Mexican Modernity

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

The Cornell Fine Arts Museum on the campus of Rollins College has a not-to-be-missed exhibition currently on view through September 8th.  Mexican Modernity: 20th-Century Paintings from the Zapanta Collection is required viewing for anyone who wants to flesh out their study of Mexican art.  Personally, I feel as though Art History as a practice oversimplifies Mexican art: first we have the ancient art of the Mayans and the Aztecs, then we jump ahead a few hundred years to the mixing of indigenous art with European religious (Catholic) art, then we jump ahead another few hundred years to Diego and Frida.

The exhibition at the CFAM really fills in some glaring gaps in Mexico’s art history, at least in regards to Modern Art.  It is a show that highlights the contradictions and paradoxes of establishing a national Mexican art post-revolution and illustrates what being modern means in Mexico.  It also continues the exploration of Mexican artists who eventually moved away from a national art form to a more global approach.  These artists, the generation after the great muralists, were really searching for Mexico’s place in the world and their artwork reflects that journey.

For more information on this exhibition, please visit…

https://www.rollins.edu/cornell-fine-arts-museum/exhibitions/2019/20th%20Century%20Mexican%20Art%20from%20the%20Zapanta%20Collection.html

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.