Mexican modernism

What is the course about?

As Tate Britain celebrates Frida Kahlo with a new exhibition over the summer, this course is an opportunity to study her art in the context of Mexican art and culture.

We begin with the 1910 revolution, its democratic and socialist ideals. In the early 1920s, the Mexican government commissioned a series of murals to create pictures of Mexico and its people, past and present. Artists like Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros turned public buildings into visual manifestos. Beyond “Los Tres Grandes”, we will discover others, such as Fermín Revueltas, Fernando Leal, and Jean Charlot.

Beyond murals, many Mexican artists created black and white prints and photographs, seeking more political and accessible mediums. Works by Xavier Guerrero and Tina Modotti will be examined in this context.

If socialism was an important force behind the development of Mexican modern art, a second, key current was Indigenism, the celebration of indigenous and folk cultures. We will see how these artists sought to identify, represent - and, perhaps, shape - an authentically Mexican culture. We will see how Rivera and Kahlo collected Mesoamerican objects, how Muralists depicted Mexican festivals blending Aztec and Christian rituals, and how Roberto Montenegro depicted Maya women.

Finally, a third recurring influence was that of the avant-gardes such as Cubism and naïve art, which connecting Mexican artists with European and American modernism.

Close to these artists and their ideals, yet unique, we will explore the art and life of Frida Kahlo. Her art was at once a response to the political and cultural context, as well as an expression of her personal struggles. Although she did not consider herself a Surrealist, some elements in Kahlo’s art connect her with the movement founded by André Breton. Mexico City was a hub for Surrealism in the late 1930s, and we will study the works of Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington.

What will we cover?

• The art and life of Frida Kahlo
• The Mexican Muralists
• Other, lesser-known Mexican modern artists of the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s, and their works of art
• Indigenism and the quest for a unified, modern and authentic, Mexican identity

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• Explain how Mexican Muralism stemmed from the 1910 revolution and its ideals
• Discuss how Frida Kahlo’s art reflects matters of identity, both personal and collective
• Name at least 10 Mexican artists from the period studied
• Discuss Mexican modernism’s connection to European and U.S. art

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is suitable for all levels.

You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information. This course takes place on Zoom and uses a Google Classroom to share materials. Please be familiar with or be willing to learn how to operate elements of Zoom, specifically camera, microphone and chat functions. For more on how our online learning works, please click here.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

You will be taught by lecture with slide images and you will be invited to participate in group discussion. There will be handouts provided by your tutor; these handouts will be available digitally via a Google Classroom. You will be invited to join the Google Classroom within a week of your course start date.

Please note: this is a live lecture course and will not be recorded for playback for reasons of copyright, digital infrastructure and data protection.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Nordic Modernism: 1880-1925