From Publishers Weekly
Rivera portrayed himself in his memoirs as a revolutionary firebrand and visionary artist who repudiated his ties to European art in favor of a new style of mural painting. Yet the essays in this catalogue prove that the Mexican artist fused Cubist space with Futurist movement in epic murals molded from his study of Italian Renaissance frescoes and pre-Colombian sculpture. The first major retrospective of Rivera's works, mounted at the Detroit Institute of Arts, shows that there was much more to Rivera than his murals. Penetrating portraits, soul-baring self-portraits, sensitive nudes and cityscapes, and studies of Indian women are among the pictures reproduced here in 200 color and 325 black-and-white plates. Rivera's travels in the U.S. inspired paintings and drawings which drew on Aztec cosmology to explain industrial society in terms of universal order. Rivera's reputation has declined over the years, his art dismissed by some as leftist propaganda. But the essays in this outstanding album establish that his mural style is miles apart from socialist realism, and the contributors question the superficial distinction between "high" and "folk" art.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.
From Library Journal
This masterful work is the catalog of a jointly sponsored retrospective at the Instituo Nacional de Bellas Artes and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Helms intertwines Mexico's history with Rivera's evolution as an artist, incorporating family photographs and material from many biographical sources. Rivera, one of Mexico's leading artistic and intellectual figures, is given his due in the many supplementary essays by recognized experts. The placement of the prints and drawings, beautifully reproduced in color and tone, enhances the book's value immensely. Highly recommended. Roderic A. Camp, Latin American Studies Dept., Central Coll., Pella, Ia.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.
