On Thursday, January 26, 2012, I went to see the Dr. Alt exhibit at the Centro Cultural Universitario Tlatelolco in México City’s Tlatelolco hood, not too far from where I live. I went with some American friends that are now living in México City:  Jim Johnson, Nicholas Gillman and Brad Conrad.

I had heard about the Dr. Atl art exhibit while I was in Dallas and just had to go because not only had I admired Atl’s paintings but I also live in the neighborhood Dr. At lived in, Col. Santa Maria la Ribera, and too, I live on Dr. At street as well.

The is show was great, I loved seeing all the works in one place, in the Museo Colección Blaisten in the Centro Cultural Universitario Tlatelolco.  Andres Blaisten, art collector and connoisseur, and for whom the museum is named after, did a great job in the presentation of Dr. Atl’s works.

As reported in the LA Times:

Dr. At, … was a muralist, an educator and a civic activist who once helped save a colonial-era convent from demolition by moving in and living there. He published books, invented paints and signed his works “Dr. At,” an imaginary honorific using the Nahuatl-language word for water.

Born Gerardo Murillo in Guadalajara in 1875, Dr. At is one of the most accomplished and enigmatic figures from the golden period of modern art in Mexico. …

I say, this is a must see exhibit of one of México’s utmost painters and a big part of Mexican history.  Exhibit runs through April 16, 2012.

click image below for a slide show exhibit of Dr. Atl

Centro Cultural Universitario Tlatelolco
Ave. Ricardo Flores Magón N. 1
across from the Plaza de las Tres Culturas – “Square of the Three Cultures”
Col. Nonoalco-Tlatelolco
Cost is only $20.00 pesos, like $1.50 USD
How to get there

I just had to see what I had been missing for the last nine months that I have been in Dallas.  As I walked up Dr. Atl to Salvador Diaz Mirón I could see water shooting high from the fountains at the park — they never worked the whole time I lived there.  The park was now clean and the trees trimmed so one could see the centerpiece of the park, the Moorish Kiosk, Kiosco Morisco as it is known.  As I walked toward the park, I walked in front of the Russian restaurant, Kolobok, one of my favorite places I used to eat.  It was wonderful to hear kitchen help ladies holler at me:  Que Milagro, What a Miracle: a miracle to see me because to them I had just disappeared. We chatted a while, told them I had moved and was only visiting and that I would return to eat.  I cut my conversation short because I just had to see, walk and sit at the park – like I used to do.

click photo above for slideshow

When I left Col. Santa Maria la Ribera in September 2010 the park and the Kiosk were a mess because of remodeling.  Now the park looked so fresh and inviting.  The Kiosk, built like in 1884, was now clean and had freshly painted. The old marble floor in the middle of the Kiosk was gone, replaced with a wooden floor that looked great with the pattern design.  The park has four fountains at each corner of the park and they were all spewing water high into the air – beautiful.  The benches that had been removed from around the park, because they had built concert-sitting areas, had returned too.  It made my day, it was all lovely.  After enjoying the park, I walked the neighborhood and saw my old barber and the ladies that did my sewing.  It was great seeing old faces.  I never ventured to my apartment that continues to sit empty:  Not going back.

After visiting Santa Maria, I went to La Zone Rosa where I bought a spiral notebook to write my thoughts:  I had so many things I just had to write down.  As I was sitting at a sidewalk café this 80-year old lady had some straw donkeys she wanted to sell.  She held them for me to see and told me the donkeys were for feast day of Corpus Christi.  What?  She tried to explain what the ritual was about, but I was just not getting it so she gave up:  LOL.  Well, the lady was so cute, I bought two.  I love my treasures, folk art, I bought from that lady, but what I never did find out what donkeys had to do with the feast day.

(untitled)Jesus Chairez

My friend said, a “German artist named Pia Lanzinger is doing her final of three performance pieces with a group of sweepers. Friday they did the Rockettes, more like ‘pass the shoe from me to you’ in slow motion, passing brooms and batting around a ball made from recyclables taped together.”  Sounded like fun and original, and this was their last performance, so off I went.

I most enjoyed hearing the sweepers sing.  Though they mostly sang off key it was most enjoyable to hear their music, songs, that these sweeper created themselves.  All the music and poetry conveying their lives on the street — working as sweepers.  Afterward I spoke to a couple of the sweepers and they beamed when I asked questions – hell I beamed from their energy too.

The German artist Pia Lanzinger did a excellent job in working with the sweepers.   Lanzinger’s work focuses on “social phenomena and their effect on the individual, her site-specific works are based on research conducted with the co-operation of people in their own social environment. In recent years she has devised a number of projects for the public realm,”  México City being one of them.

It was a lovely day :-)

Here a short video of what I heard that day

And here are the pics: Pia Lanzinger sits with the crew

Click photo below to view a slide show.

Here is a picture of my lamp.  Click the picture for a slide show view of my new lamp in my home:

Last Saturday at the Plaza de Angel I found a book on the late artist Dr. Atl.  The book, titled Dr. Atl is a big picture book filled with numerous examples of Dr. Atl’s work, a letter from the President of México at the time, Luis Echeverria praising Dr. Atl and then the prologue written by Carlos Pellicer, one of México’s most poetic and literary gentleman.  My first inclination was that the book was going to be expensive – but it wasn’t.  I think this is because I found the book not in an antique bookstall but in a furniture store resting under a hat.

Being that I live on the street Dr. Atl in Col. Santa Maria la Ribera, I couldn’t wait to get home and show the book to my neighbor landlady, Mely.  But when I got to Mely’s apartment I noted she had company and said I could come back.  She said, no I want to introduce you to my friend Luis Aguirre an artist and someone I have not seen in a long time.

As I was showing Luis and Mely my book Luis shouts Hey, I recognize that book.  He opens the book to the inside cover and points to a handwritten dedication in the book, something I had missed.

Luis says, see, I wrote that dedication and he had, dated in 1981 – 29 years ago!

pictured below is

Luis Aguirre,

the man that dedicated my book 29 years ago.

Went to a closing art reception at the Galeria Pecaninson to see art works by Hector de Anda.  Hector’s work is OK, being mixed media on wood.

above: mixed media by Hector de Anda

As I left the art reception I ran into my friend John Siri and he me invited to a wine tasting at El Pecado de Noé (the sin of Noah), an upscale wine bar and café located in Col. Roma.   Every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00 PM, El Pecado de Noé has free wine tasting classes with light munchies that go with the wine.  The wine tasting is directed by a lovely lady named Elea.  Elea gives a short history of each wine before it is tasted:  The evening was most informative and entertaining.  I will be going every Tuesday so I can learn more about the various wines.  El Pecado de Noé, Oaxaca 69, Col. Roma.  So what is Noah’s sin that the bar is named after? Well after the flood waters receded, Noah made wine, got drunk and got naked:  Is that a sin, to get naked?

Eric, Elea of El Pecado de Noé and Karolien

click foto for slide show of the evening.

Then Friday night it was time to run over to Gabrielle Civil’s apartment for her going away party.  Sadly, Gabrielle, a Fulbright fellow, was leaving México City to go home to El Norte.  Gabrielle’s works in México involved creating original art and collaborating with Mexican performance and conceptual artists.  I first learned of Gabrielle in reading about her in Daniel Hernandez’ blog, Intersections.  It was a great party with some lovely people and it was great to be able to say good bye.  Catch Gabrielle’s mariachis for Obama on YouTube by clicking the image below.

VIVA GABRIELLE CIVIL – AND COME BACK REAL SOON.

This was the first time I had been to the Naxica gallery and I loved the space, the location and of course the artists the Gallery is representing.  The building is fabulous with art works on three floors.

The main floor and entry were black & white paintings by hyperrealism Spanish artist: Juan Bautista Nieto.  The paintings were divine and I am sure was exhaustive work considering the detail of each painting.  I found out that Bautista first studied medicine like his father.  But after his father died, Bautista left medicine and started his art career of painting and drawing.

work by Juan Bautista Nieto

The second floor a collective of various artists, a space full art, such as paintings and sculptors:  All first class.

The abstract exhibit titled “First Decade Horizons,” by Canadian artist David Sorensen IS magnificent too.  Sorensen was in the gallery and I had the opportunity to meet and speak with him.  I found it fascinating to learn that Sorensen lived in Montreal Canada but that he has his art studio in Guadalajara México.  Sorensen’s work is original and easy to see why he has not only shown in México and Canada but also in Basel, Milan, Paris, Tokyo, Manila and Hong Kong.

Great work at the Naxica Galería de Arte and a must see before exhibits close.  Click here to see a slide show of the opening evening reception.

First art exhibit is titled Ladrando a la muerte, by self taught artist Marysole Worner Baz.

An artist friend of mine invited me to see Baz’s art that coincides with the Day of the Dead.  The paintings and installation pieces of skeletons is wonderful and playful.  Some of the pieces are larger than Baz who is about 4-ft tall or shorter.  I did get the opportunity to meet Marysole and found her to be most charming and pleasant.

Click photo below to see Marysole’s art at the Gallery of the Hacienda Secretary.

I also went to my first Mail Art, Arte Correo, exhibit in Mexico:  held at the Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico.  Mail Art is so much different what I have seen in my old hometown of Dallas.  I most enjoyed Pedro Friedeberg‘s entries which are most colorful and detailed.  Friedeberg is an Italian born artist now living in Mexico City.  Also at this museum is a B/W photography exhibit of Hector Garcia whos work is worth seeing:  images of an old Mexico in era before the digital age of photography.

Click photo below to see Pedro Friederg’s work and others in Arte Correo.

Friedeberg’s sculptor, a pair of hands, sculptor sits in front of the Angel on Paseo de la Reforma.

above street scene by Hector Garcia

I also viewed art works by Roberto Valle whose opening art reception was last night at the Pitahaya a restaurant, juice and tea bar located on Regina street – a new hip place to go – in Mexico City’s Centro Historico district.  Valle’s work were all portraits of women.  It was rumored Valle knew all these women and they had all posed for Valle, but also I was told all the art works were different interpretations of his wife Sandra:  You decide.  Fun and creative art  located in place that has great food and where they make their own pasta too!

Click photo below to see Roberto Valle’s art at the Pitahaya on Regina Street.

Here is a colum that appeared in today’s The Dallas Morning News.

Here is the column:

The county of Mexico like the rest of the world is going through economic hard times, most especially after being identified as ground zero for the swine flu pandemic.  So when Silvia Thornton, Lakewood artists and co-founder of the M Street – Lakewood artists studio tour, asked if it was safe to visit, I said sure nuff come on down, Mexico can use your tourist money – and so she did.

When I asked Ms. Thornton if she spoke Spanish she said, “I know one word, baño,” which means bathroom.  I thought I better pick her up at the airport because she would never get to my apartment: bathroom yes, my place never.

After picking up Ms. Thornton at the airport and getting her unpacked at my place we went to eat lunch at my favorite neighborhood restaurant Kolobok. I like eating at this small and cozy restaurant because they really serve some really great tasting Russian food – funny how we leave Dallas, travel to Mexico City to eat Russian food.  Kolobok even has Russian empanadas, a filled turnover with a crust  – and all along I thought empanadas were Mexican.

After lunch, it was time to take Ms. Thornton to her first stop.  To my surprise she didn’t want to go to Frida Kahlo’s house or some world-renowned museum, but the Basilica to see the Virgen de Guadalupe.  WHAT?  I didn’t ask any questions because she was my guest so off we went to see the deity I call La Virgen.
We took a pesero, a mini bus, to see the Virgen.  All along the route Ms. Thornton was absorbing here surroundings, a natural practice considering that her art works are reflective of people and places she has interacted with.

Ms. Thornton didn’t know the complete story of the Virgen de Guadalupe:  how she made an appearance to Mexican Indian Juan Diego in December 1531or that she was also known Mother of the Americas.  Ms. Thornton was visiting the Virgen de Guadalupe because three of her Dallas friends asked that she visit the Virgen and to light a candle on their behalf.

I found this to be most fascinating that my gringa artist friend was making a pilgrimage to the Basilica for three of her friends all being non-Catholic nor Mexican – but all spiritual.   Ms. Thornton found the miracle of the image of the Virgen to be most spectacular and I found her lighting candles for her friends just as well. Before we left the Basilica, Ms. Thornton herself got a blessing by a Basilica Father. I left getting a better since of my dear and lovely friend wondering how this experience would transcend in her artwork.

One evening after touring the city we made it to my neighborhood cantina, Salon Paris to eat, drink and dance. I couldn’t help but giggle when I heard one drunken guy yell out Barbie, and I knew he wasn’t talking to me.  Being that this IS my neighborhood cantina my popularity went up being that I was with a Dallas Barbie.

Trying to introduce my Dallas guest to my new friends in Mexico City can be time consuming so I threw a party for Ms. Thornton on my veranda where she was introduced to my many of my new Mexico City friends.  We all enjoyed the cool 65-degree summer evening.
It was a most exquisite visit and inspirational for my friend Silvia.

NOTE:  Catch Ms. Thornton’s artwork, which is an encaustic process, a 5,000 thousand-year-old way of painting at the Haley-Henman Gallery.  She is in their Second Annual Group Show titled Summer Series 09 that runs through September 12, 2009.  Haley-Genman Gallery located at 2335 Hardwick Street, Dallas, Texas 75208.  Hours are Wednesday-Saturday 12 Noon to 5pm 
and by appointment.  This exhibit is free and open to the public.  For more information 214-749-1277 or info@haleyhenman.com

I got an e-mail from White Rock sculptor artist David Hickman and his wife Linda telling me that they were going to Malinalco, México but would be first stopping in México City.  They had written to ask if I could suggest some places for them to visit and eat.  Well, being a true hospitably Texas boy I wrote them back telling them I would not write suggestions but would personally show them around – and so I did.

Though I had several ideas on where to take them I did ask what they would like to see on their short visit. They said Frida Kahlo’s house and at least some murals by muralist Diego Rivera, husband of Kahlo.  But first, they wanted to meet Humberto Martinez, the 80-year old artist I had written about in my previous column.

Carla Scheeps, Humberto Martinez and David & Linda Hickman

click photo above for slide show of their visit

So the first thing we did in this city that is so full of international known art and culture establishments was to visit Mr. Martinez.  I presented Mr. Martinez a copy of the column I had written about him and he was so very pleased and surprised.  He was smiling big and looking at the column as I said, some people from Dallas read the column and had traveled a long way to meet him.

Mr. Martinez turned around in amazement as I introduced him to the Hickman’s and their neighbor, traveling companion, Ms. Carla Schepps.  You had thought Mr. Martinez had won the lottery from his proud smiling face.  My guests purchased several drawings from Mr. Martinez was which made him happier – knowing that this most likely was the first time he had sold so much in the week.

Second stop was El Centro Historico area where the Museo Mural Diego Rivera  (Diego Rivera Mural Museum) is located.  This museum houses the famous mural “A Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park.”  The mural was painted in 1948 for the Hotel de Prado, but was covered from public display for nine years because Rivera had painted a banner that read, “God does not exist.”

This is what I like about México, they may find an artist work controversial, but it is not destroyed.  It is usually covered until public opinion changes.

Rivera later painted over the saying and the mural went on public display, but the mural was damaged in the 1985 earthquake, and the Hotel de Prado destroyed, so the mural was moved across the street to its present location ½ bloc from Alameda Park.  The Hickman’s and Schepps were in admiration as they viewed the especially large mural that portrays México’s history painted through the eyes of Rivera.

We then walked through Alameda Park, a park that was built in 1521.  Alameda Park was a favorite square of Empress Carlota Amalia from Belgium, wife of the puppet emperor of Mexico, Maximiliano of Hapsburg and a favorite of México’s Dictator Porfirio Díaz.  Amazing how a walk through just one park can enlighten one to México’s history.

While at the Alameda I searched in the sea of Mexican vendors for my favorite and only Chinese artist and vendor, Johanna Chen.  Ms. Chen writes your name in Chinese or Japanese lettering for a small fee:  The Hickman’s opted for:  “Savor the moment.”

We quickly stepped into Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) to view more art and murals painted by some of México’s famous muralists prior to going to Frida Kahlo’s house.  Though it is not advertised, I did indicate to my guests where the urn that contain the ashes of Kahlo sat.

In the evening we stopped for a cocktail on the top floor of the Latin American Tower for some lovely panoramic views of the city.  We ended nightfall with a stop at Plaza Garibaldi famous for various mariachi bands playing their music waiting to be hired.

After the Hickman’s left I did see Mr. Martinez again at the same café doing what he does best, drinking strong expresses, smoking filter less cigarettes and drawing.  But now Martinez has a new hair cut and he shaves, waiting for his next Dallas visitors and his close up.

Note:  Column in PDF from The Dallas Morning News