Tuesday, 5/20/97 Breaking boundaries ART: "Arte Contemporaneo
Mexicano," on display at the Louis Stern Fine Arts Gallery, reveals
the complexity and universal scope of contemporary Mexican art
By Ismael Osuna Daily Bruin Contributor Showing that not all
Mexican art follows the familiar style of Diego Rivera and Frida
Kahlo, "Arte Contemporaneo Mexicano," on display at Louis Stern
Fine Arts through July 3, displays the wide range of style of
contemporary Mexican artists. It is provocative, innovative and
surprising. As Doug Roberts, one of the curators of the exhibit,
explains, "Contemporary Mexican art isn’t all sombreros and aloe
vera landscapes. It’s really very cosmopolitan." Mexican art in the
past has been closely associated with its culture. This exhibit
breaks convention and shows how these Mexican artists are talented
and in touch with artistic ideas from around the world. "These are
Mexican artists all from Mexico City. And they’re all right here in
the 20th century," Roberts says. Most of the artists whose work is
being displayed at the exhibit are internationally recognized. In
fact, getting art for the exhibit at the gallery was difficult due
to the high demand for these artists. The idea for this exhibit
came from Louis Stern himself. With friends in Mexico who were
either artists or curators, both Roberts and Stern were able to put
the show together. But getting pieces from the more than two dozen
artists that they were able to contact proved to be difficult. "One
of them told me that she didn’t have anything to send me because
all of her stuff was in a show she was having in South Africa,"
Roberts says. The work done by these artists is abstract and
reminiscent of a wide variety of 20th century contemporary artists.
One can see influences from Jackson Pollock to Adolph Gottlieb. The
art on display shows an eclectic variety of works, from Ilse
Gradwohl’s elegant watercolors to Benito Martinez-Creel’s works of
iron oxide on stoneware. All of these artists come from the same
artistic community in Mexico City and even know each other quite
intimately. Yet each has their own distinct style and preference in
the creation of their art. Pieces such as Martinez-Creel’s "Hombre
Roto" and "Animal" are the only ones which follow the traditional,
almost stereotypical, Mexican art style that many are used to. His
representations are unique, however, due to their ability to
captivate through the depth of the objects’ implied emotion. His
work even seems to tell a story, and the terra cotta used to create
the works gives them a traditional rural feeling. In sharp contrast
to Martinez-Creel’s art, there are paintings such as those by
Francis Alys, which are small oil on wood paintings. Alys, having
arrived in Mexico from Belgium only 15 years ago, found inspiration
in the culture and people of Mexico. He has crafted a distinct
style by hiring professional sign painters to copy his paintings on
a larger scale and in this way, creating a new style for his
paintings and giving a whole new interpretation to his original
creation. Carlos Arias’ use of embroidered canvas is especially
intriguing. What makes his work so interesting is not only the
foundation on which his subject matter is laid but the subject
matter itself. Set in the Orient, sex and sexual situations adorn
the beautiful embroidery of Arias’ "Triptico Oriental." Along with
other artists like Marie Jose Paz, whose work explores the world of
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Arias shows that the art of contemporary
Mexican artists does not have to deal solely with their own culture
but with foreign aspects of culture as well. And indeed, it should.
The work of contemporary artists is to constantly redraw the
boundaries of art. The realm that it encompasses can only be
limited by the imagination of the creator. The exhibit does a
wonderful job of showcasing the abilities of young artists from
Mexico. It also breaks the stereotype that artwork that comes from
places such as Mexico, with its deep cultural and folk backgrounds,
always contains those native aspects of its history. "Arte
Contemporaneo Mexicano" shows that contemporary Mexican artists
prove themselves to be beneficial contributors to the ever-changing
contemporary art form. ART: "Arte Contemporaneo Mexicano" is on
display at the Louis Stern Fine Arts Gallery, located at 9002
Melrose Ave., through July 3. For more information, call (310) 276-
0147. Doug Roberts is a curator at the Louis Stern Fine Arts
Gallery where the exhibit, "Arte Contemporaneo Mexicano" is
currently on display. Carlos Arias embroidered canvas to create his
"Triptico Oriental." Ilse Gradwohl’s watercolor, "untitled (2),
1995." "Animal," by Benito Martinez-Creel, makes use of iron oxide
on stoneware.