Object Record
Images
Metadata
Artist |
Francisco Toledo |
Title |
Untitled |
Date |
n.d. |
Medium |
Watercolor and Airbrush |
Technique |
N/A |
Dimensions |
N/A |
Description |
Francisco Toledo One of Mexico’s most important contemporary artists, Francisco Toledo (1940-2019) was born in Juchitan, Mexico. He created works that reflected nature and mythology of Mexico while defending the traditions of Oaxaca. The son of a Zapotec shoemaker and tanner, Toledo worked as a painter, photographer, sculptor, printmaker, and graphic artist. His family history and Zapotec culture and folklore became his main source of inspiration. "What I do is a mixture of things, but the pre-Hispanic world has been a source of inspiration," he explained. "There are certain solutions that are decorative that come from pre-Hispanic art and at the same time there is much primitive art that is refined or simple but also very modern." He studied at Taller Libre de Grabado in Mexico City, where he met celebrated Oaxacan painter Rufino Tamayo. At 19 years old, Toledo had his first exhibitions in both Mexico City, and Fort Worth, TX. The artist moved to France in 1960 to learn the process of copper engraving in the studio of English artist Stanley William Hayter, and soon established his own aesthetic. Upon returning to Mexico in 1965, Toledo began producing works highlighting his Zapotec heritage. Toledo was renowned for his social activism and philanthropy, as he helped finance the opening of cultural institutions in Oaxaca City, and went to great lengths to preserve the city’s historic center. A repeating image of the front end and back end of an elephant on a reddish background |
Object Name |
Mixed Media |
Search Terms |
Oaxaca Kite Elephant Animal |
Object Number |
2020.2.13.14 |
Collection |
Juan Antonio Sandoval Jr. Collection |