Introduction
Mexico has a plethora of talents who have contributed to global art. The Mexican artists have established genres in music and art that are cherished internationally. In this discussion, the most well-recognized Mexican artists who worked since the 1920s and until modern times will be discussed. However, there are prominent examples of Mexican art worth mentioning that were created in 1500 AD and later. This paper will discuss some of the most prominent examples of the Mexican Artistic contributions, such as works by Karlo, Rivera, Fernandez, and others.
Art
Frida Karlo is one of the best-known artists in general and artists from Mexico in particular. Karlo’s heritage includes over 150 paintings completed using this artists’ unique style and mainly her self-portraits and other paintings inspired by Mexican nature and culture (Cocking). Karlo worked in a naïve folk-art style, and her artworks inspire viewers to reflect on the issues of identity and social class. Some of her famous works include the “Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird,” where Karlo is featured wearing her iconic hairstyle and a necklace with a hummingbird. Karlo’s contribution is based on her unique style that combines the elements of surrealism and Mexican folk and her inclusion of the themes of life and death.
Another artist who contributed to the development of the Mexican heritage is the muralist Diego Rivera, who was Frida Karlo’s husband. The murals create by Rivera can be found both in Mexico and in the United States. For example, some are featured in the Palacio Nacional (Cocking). Apart from Rivera, Mexico’s art heritage also includes a muralist whose works can be found in this state and in the United States-José Clemente Orozco. Orozco’s works are notable since he is considered to be one of the founding fathers of muralism and because he always disclosed a political issue in his murals, and some of his works can be found in the Palacio del Gobierno in Guadalajara (Cocking). Hence, Mexican mural artists were the founders of some of this artform’s most prominent genres.
Mexico’s art heritage also features a sculptor whose works are found in different parts of the world; apart from Mexico, and he created his sculptures in Japan, Europe, and the United States. The works by Sebastián are typically massive constructions created out of steel and concrete that feature varied geometric forms, for example, the “Caballito” (Wright). *
Music
Apart from artworks, Mexico’s famous artistic contributions include well-known musicians. For instance, Vicente Fernandez was a Mexican singer who contributed to the development of Ranchera music (Wright). Ranchera is a genre of music that emerged in Mexico after the revolution, and it later evolved into the music genre performed by Mariachi bands (Wright). Fernandez himself performed accompanied by a Mariachi band, making his music a distinct representation of Mexico’s traditional genre. Over the course of his career Fernandez has recorded over 50 albums and his best known songs that received Grammy nominations include “…Es La Diferencia,” Las Clásicas de José Alfredo Jiménez,” “Las Clásicas de José Alfredo Jiménez,” and others (Wright). Fernandez is included in this discussion since his music is a representation of Mexico’s traditional music genre, and his songs are known outside the state as well.
Playwrights and Filmmakers
The modern-day playwrights from Mexico have brought to light several important stories that were staged in theatres in New York and other major cities. For example, Cruz mentions Louis Alfaro, who wrote “Oedipus El Rey,” a play about a king who tries to escape the prophecy of him killing his mother. Moreover, Alfaro is also recognized for his versions of the traditional Greek plays, which he rewrote to suit the modern-day context. Another playwright of Mexican origin is Quiara Alegría Hudes, who wrote “In The Heights,” the play that was staged on Broadway.
Apart from playwrights, it is worth mentioning the Mexican film directors, such as Guillermo del Toro. According to Tapia, del Toro is a screenwriter, producer, and filmmaker famous for movies such as “Cronos” or “The Shape of Water.” In particular, “Cronos” is an iconic film where del Toro first introduced his iconic approach to directing, for example, his extensive use of makeup effects. Apart from del Toro, directors of Mexican origin are Alfonso Cuarón and Amat Escalante (Tapia). Hence, the Mexican filmmakers who have worked in the United States have contributed to the development of filmmaking.
Conclusion
In summary, this paper is a discussion of Mexico’s most famous artistic contributions. Perhaps one of the most prominent artists from Mexico who is famous globally is Frida Karlo and her self-portraits created in the naïve folk technique. Although Karlo is one of the best-known Mexican artists recognized globally, there is a variety of artists, sculptors, playwrights, and musicians whose work has contributed to the development of the global art culture. For example, Sebastián is recognized as one of the most prominent sculptors, while playrights Alfaro and Hudes wrote plays that were featured on the stages of Broadway and other theatres.
Works Cited
Cocking, Lauren. “Mexico’s 10 Most Iconic Artists.” Culture Trip, Web.
Cruz, Caitlyn. “7 Latino Playwrights Bringing Our Stories to the Stage.” Remezcla, Web.
Tapia, Shanti. “Mexican Film Directors.” Spanish 55, Web.
Wright, Amaranta. “Top Ten Mexican Male Singers of all Time.” Latino Life, Web.