Art and Architecture in Mexico

World of Art

by James Oles

“A lucid―at times, even poetic―summary of five hundred years of Mexican art. The illustrated works of art are well-chosen and beautifully integrated into Oles’s text. Indeed, it feels as if his words emanate from the art itself.” –Donna Pierce, Denver Art Museum This new interpretive history of Mexican art from the Spanish Conquest to the early decades of the twenty-first century is the most comprehensive introduction to the subject in fifty years. James Oles ranges widely across media and genres, offering new readings of painting, sculpture, architecture, prints, and photographs. He interprets major works by such famous artists as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, but also discusses less familiar figures in history and landscape painting, muralism, and conceptual art. The story of Mexican art is set in its rich historical context by the book’s treatment of political and social change. The author draws on recent scholarship to examine crucial issues of race, class, and gender, including the work of indigenous artists during the colonial period, and of women artists in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Throughout, Oles shows how Mexican artists participated in local and international developments. He considers both native and foreign-born artists, from Baroque architects to kinetic sculptors, and highlights the important role played by Mexicans in the global art scene of the last five centuries.
276 illustration, 249 in color

Genres: Art, Architecture, Art History, Nonfiction

432 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 2013

Reviews

[Rambling Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Illiterate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oles’ study of post-conquest art shows: debts to Europe; pre-conquest motifs; links to nation building and activism; state-sponsored dominance of Mexico City.

[Shane Ver Meer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great primer on Mexican art history.

[Jose Sbuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

500 years of Mexican history, told through the lense of art. James Oles outlines the main events in the history and gives examples of both how the events affected art and how art perhaps influenced history. It's fascinating to read the author's knowledgeable speculation about what an artist was thinking and why they chose their subjects, materials, composition, form, and so on. At the same time, the reader learns a lot about the actual history and how art has been utilized by governments, revolutionists, and artists themselves.

In the five centuries fits a lot of events and development. Art was (and is, I guess) a powerful medium for highlighting some subjects and communicating your side of the story. James Oles points out telling details in famous works of art:

Metaphorically, the woman embraces Christian civilization, just as contemporary Indians were expected to accept state-sponsored education aimed at assimilation, and become engaged, productive citzens. Far from being pro-Indian, many Liberals believed that contemporary indigenous culture needed to be broken. Thus, the dead "husband" is at once a bloodied martyr to the brutality of the invaders and a necessary sacrifice symbolizing greater societal forces. His absence will now allow the indigenous "wife" to forge new allegiances and - ultimately - generate whiter, and more culturally European, descendants.

The biggest problem with the book is that it's a bit list-like. Years, artist names, and art genres follow each other in tight succession. There isn't a page that is not listing at least 2-3 artists. I guess it's good for doing research but not really for reading.

Recommend to those interested in Mexico's history and art, obviously. But no need to be an arts major, any level of interest is enough.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding survey of Mexican art and architecture from the conquest to modern times. I learned a tremendous amount about Mexican art and history from reading this book. Typically survey books in art history are dry, but this one is truly a page turner, from the early pieces that incorporated indigenous and Spanish elements to 19th century history paintings to the modern work of Rivera, Siqueiros, and Kahlo and into contemporary images. An excellent book.