Nicolas de Jesus

I am really into the work of Nicolas de Jesus. I was lucky enough to purchase a print of his in Mexico. Much of his work makes political statement about the US, while other is reflective or commentary on Mexican culture.
The image to the left is titled "Despierta America." Several other works in the same style are found here...

from zihua.net:
"Born December 6, 1960 in the indigenous Nahua region of Guerrero, Mexico. Nicolas de Jesus developed his art through his parents and his community. Painting on Amate (bark paper) is a local tradition in the village of Ameyaltepec where Nicolas is from. His work reflects the spectrum of his experiences from his origins in a traditional Mexican village to the problems of the Mexican migrant in the United States and his concern for preserving his cultural identity.
In an attempt to preserve his culture one theme that Nicolas de Jesus has exquisitely developed is that of Calaveras (skeletons). One of the oldest traditions in Mexico, which has indigenous roots, is the celebration of the "Day of the Dead". It is a tradition that goes back several centuries before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1519. It is a tradition found today in a few regions of Mexico that are characterized by a concentration of indigenous populations, such as the regions of the Balsas basin, which at present is Nahuatl-speaking community, here in this state of Guerrero.
The Day of the Dead is a collective manifestation, a celebration of death as an extension of life. Death motivates happiness when the deceased gets to his or her second stage of life(death), there the soul continues to live. The process of dying is considered part of a cycle (life-death) just like everything else in nature and not a lineal process as it is in the western world.
This tradition is presented through graphics and personal text by artist Nicolas de Jesus.

"The word death is not pronounced in New York, in Paris, in London, because it burns the lips. The Mexican, in contrast, is familiar with death, jokes about it , caresses it, sleeps with it,celebrates it; it is one of his favorite toys and his steadfast love. True, there is perhaps as much fear in his attitude as in the others, but at least death is not hidden away."
- OCTAVIO PAZ

Hable con Ella

Clip of Caetano Veloso singing "Cucurrucucú Paloma" from the Pedro Almodóvar film Hable con Ella. I'm not sure if he could possibly have a smoother voice... simply amazing. Also, this film won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 2003, and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film.

Also, gives you something nice to listen to while you read my blog. You're welcome.

Mais Veloso

I like his website, full of clips, bio, photos, etc...

Caetano Veloso...

Here is an interview with Caetano Veloso by Christopher Dunn from 1996, it appeared in Transition.

The interview follows Dunn's book Brutality Garden, and is quite insightful. Dunn gives a brief biography of Veloso and Gilberto Gil before beginning the conversation. I found it very interesting to read Veloso's first hand account of the emergence of the Tropicalista Rebellion, and fascinating to hear that he refers to himself as "just a radio singer." Interesting coming from someone so influential in raising the question of what it means to be Brazilian, and then forcing the answer to change.

Another blog worth checking out...

...besides mine.

Xispas is an interesting blog well worth your time, focusing on Chicano art, culture, and politics. There is much political content on the blog, much about the war in Iraq, much about current Mexican politics and political activism. It seems impossible, at most any point through the last two centuries, to separate art from social activism. Granted, there will always be artists who paint things like cottages covered with snow and plates with schnauzers on them... but in most every corner of the world there are those who use their creativity as a means for effecting change.

The picture above is by Sergio Hernandez, and presents a new take on Dia de los Muertos...

Art for a change...

Here is an essay by artist Mark Vallen about the Siqueiros mural entitled "Portrait of Mexico Today." It is an informative article about the piece and about the style of DAS in general.

Mark Vallen also has a blog which is fairly interesting, unlike most blogs. He writes a great deal about Latino artists, both past and present. He presents a wealth of information pertaining to many topics from feminism, to social responsibility, to punk rock. He also has a number of 'punk portraits', dating back to the late 70s. Very interesting.