Andonia Goergen
Staff Writer
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s newest exhibit “Rufino Tamayo: Innovation and Experimentation” pushes the boundaries of art with its unique and abstract pieces inspired by real-life and historical events.
The exhibition demonstrates the ways that artist Rufino Tamayo pushed the limits of art and experimented with new methods, which resulted in a variety of thought-provoking pieces for viewers to see. Although much of his work follows a similar pattern, each piece is inspiring in its own way.
Tamayo was a Mexican painter and muralist in the 20th century who focused primarily on printmaking in order to construct his artwork. He developed his own printmaking method called “Mixografía,” which gave his art a three-dimensional look. The exhibit features 20 of his paintings, most of which are composed of earth tones, such as browns, maroons and tans.
Tamayo focused much of his work on the human figure, which greatly inspired him. “Rufino Tamayo: Innovation and Experimentation” shows how he used basic human anatomy to create abstract pieces that go beyond the boundaries of regular printmaking. Most of his paintings feature a human-like figure on top of a simple background, making the subjects of his paintings stand out.
Despite being a LACMA curation, “Rufino Tamayo: Innovation and Experimentation” is on display at Charles White Elementary School. Throughout the duration of the exhibit, students from the elementary school will be working alongside Los Angeles-based artist Raul Baltazar to produce a work inspired by Tamayo’s work. This project gives students a creative outlet that allows them to experiment with different forms of art, while still maintaining the theme of the exhibit.
One of the most eye-catching pieces featured is “Two Personages Attacked By Dogs,” a mural showcasing a scene in which a couple is being chased by two vicious dogs. The printed mural is said to represent the biblical story of Adam and Eve and their fleeing of the Garden of Eden. Although it is a simple painting, this piece captures great emotion and angst that many viewers may relate to or interpret in their own way.
A highly notable work of Tamayo’s is a piece entitled “Study for America,” which tackles politics and American culture. The print features two human-like figures with different skin colors emerging from the same figure, spreading the message of the deep cultural diversity that America has. Tamayo draws attention to these pressing topics in a beautiful way with this piece, and sparks the important discussion about American society today.
Another noteworthy print is “Hands on the Blue Background,” which draws attention to the most important tool for an artist: their hands. The painting is exactly as it sounds and features three red hands on a blue background. The vibrant red hands perfectly contrast with the dull background, successfully emphasizing Tamayo’s message. It allows viewers to truly understand the effort and hardship that it takes for artists to create work with only their two hands.
Along with his own art, four small statues that Tamayo collected from the ancient Americas are on display. The figures each show a small person and have a unique styling to them, which Tamayo took inspiration from. These miniature statues help to explain Tamayo’s thought process and help viewers get an idea of what inspired him and his art when he was alive.
Not only does Tamayo’s work properly display the hardships faced by many at the time of creation, but his work is still applicable to today’s society. His work is inspiring and invites anyone who looks at it to experiment with social norms and their own methods of art.
“Rufino Tamayo: Innovation and Experimentation” is open until July 11 at Charles White Elementary School. For more information on visiting hours and location, visit lacma.org.
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