Galeria Arte de Oaxaca

The historic center of Oaxaca is one of the most beautiful in Mexico and is a renowned tourist destination. Still beauty and historical value preserved only for tourism would be of little value if there were no one to transform the tradition and beauty in a living cultural awareness. One such place is the Galeria Arte de Oaxaca. Galeria Arte de Oaxaca was founded in 1987 with the help of famous Ocotlan artist Rodolfo Morales to promote young Oaxacan artists. Prominent among the artists of Oaxaca are Rufino Tamayo, Rodolfo Morales, Francisco Toledo, Filemon Santiago, Eddie Martinez, Cecilio Sanchez, Abelardo Lopez, Fernando Olivera, Rolando Rojas, Enrique Flores, and Amador Montes. For more than twenty years, Galeria Arte de Oaxaca has brought to light different expressions of the art of Oaxaca. Currently the Galeria Arte de Oaxaca is housed in an eighteenth century building. In 1996 the artist, Rodolfo Morales, purchased the house as the first property of the cultural foundation that bears his name specifically to house the Galeria Arte de Oaxaca. Cultural Foundation Rodolfo Morales AC, is an institution dedicated to the rescue of architectural and cultural heritage of the central valleys of Oaxaca, the restoration of historical monuments, the promotion of popular art, music and performing arts and the promotion of education of children and youth in the Ocotlán district of Oaxaca, and the preservation of local traditions.

Rufino Tamayo (1899-1991) was Zapotecan born in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. He moved to México City to attend the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plasticas "San Carlos." Tamayo worked as a draftsman at the Museo Nacional de Arqueologia where he was exposed to the cultural wealth of pre-Colombian México. While his contemporaries were advocating art with a political message, Tamayo's work focused on plastic forms integrated with a masterful use of colors and textures. Tamayo devoted himself to creating an identity in his work, expressing what he believed was the traditional Mexico.

Rodolfo Morales (1925-2001) was a Mexican surrealist painter, who incorporated elements of magic realism into his work and is known for his brightly colored surrealistic dream-like canvases and collages often featuring Mexican women in village settings. He was notable for his restoration of historic buildings in Ocotlán. Morales shared mainly through his dedication to the study, preservation and enhancement of the traditional heritage of the region of Oaxaca.

Francisco Toledo, born in 1947, has the same attitude, the same spirit, the same concern to establish a continuum between past and present. He has also founded institutions for the recovery of cultural heritage. Considered one of the best living artists in Mexico, Toledo is a master printmaker, draftsman, painter, sculptor and ceramist. His art reflects a deep appreciation for the aesthetics of nature, particularly animals that are not conventionally associated with beauty (bats, iguanas, frogs, insects). The view of Toledo says the world of humans and animals are one with nature. His art is cut heavily with expressionism, tinged with black humor.

For more photos click here.

       

Ocotlán and Rudolfo Morales

The head of Morales rests in his mother's hands on the upper left.  His head also appears in the upper right viewing his end and return to his mother.

Rodolfo Morales was a Mexican surrealist painter often referred to as the Chagall of Mexico. His work has been described as surrealistic, dream-like, fertile and heavily based in folklore often depicting indigenous people, especially women set amongst rural buildings, churches, and town squares. Rudolfo Morales, Rufino Tamayo and Francisco Toledo made Oaxaca a centre for contemporary art.

A daytrip to Ocotlán can take in quite a few different stops. In Ocotlán itself there is enough for making the trip. Start with the Templo de Santo Domingo restored under the direction of Rudolfo Morales. Go on to the ex-convent which houses a museum devoted to Morales and other local artists including the Aguilar sisters. As you head to the market stop in the government buildings for murals by Morales. Market day is Friday but there is a permanent market which holds some surprises. After the market it’s a short walk to the home of Morales which is open and houses the Morales foundation. Further along on the road to Oaxaca are the workshops of Aguilar sisters who make ceramic figurines. If that isn’t enough between Oaxaca and Ocotlán stop at the town of San Martin Tilcajete which specializes in alebrijes (carved wood figures) or San Tomas Jalieza which specializes in backstrap weaving. Closer to Oaxaca is the town of San Bartolo Coyotepec where you’ll find the famous black pottery. San Bartolo Coyotepec is also home to the Museo Arte Popular de Oaxaca which has a broad range of folk art of the highest quality as well as temporary shows. It’s not possible to do all of this in a day and do anything justice. This post will focus solely on Ocotlán and mostly on Morales.

Morales, a native Zapotec born to working class parents in the small town of Ocotlán de Morelos, studied art at the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City graduating as a drawing teacher and began a 32-year career as an art teacher at Escuela Nacional Preparatoria. In 1975 with Morales approaching 50, he held his first solo exhibition at the Casa de las Campanas Art Gallery in Cuernavaca. Here he came to the attention of Rufino Tamayo who helped Morales make contacts with art critics and galleries around the world, leading to a number of joint and solo exhibitions.

By 1985, Morales had earned enough money to stop teaching and to return to Oaxaca where he dedicated himself to both his art and restoration. Using income from his art he founded the Rodolfo Morales Cultural Foundation devoted to the restoration of buildings in Ocotlán. In all, he funded restoration of fifteen churches including the 16th century Convent of Santo Domingo and a 17th century church in the town of Santa Ana Zegache, as well creating cultural spaces throughout Oaxaca's central valleys.

Morales ensured that the restoration work done was by locals who, by developing skills, were able to later find employment elsewhere. His other notable Foundation work included setting up a computer room for local youths to learn information technology skills, providing materials to aspiring artists, producing of prints to help Frente Común Contra SIDA educate against the spread of AIDS and planting new copal trees not only to enhance the landscape but also to provide wood for the creation of hand-painted animals.

Women and memories appear to be at the heart of his work. Morales once explained, “Mexico would be lost without the steadfast work of women. They bear the burden of day-to-day living and find solutions to those problems to which men simply resign themselves.” Characteristics of his work include rich use of color, exaggerated hands and feet, over-sized faces, women (often brides), puppies, flowers, angels, bicycles, musical instruments and the dreamy floating of figures. While most of his work was oil on canvas he also produced a number of murals, highly decorated wooden furniture, many collages often in a set arranged to tell a story, and pillars which arranged together create a kaleidoscope of image and color as the viewer walks around them.

For more pictures go here. For some of the Morales paintings be sure to use the magnify ikon (upper right) to blow them up. Once full screen you can zoom in with the + ikon (upper left).