One of the Greatest Living Artists of Our Time: Francisco Toledo By Caryl Delaney “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. “ Francisco Toledo- Untitled 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
young Francisco's head with popular legends and stories that interlaced the preColumbian 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
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
0.56% Directed by Lorezo Hagerman / Synopsis from the IDFA 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.
Great Rooms Starting at 300 pesos! 2 blocks from Main Square La Crucecita Huatulco Reservations (52) 958 587 3003