Searching for Posada--ART and Revolutions to Screen at La Calaca Festival Mexico

What better place to screen the documentary about the artist who, more than anyone else, popularized the Calavera?

http://lacalacafestival.com/2017/evento/searching/

 

 

El Centenario Posada Lecture at Arteamericas Fresno, CA

Lecture on Posada and an update on the documentary at ArteAmericas 1630 Van Ness, Fresno, CA. There is a current exhibition showing Posada's work and complimentary commemorative exhibition celebrating Posada's work with artwork from 32 artists from the Instituto Grafica of Chicago.

Posada Ilustrates Pancho Villa and Firing Squad

Posada sometimes used photographs as templates to create his illustrations. This allowed him a greater degree of control over the image. He could emphasize certain elements and also make the image more generic so it might be used over for a variety of stories that Vanegas Arroyo published. It also allowed his publisher the flexibility to see what news was current and then rehash it with its own artwork. In this example Pancho Villa is facing a firing squad. The image above left is from a halfsheet broadside published by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo. The image below is from the archives of the Hemeroteca Nacional in Mexico City, it is dated 1912, from the year before Posada's death. Note how efficiently Posada uses the space setting the image up in a way that draws the eye to Pancho Villa. In the photo there is a large amount of "useless" empty space to Villa's left.

 

 

Filming on Location in Mexico

Documentary director, Victor Mancilla, is seen here checking the scene for our recreation of Posada's workshop. Note the printing plates and trays of lead type on the left. Still used today as the they were over one hundred years ago in the time of Posada.

January 20, 2013 is the Centenario of José Guadalupe Posada's Death

 

His work with the burin was great
Thousands of images he did create,
Calaveras and politicos he sent with a din
With novenas and songs to sing
To el gran monton of bones
Giving all homes
Including himself from poor health.

RIP don Lupe y muchas gracias.