“Frida,” the popular 2002 cinematic adaptation of Frida Kahlo’s life, had as much to say about the arrival of the individualist artist as an international cultural icon as it did about America’s increasing fascination with Mexican modern art.
Such interest is not surprising given the surge of Mexican immigrants in recent decades and the rise of a powerful new north-south alignment, fueled in part by the 1992 signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
It helps explain why the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe has devoted its key summer exhibition slot to what it is billing as a blockbuster – an overview of the 1920-1950 zenith of Mexican modern art, continuing through Sept. 3.
“Mexican Modern: Masters of the 20th Century” was curated by Luis-Martín Lozano, director of the prestigious Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City, with works on loan from that institution and 26 other public and private collections in the United States and Mexico.
The Museum of Fine Arts clearly hopes the offering, which will not travel to any other institution, will be appealing enough to lure out-of-towners from Colorado and elsewhere. But whether it is worth a special trip to Santa Fe depends on potential visitors’ interest in the field and their expectations.
Although the exhibition contains more than 50 paintings as well as a small selection of photographs and decorative objects, it is confined to a handful of galleries and is not the kind of sprawling presentation often associated with a blockbuster.
It does contain examples by all the biggest names from this period, including Kahlo and Rufino Tamayo as well as the three great 20th-century Mexican muralists – José Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros.
But if some of these selections rightly can be described as major works, there are few if any well-known, signature pieces, and the lack of such selections inevitably hurts the presentation.
Included, for example, is “Los cocos (The Coconuts)” (1951), an intriguing and in some ways unsettling still life by Kahlo incorporating a coconut adorned with what can be interpreted as a teary-eyed face.
But, unfortunately, there are none of the rare self-portraits for which she is best known. Because of the skyrocketing value of such pieces, collectors increasingly are unwilling to loan them.
Among the noteworthy works by these major figures that are on display include Rivera’s mysterious “Paisaje nocturno (Night Landscape)” (1947) with its eerily luminescent colors and Tamayo’s “El borracho feliz (The Happy Drinker)” (1946), a red-tinged harlequin figure with echoes of Picasso.
The exhibition’s biggest strength might lie in its welcome look at an array of other Mexican artists who contributed to this period but have remained little recognized, at least in the United States.
Of particular interest are five paintings by María Izquierdo, who, until the recent surge of interest in Kahlo, had been the most widely known female artist in Mexico.
Izquierdo entered the Mexico City art scene just ahead of Kahlo, and an intense rivalry developed between the two. Both aligned themselves with powerful male artists – Kahlo marrying Rivera and Izquierdo sharing a studio and involving herself romantically with Tamayo.
Like Kahlo, Izquierdo drew on the folk traditions of Mexico, as can be seen in “Altar de Dolores (Altar of Our Lady of Sorrows)” (1943), and a striking portrait of an unknown woman, “Mujer Oaxaqueña (Woman From Oaxaca)” (1940).
Another fascinating artist is Antonio Ruiz “El Corcito,” who is represented by two politically charged paintings, including “Lider orador (Lead Orator)” (1939). The humorous work shows a tiny politician on an oversized chair speaking to a group of copycat followers depicted as pumpkins.
Even stronger is his “Desfile cívico escolar (Civic Parade of Students)” (1936), in which he manages to compress dozens of figures into a small, extraordinarily complex composition. It comments on the patriotic fervor of the time as well as the disenfranchisement of certain members of Mexican society.
Also deserving of note are two works by Carlos Mérida, especially “Perfiles (Profiles)” (1929), a bold, figurative image rendered in a loose, primitivist style that has a surprisingly contemporary feel.
Although paintings far and away dominate this show, a small alcove is devoted to eight photographs. But because of their small number, these seem more like an appendage and they don’t really blend with the rest of the exhibition.
While photographer Manuel Álvarez Bravo was certainly a Mexican master in every sense, one can question the inclusion of the Mexican images by Tina Medotti and especially Edward Weston, who could hardly be more American.
As Mexico grows in importance, the profile of its art and artists can only grow with it. “Mexican Modern” might have its weak points, but the show offers a useful overview of a pivotal moment in the country’s cultural history.
Fine arts critic Kyle MacMillan can be reached at 303-820-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com.
“Mexican Modern: Masters of the 20th Century”
Through Sept. 3|Exhibition of more than 60 paintings and photographs|
Museum of Fine Arts, 107 W. Palace Ave., Santa Fe|$7 non-New Mexico residents, $5 New Mexico residents, free for anyone 16 and younger, everyone admitted free from 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays|10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays (505-476-5072 or mfasantafe.org)
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FIND A SLIDE SHOW OF WORKS FROM THE “MEXICAN MODERN” EXHIBIT denverpost.com/art
