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--Additional Information on the exhibition Las Artes de Mexico--
Las Artes de Mexico: From the Collection of the Gilcrease Museum
Oct 25 – Jan 4, 2009
Mexico’s rich and complex artistic heritage begins with its ancient past. Las Artes De Mexico delves deeply into the expansive range of artifacts that embody the fascinating religious beliefs, rituals, and daily life of Mexico’s ancient cultures prior to the Spanish conquest. Crafted in a wide range of materials including gold, jade, alabaster, and earthenware, these artifacts embody the distinct artistic traditions, mysteries, and mythologies of ancient Mesoamerica.
With the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century, a new era of artistic development emerged that reflected a blending of indigenous traditions with the religious and cultural influence of the Spanish conquerors. Las Artes De Mexico includes a broad selection of colorful 19th and early 20th century Mexican folk art, featuring textiles, costumes, masks, and retablos, the small devotional paintings on wood or tin that are used as objects of Christian worship in homes and churches throughout Mexico.
The 20th century ushered in a period of radical political and social transformation in Mexico, culminating in the Mexican Revolution of 1910, which witnessed the overthrow of Mexico’s oppressive colonial government. Painters and printmakers of this era, such as Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, Leopoldo Mendez, and many other presented in Las Artes De Mexico, reshaped Mexico’s national identity with images that addressed the social and economic plight of Mexico’s urban and rural populations.
Encompassing the vast spectrum of ancient to modern day art in Mexico, Las Artes De Mexico will provide audiences with a memorable encounter of Mexico’s remarkable artistic legacy.
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The award winning Flint Institute of Arts is located just two blocks off the convergence of I-69 and I-475 in the Cultural Center Park between the University of Michigan-Flint and Mott Community College. The museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sundays 1pm to 5pm. Target Free Saturdays. For more information call (810) 234-1695 or visit flintarts.org.
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