Taller de Gráfica Popular: Collective Printmaking and Portable Muralism in Mexico
Established in 1937 in Mexico City by Leopoldo Méndez, Luis Arenal, and Pablo O’Higgins, the Taller de Gráfica Popular (TGP) emerged as a collective for printmakers. The organization actively participated in significant political events such as the Spanish Civil War and World War II, advocating for anti-fascist ideals and backing Republican Spain. It was inclusive of exiled artists and female creators, notably Elizabeth Catlett and Mariana Yampolsky. The 1942 release 'Muerte al invasor' highlighted its international message. In 1949, the TGP partnered with the Congress for Peace and played a role in the establishment of the UNMM in 1964. Historian Francisco Reyes Palma linked its origins to previous groups, and its impact resonated in Chicano graphic art and the 1970s 'neográfica' movement.
Key facts
- Taller de Gráfica Popular founded in 1937 in Mexico City by Leopoldo Méndez, Luis Arenal, and Pablo O’Higgins.
- Focused on printmaking as a workers' organization, structured around political events like Spanish Civil War and WWII.
- Themes included anti-fascism, support for Republican Spain, and post-revolutionary state programs.
- Welcomed exiled artists and women: Hannes Meyer, Roberto Berdecio, Elizabeth Catlett, Mariana Yampolsky, Fanny Rabel, Rini Templeton.
- Publication 'Muerte al invasor' (1942) exemplified transnational language.
- Supported Congress for Peace (1949) and National Union of Mexican Women (UNMM) in 1964.
- Precursors include Sindicato de Obreros Técnicos (1924) and Siqueiros Experimental Workshop (1936).
- 1954 'Graphic Assembly' organized by Raquel Tibol debated workshop's stagnation; responses from Diego Rivera, Juan O’Gorman, David Alfaro Siqueiros.
- Drew on popular prints by José Guadalupe Posada and Antonio Venegas Arroyo.
- Alfredo Zalce's 'Hoja popular ilustrada' served as instruction manual for portable murals.
Entities
Artists
- Leopoldo Méndez
- Luis Arenal
- Pablo O’Higgins
- Ángel Bracho
- Isidoro Ocampo
- Alfredo Zalce
- Ignacio Aguirre
- Francisco Mora
- Hannes Meyer
- Raúl Anguiano
- Elizabeth Catlett
- Mariana Yampolsky
- Fanny Rabel
- Óscar Frías
- Roberto Berdecio
- Rini Templeton
- Gabriel Fernández Ledesma
- Xavier Guerrero
- Celia Calderón
- Mercedes Quevedo
- Elvira Gazcón
- Adela Gómez
- David Alfaro Siqueiros
- Juan de la Cabada
- Diego Rivera
- Juan O’Gorman
- José Guadalupe Posada
- Jean Charlot
- Antonio Venegas Arroyo
- Manuel Maples Arce
- Norah Borges
- Jorge Luis Borges
- Guillermo Juan
- Eduardo González Lanuza
- Guillermo de Torre
- Adolfo Mexiac
- Francisco Reyes Palma
- Raquel Tibol
- Viviana Gelado
- Enrique Flores
- Ilya Ehrenburg
- Miguel Prieto
- Josep Renau
- Karl Schwesig
- Francisco de Goya
- Honoré Daumier
- Lázaro Cárdenas
- Manuel Ávila Camacho
- Vicente Lombardo Toledano
Institutions
- Taller de Gráfica Popular (TGP)
- Academy of Arts
- Partido Comunista Mexicano (PCM)
- National Union of Mexican Women (UNMM)
- Sindicato de Obreros Técnicos, Pintores, Escultores y Grabadores Revolucionarios de México
- Lucha Intelectual Proletaria (LIP)
- League of Revolutionary Writers and Artists (LEAR)
- Siqueiros Experimental Workshop
- Escuelas de Pintura al Aire Libre y Centros Populares de Pintura
- Estridentismo
- Block of Mural Painters
- Partido Popular
- Afterall Journal
Locations
- Mexico City
- Mexico
- New York
- United States
- Soviet Union
- Spain
- Germany
- Nicaragua
- Latin America
- Cuba
Sources
- Afterall —