Leopoldo Mendez:
Leopoldo Mendez was born on June 30, 1902. He was from Mexico City. He was a political/social activist, a painter, an art instructor, a book designer, and well-known for his "engraving work" (wiki/Leopoldo). His work was in books and magazines. Mendez and his colleges, created political propaganda.
Something very interesting: "In [the] 1940s, he was under arrest for a few days after David Alfaro Siqueiros and his group assaulted Leon Trotsky’s house in Coyoacán, kidnapping and killing his secretary. The reason for this was that the attackers left 'evidence' to frame the Taller de Gráfica Popular. However, Méndez was released with no charges" (wiki/Leopoldo). I found out that Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera were protecting Trotsky around that time period. Trotsky lived in Kahlo's house for a while. It is stunning to find out that Mendez, Kahlo, and Rivera, had connections with Trotsky.
This piece is my favorite piece for many reasons. The shapes are made out of different lines. The hat looks like it is made out of dried plants. The man's arms look muscular. He looks very serious and ready to fight for something he believes in. I like that the torches' flames stick out more than the other objects. This piece should be read from left to right. The lines and the people's postures, lead us to the right of this piece. It looks like everyone is running. I like that the shadows are made out of compacted lines. I like that, regardless of how chaotic the lines may seem, I can still figure out what is going on in the piece. It looks like it is a dark and windy night. This piece is asymmetrically balanced. The man is the main attraction and the mob takes up some of the background. I believe that this is a three-dimensional piece. The man is the closest object to us. The mob is in the middle and the sky is the background. I like that there is a lot of texture in this piece. I love that this piece displays the social, political, and cultural background of my people. It shows that we are strong, hard-working people. This piece helped me realize that I should never give up and to keep moving forward.
Sources:
- Sam. Cedillo
