OCTAVIO MEDELLÍN GETS HIS DUE

A Dallas Museum of Art retrospective sheds light on the work of a teaching artist.

BY NANCY COHEN ISRAEL

Along-overdue retrospective, Octavio Medellín: Spirit and Form, recently opened at the Dallas Museum of Art. Medellín was part of the midcentury vanguard while his work was shaped by history and his teaching influenced generations of contemporary artists.

Escaping the Mexican revolution, Medellín and his family arrived in the United States when he was a teenager. He took classes at the San Antonio Art Institute prior to brief studies at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1929 he traveled to Mexico City where he met artists such as Carlos Mérida, whose influence made a profound impact. According to Dr. Mark A. Castro, Jorge Baldor Curator of Latin American Art at the DMA, “He encountered contemporary Mexican art inspired by indigenous cultures while also exploring rural indigenous communities.” Medellín, who was of Otomi origin, was also struck by the variety of media in which these communities worked, a practice that he ultimately adopted.

Castro was introduced to Medellín’s work in discussion with other curators. “A colleague spoke about the influences of Mexican Modernism on contemporary art and showed Spirit of the Revolution. When I came to Dallas and I walked through storage, there was the work. I was just in awe of him and his life, and it drew me in,” he explains.

Medellín’s work began to garner national attention by the 1930s. It was included in prestigious exhibitions while public art commissions helped define the city’s aesthetic. When the Creative Art Center of Dallas (CAC), of which he was a founder, celebrated its 50th anniversary, it created a driving map of his area public art. Updated for the current exhibition, the map is further enhanced with an interactive website. According to Diana Pollak, executive director of the CAC, these tools help make it a citywide celebration. “It’s not just about bringing people into the DMA. It is also about taking the influence of Octavio to the community,” she says.

Medellín’s teaching career began at North Texas State Teacher’s College (now University of North Texas), followed by a 21-year stint at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts (now DMA). In 1966, he opened the Medellín School of Sculpture in Oak Cliff. His legions of students include the late Edith Baker, Tomas Bustos, David Hickman, Eliseo Garcia, and Marty Ray. According to Ray, “A friend suggested that we go to his class. He said Octavio had an interesting approach to sculpture. When I attended class that first night I was surprised by his definite ideas of process and how he wanted us to learn about our materials.”

Medellín is also remembered for his humanity. “When I think of him, I can see his incredible laugh. He would tell serious stories, but he loved to laugh,” offers Ray. Castro says working with those who knew Medellín has been rewarding, stating, “They’ve all been a wonderful help to me as a curator. They helped bring him to life in a way that I couldn’t have.” And for those of us who only know Medellín through his art, this yearlong exhibition offers the opportunity to fully appreciate his extraordinary contribution to our city. P

Clockwise from left: Octavio Medellín. Courtesy of Bywaters Special Collections, Hamon Arts Library, Southern Methodist University. Photograph by Jay Simmons; Octavio Medellín, The Spirit of Revolution, 1932, direct carving in Texas limestone. Loaned by the estate of the artist; Octavio Medellín, Azurmalachite Plate, c. 1949, glazed stoneware, Dallas Museum of Art. Dallas Art Association purchase; Octavio Medellín, The Hanged, 1939, direct carving in black walnut, Dallas Museum of Art, Kiest Memorial Purchase Prize, Fourteenth Annual Dallas Allied Arts Exhibition, 1943; Octavio Medellín, Untitled (Masked profiled figure holding staff and fish), c. 1947, linoleum block print, Dallas Museum of Art. Gift of Otis and Velma Dozier.

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