Huatulco Eye- July 2011
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Transcript of Huatulco Eye- July 2011
One of the Greatest Living Artists of Our Time: Francisco Toledo
“We add our voice ... to those who struggle for the recognition and protection for their rights and cultures, because to the extent that we
respect our differences, we
shall build a life with more justice. “
Certainly the most famous living artist in
Oaxaca, and among the best artists in
Mexico and all of Latin America, perhaps
even one of the best artists of all times, he
continues to capture the artistic heart of
Oaxaca with all its capriciousness,
mythology and folkloric themes in a uniquely
Oaxacan way. A truly exceptional gift to the
state of Oaxaca and the world: His name is
Francisco Toledo - master printmaker,
draftsman, painter, sculptor and ceramist,
humanitarian and community
philanthropist.
From a very young age his talent was
encouraged when his father gave him some
chalks to decorate the walls of house. His
shoemaker grandfather egged on the
imagination by bringing him on his search
for vegetable resin for shoe fixing while filling
Hayter from whom he expanded his knowledge
of printmaking while developing his unique
style to bring back to Mexico with him.
Although he spent 13 years in Europe he never
forgot his Oaxacan roots; it is partly due to
this artist that Oaxaca has become one of the
artistic, cultural, political epicenters of Mexico.
Is his art worth investing in? Most definitely,
YES! His art may not even be your cup of tea,
but it is indeed on sale in many places. Don´t
wait for the posthumous fame.
Just a few places where you can buy his
works:
Davidson Galleries, 313 Occidental Ave South,
Seattle WA 98104
www.franciscotoledo.net/flash/interim.htm
Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca near
Santo Domingo
www.artnet.com/artwork/426098003/425669
004/francisco-toledo-untitled.html
Many will recall the news footage from Mexico in the summer of 2006, when dozens of politicians ripped into one another in parliament. This was the culmination of an exceptionally tumultuous presidential election campaign ending with the controversial candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador losing by only 0.56 percent to his opponent Felipe Calderón Hinojosa. This documentary begins with those moments of utter chaos before going back in time to analyze the events that led up to this explosive protest. The camera follows Obrador in particular, hot on the heels of this former mayor of Mexico City. For the previous few years he had been enjoying the support of a large section of the Mexican population, and he feels confident of victory. But when he fails to appear at a debate with his opponents, some of the electorate loses faith in him and polls later indicate that Calderón will win. On Election Day itself, the tension is palpable, with the final result yet to be announced. The first counts reveal that Calderón and López Obrador are running almost neck-and-neck, and both candidates declare themselves to be the victor. When it turns out that Calderón has won after all - with just a minuscule margin - the power struggle really breaks out.
The documentary has done well in the festival circuit, opening at the 2010 edition of the IDFA, coming back to Mexico it was well received in this year's Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara and Lorenzo Hagerman has just returned from the Documenta Madrid 11 festival with the honorary jury's award for best international feature documentary. The documentary is slated to open in Mexico on July 2, 2011.
0.56%Directed by Lorezo Hagerman / Synopsis from the IDFA
Great Rooms Starting
at 300 pesos!2 blocks from Main SquareLa Crucecita
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By Caryl Delaney
young Francisco's head with popular
legends and stories that interlaced the pre-
Columbian and the contemporary, the real
and the surreal, the sacred and the sexual,
and the legendary characters and powerful
animals from myths. His art is full of fables
which involve insects, frogs, iguanas, bats,
coyotes, rabbits and the sacred feminine
mixing all of the following: pastiched
parables, humorous horror and cultural
criticism. He studied his secondary and high
school in Oaxaca, and then studied with the
maestro Arturo Garcia Bustos at the Escuela
de Bellas Artes. Afterwards he went on to
Mexico City to continue to study engravings.
He was then ready to have his first exhibit in
Mexico City and Fort Worth, Texas at only
19 years old. Later on to Paris to study with
famous painter and printmaker Stanley
Francisco Toledo- UntitledFrancisco Toledo- UntitledFrancisco Toledo- Untitled