Jose Luis Cuevas

Jose Luis Cuevas

Introduction

Mexican art has been extraordinary lucky and prolific, from the early twentieth century painters, sculptors and photographers even had the ability to interpret political, social, economic, and above all to create styles that give a unique stamp to Mexican art. Mexican art in particular has experienced different times representative with artists whose proposal not only focuses on his style and themes, but in the flag of ideologies that took all the contexts of their lives.

Subsequently, while in the twentieth century, the Mexican murals and artistic expression predominates in the early decades. These were clearly and deeply influence by the Mexican Revolution and the proposed national identity.

The pictorial language that the muralists assumed, should be consistent with the purpose of vindicating the masses, it is not an abstract language, but realistic, accessible to the understanding of anyone living inside and outside the post-revolutionary Mexico.

Discussion

Jose Luis Cuevas

Jose Luis Cuevas was a Painter, cartoonist, writer, printmaker, sculptor and illustrator Mexican born February 26, 1934 in Mexico City. Jose Luis Cuevas is without doubt one of the unique and original full picture Contemporary Mexican painting. His breakthrough broke the mold academicians prevailing until then and were defended and advocated by the national- classical school. However, without adopting either the aesthetic resources and the theories advocated by the group of muralists, whose exponents were David Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco, who identified with his strong personality and particular the evolution of Mexican art throughout the first half of the twentieth century.

His artistic formation is practically self-taught. It has been a leading figure of the "generation of rupture" with the mural Mexico and one of the most outstanding representatives of neo-figurative. By working with leading ferocity gestural line bare the souls of his characters portray the magnificence of human degradation in the world of prostitution and despotism. Before the age of 10 years, Cuevas irregular student is registered as the Esmeralda School, continued his artistic training at the Mexico City College, taking classes recorded with Lola Cueto

Scholarly Perspective:

For Cuevas, Rivera?s public persona and jingoism overshadowed the prospects for artistic innovation. Very likely, Cuevas?s statement about the dangerous “candy-like sweetness” of Rivera?s work referred directly to language once used by Orozco.

Beyond his writings, Cuevas made his own evaluation of Rivera evident in his art. In An Imaginary Portrait of Diego Rivera (1951), Cuevas portrays him as a colossal figure reminiscent of the massive sculptures of the Olmec—Cuevas may have deliberately used voluminous, stylized Pre-Columbian forms to deride Rivera?s fascination with indigenous art and his pompous displays of Mexicanidad. The portrait suggests that Rivera, like his work, seems to lack a skeleton: Rivera appears bloated, billowy and puerile. His heavy, bald head rests on his shoulder. His powerful size and potential for strength are overtaken by sulking and self-pity. With hollow eyes, Rivera remains unaware of the world around him; lost in personal isolation and sorrow, he frowns. The title of the work implies that the portrait is not ...