Do you all know anything about The Taller de Grafica Popular?
The Taller Editorial de Gráfica Popular was founded on the dissolution of the plastic arts section of the Liga de Escritores y Artistas Revolucionarios in 1937. The Studio had several locations in Mexico City throughout its history. At first it tried to work as both a publisher and gallery, but was ultimately inclined towards printmaking. The TGP artists grew up during what would become the 20th century chapter of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1940), and almost all the members of the TGP belonged to the Communist Party. Much of their work was addressed to working people and dealt with social issues. The TGP produced posters, billboards, and graphics in a variety of media. Their placed graphic art in a special place within the history of Mexican art. The TGP ended their activities in 1977. From Historia mínima del arte mexicano del siglo XX.
>Here's a great site>>
The work of Posado, Manila and Leopoldo Mendez* really speak to me in their content and use of black and white. Lessons in this work. Their artistic successor to my thinking is Artemio Rodriguez (noted last week). Powerful, masterful, brawny work that extudes confidence in the fluidity of content, scale and approach. These guys are a sidebar to this world of art...and hidden from those of us east coasters. I am finding that I am back on track with my thesis as I was getting a brain freeze--and now its fluid and the fear has fled again.I was getting all hung up in fine tuning that I started to freeze my work and not be able to move it off center. However, thanks to a ballpoint pen, I started thumbnailing on the plane and now I am back to dreaming of images and planning out how to do them...Plus, look at Mendez's snakes. What is not to getting jazzed from this wild stuff?
* Leopoldo Méndez is considered among the best of Mexico's Twentieth Century graphic artists. He was a founder and long-time member (1937-1962) of the Taller de Grafica Popular (Workshop for Popular Graphic Arts) in Mexico City. Méndez is known for his powerful images and contrast of light and darkness, usually through the medium of linoleum cuts. He helped, along with Jean Charlot and other TGP artists, to revive and build upon the artistic legacy of Jose Guadalupe Posada.