, structure it's build on is like palaces @ Mitla. Academic figure. Top sculpture has classical toga and weight shift from foot to foot, shown academically despite the headdress. Prehispanic designs at the top of the columns, freize of shileds and spears look classical. Lake Texcoco reference with snakes at base of the top figure.

Jose Maria Velasco, "Landscape: Valley of Mexico", 1879. Velasco painted on enormous canvasses, and always of Mexican life. "Homegrown Mexican artists recognized in Europe". Academic technique, captures the way it really looks. Hacienda--farm w/lots of fields. All geological forms are very carefully observed. Two snowcapped volcanoes the "lovers" are pictured in the background.

Diego Rivera, "National Agricultural School", Chapingo, 1924-7. Hacienda, poor agricultural students. Pulque, huge cactus farm. Owned by Jesuits, controlled by the government. With the revolution, it was called the National Agricultural School. Rivera was asked to paint the interior. The concept is celebrating development of land and everything it can do for us. Parallel-revolution, metaphor for development of land. Revolutionaries shown being searched, crucified. Man died, and a tree is growing from him, like Lord Shield's sarcophogus lid...dying and then fertilizing the earth, life coming from death. "Canto a la Tierra" verse to the earth. Revolutionary heroes who died, dead bodies in earth supporting a cornfield. (Second picture-->)Mounds, natural resources, all good things that come from earth Human body is a seed that gradually grows. Inspired by Leonardo's study of a uterus. (first picture-->) Fertilized earth, reminded of European sources, double decker composition. The winds are shown as the wind personified as a person. Female subjects about fertility, female fertility=fertility of one woman. Overhead=architecture and painting. NOT SHOWN=unfertilized woman depiction, laying out and protecting a plant, which is a phallic symbol. Model was Tina Mocotti. The virgin earth.

Diego Rivera, "Dream on a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central" in Hotel Del Prado, Mexico City, 1947-8, exhibited 1956. Completed in 1946, exhibited in 1956. Rivera included someone who wrote a book questioning the existence of God, the book said "God doesn't exist" so the hotel didn't put it on view until ten years later. Art Deco hotel, tourist hotel. An earthquake in the 1980s caused hotel not to be able to reopen, they removed the mural and carried it to a vacant lot, erected the mural, and built the museum around it. It's about a historic park called "Alameda", Indians not allowed in park. 49 feet long mural, in the tradition of paintings in Europe. Theme--city parks designed for working class people, urban workers who have no contact with nature, need this open green space. There are 40+figures in the mural. Center-->Rivera as a 12 year old just moving to Mexico City. Behind him is Frida as an adult holding a yin and yang, her being the adult and him being the child symbolizes what type of relationship they had. Right--Jose Guadalupe Posada, printmaker, representing a gneration of artists before Rivera. To the left and right of Rivera are figures from Mexican history, including figures from his family. Far left--someone being tortured in an inquisition in the park, a nun poetess, Emporess Carlotta and Emporer Maxamillian. To the right=members of Riveras family. Lower level, in the street are street people, the under class, people at bottom of society. Woman in yellow dress is La Lupe, a famous prostitute, who is standing defiantly. There is a boy shown pick pocketing on this level, as well as drunks, newspaper salesman, selling food and candy and tortillas. Man selling balloons. Top level are super human figures, larger than life. they tie it all ogether. They are in chronological order=Benito Jaurez, a zapotec indian, mexican Lincoln in 1860s, rewrote laws to give land to peasants. Porfirio Diaz, 1875-1910, was ruling Mexico as president. Period when Mexico encouraged N Am and European involvement. Represents a period of oppression. Emiliano Zapata, agrarian-relating to farms, wear bandoliers across chests, white, sombreros, symbolic of the farmer revolt. Madero, first president of Mexico after the revolution began. This mural is aware of the class difference, the class conflict. There are some bourgeouise ladies, over dressed, Riveras ants from Jaunojuato, they are uppity and disproving of La Lupe. Light skinned girl to the right of La Lupe is looking as a policeman who appears indian himself is pushing Indian families out of the park. Marxist/Socialist=presenting opposites. Thesis+Antithesis=synthesis. Indian+European=Mestizo. Several structures are preventing just a jumble of figures...a sunlit landscape, huge balloon echoeing small balloons, colorful are working class, big balloon is national symbol, first balloon ride, "Mexican Republic". The idea of larger figures behind, a hierarchy of size is a Byzantine idea. In the center a skeleton image is shown that Posada used, a "Catrina", a crossdressing skeletal figure wearing a boa that is a plumed serpent, poking fun at bourgeouis propriety.

David Alfaro Siqueiros, "The University for the People", U. Mexico, 1950s. Siqueiros was a radical, and was in jail sometimes. From Chihuahua, not from urban areas. This is a relief mural, painted. Color, relief, message. In the 1920s Siqueiros was in LA, and was influenced by movie making. "A painted mural is similar to a movie scene, so large and wide, with multiple view points". Incorporates motion in his murals, Workers control means of production. Books, pencil, frame, calipers. Students. Very indian looking, not European. This university is designed to be almost free of charge. The image moves across space like procession, march, demonstration. Students take control, control destiny or education. Rounded forms to play against strict geometry of building.

Manuel Alvarez Bravo, "Striking Worker Murdered", 1934. Alvarez originally studied accounting, and was a self taught photographer. This photo shows a worker bleeding in the street. Indian skin, may be he was at a protest. Universal thought in any situation where the plight of the worker is bad. Cropped, cut down in a labor strike. Art, journalISTIC photography, but NOT JournalISM. Captures an event that actually happened. Tragedy--a worker was shot while striking, not just anyone. Bottom of society, dark skinned. So reduced in power that he protested to feel more powerful. Unknown who shot him. Artist sympathising with downtrodden, wanting their story to be told.

Manuel Alvarez Bravo, "Sed Publica (Public Thirst)", 1933. This was exhibited with "Striking Worker Murdered" to create the subconscious connection of a cycle, the man could have started like this, or this could have been the striking workers son. Hits every age group. Both are oppressed. They both come from the same background. This is a poor child, no shoes, in the hot sun.

Tina Modotti, "Woman with Flag", c. 1928. Black anarcho-syndacalista flag. Movement--anarchists w/labor syndicates. Horizontals, verticals. Content=a few years after women were allowed to vote in the US, revolutionary, especially for women. Very Mexican, dark skinned. Lower levels rising up, fighting for what she believes in. Not in a procession, only one person on her own. Walking against the breeze, steady walk, resolute expression, not staying at home, she is fighting for something. Strict profile view. Revolutionary, a woman getting involved when women are not expected to do that, good values. Flag covering top part of her up.

Adamo Boari, "Palace of Fine Arts", Mexico City, 1904-34. The construction was delayed for ten years during the revolution, and the building therefore shows the transition of nationality of the Mexican people. Before the revolution, there was a desire for European/North American interests, and the exterior therefore appeared very European. It has domes over the foyer or seating, lots of arches, white and colored marble, lots of ornamentation (especially along roofline). 4 Muses are shown, dancing/beautiful women, the Architecht was born in Italy "How much was REALLY Mexican?" Design a lot life French Opera, made of ITALIAN marble, despite natural resources. The building has a modern steel frame, but it's not a modern building, as it is covered with an old fashioned idea of marble. It's not modern to cover a modern structure with old fashioned "clothing". After the revolution, the interior shows the Mexican pride. Mexican marble, streamline, shows Tlaloc as wind god at top of fixture, incorporating MEXICAN art rather than European muses like on the outside. Tlaloc imagery, glass curtain in auditorium that is raised and lowered every show. Made by Tiffany's in NY, shows the two snow capped mountain peaks. Building shows you in layers what happened before and after the revolution.

Juan O' Gorman, "Estudio Rivera", Mexico City, 1931. International style, O'Gorman is a Mexican born architecht. Ribboning windows, industrial aesthetic, geometric shape, read as geometric volumes, boxes, metal window frames. Huge windows, cactus fence (a peasant way of fencing), volcanic stone fence, make a patio (hispanic tradition), today the lava stone fence is removed, based off of Corbusier building for the painter, Ozenfant. Private patio, studio windows overlook it. Sculptural Corbusian staircase. Painted red window frames. Inside=loft area, Rivera's art collection, folk art, paper mache figures.

Juan O' Gorman, "Library, University City", Mexico City, 1951-56. Corbusian concept again, vertical mass balanced by horizontal mass/podium. All 4 sides covered with mosaic of colored stones, not painted. HIGHLY detailed. One side is ancient past, one is colonial, one is modern, and one is future. Meant to resemble screenfold like manuscripts, like codex nuttal/dresden. The ancient side can be distinguished by solar "A"s, the symbol of the eagle on the cactus holding the snake, flint knifes, etc. There is a dynamo on the future side. Details are readable from a distance, but further away it becomes a blur of decoration. Relief designs on lavastone wall, prehispanic.

Luis Barragan, "Casa Prieto Lopez, Gardens of Pedregal", Mexico City, 1945-50. Entrance to a modern home--MINIMAL. Modern building with rich stucco finish evoking colonial architecture. Bold color, very Mexican. Paving in front of door is lava stone like used by Aztecs. Vegetation used to soften geometrical forms. Modern door, but made of natural wood. Sculpture near door, arch angel, colonial, defending house (SEE PICTURES ON SHEET!!!). Group of pot vessels acting like group of sculptures--pulque vessels, a peasant way of storing liquid. Rear view of home---pool of water, water level at level with paving. Corner=a tree is planted, silvery leaves reflected in water, still water. Like Islamic ideas, which implies plentiful water. Landscape in distance--planned to enjoy landscape. Japanese trick of "borrowed landscape", or taking the landscape into account when planning.

Luis Barragan, "Bebedero Park, Las Arboledas", Mexico City, 1958-64. Added horse trough for horses to drink from. Vertical planes that helped to define space and give a backdrop. Colored concrete planes, earth is natural packed earth with natural rows of trees.

Jose Maria Vasquez, "National Museum of Anthropology", Mexico City, 1964. Built to lead people through in a functional way, courtyard/patio=hispanic. Paved with lava stone=mexican. Roof overhead, appears to be supported by one column, but is actually supported by cables at the top Column is sculpted with images of Tlaloc, rain gods. When it rains, the water comes down in the circle. Patio with pool in the middle, 2 story space at the end, all great Aztec sculptures are shown there. Each big gallery is a different region of Mexico. Directly above each region is contemporary folk art from that region. Ancient indian is in the first story, surviving indian art is on the second story. They call folk art popular art. A shell is in the pond, suggesting of Quetzalcoatl, and the pond is suggestive of Tenochtitlan.

Luis Barragan, Mathias Goeritz, "Satellite City Towers", Mexico City, 1957-58. Fascination and emulation with space, there was entire town founded due to this called Satellite City, and Barragan designed a marker for it. They are an illusion, they look like a little city from far away. Closer=concrete towers in the middle of the highway. 5 of them. Triangular forms, hollow, 120-170 ft. Poured on site, and very colorful.

SEE SHEET FOR IMAGE OF INSURGENTES METRO

Various, "Insurgentes Metro", Mexico City, 1980s. In Mexico City, there is a stratification of movement systems. "Insurgentes Metro" shows this. Cars are placed on a higher level, with a walking plaza below it and the subway station/museum below that. They wall work together, much like the separation of walkways and roads by either separating them with vegetation, or placing them in an overhead bridge. Shows how all these things work together as a whole.