Graciela Iturbide

Happy Birthday Graciela Iturbide!

Wife of architect Manuel Rocha Diaz, Graciela Iturbide was born in 1942, into a large family of 14 children, of which she was the eldest. Although she was introduced to photography when she received her first camera from her father, she finally became a photographer at age 28, following the death of her daughter at age 6. Iturbide studied photography at Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinematograficos and under Manuel Alvarez Bravo at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.

Photography has become a way for Iturbide to understand her culture and the ways of the Mexican people. Her work often captures dichotomies including traditional vs. modern, urban vs. rural, etc. She has been commissioned to document various indigenous groups. Her work also includes self portraits and the influence of Bravo is evident.

Her work is highly thought of and she is considered one of the most important Latin American photographers of the past several decades. Iturbide lives and works in Coyoacan, Mexico.

Angelina Beluff

Happy Birthday Angelina Beluff!

Russian born Angelina Beluff was born on June 23, 1877, into  family of intellectuals. She studied art at St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and then with the encouragement of her professors, went to Paris, to pursue a career in art. She studied with such greats as Henri Matisse. She is best known as the first wife of Diego Rivera, as they were married in 1909. Her career was put on hold for a time so she could help support the efforts of Diego Rivera. He divorced her after only 12 years and returned to Mexico. She later went to Mexico where she became quite well known as an artist of many talents...marionette artist, painter, watercolorist, printmaker...

She was one of a few foreign artists to be enticed by Mexico to help revive art and culture following the Mexican Revolution. She taught at various schools. Her work is included in several public and private collections. The most important accounting of her talents is the collection acquired by the Museo Delores Olmedo, in 1909. Her work marries European and Mexican tradition and the influence of Cezanne is apparent, as well as Matisse and Picasso.

Manuel Rocha Diaz

Happy Birthday Manuel Rocha Diaz!

Manuel Rocha Diaz was born in 1936, in Mexico City. He studied architecture with Augusto H. Alvarez at the Universidad de Autonoma de Mexico. Rocha Diaz spent a few months working in Japan where he influenced architectural design. He married  Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide and fathered 3 children.

Rocha Diaz won a contest and was chosen to design the Bella Vista Golf Club in Mexico City, and his career took off. He became enamored with Postmodern architecture, claiming to be a follower of Luis Barragan and began creating structures that combined traditional Mexican architecture and modern. Some of his most successful work is thought to be the SACM recording studios, SACM cinema , and the Convention Center in Morelia, Mexico. Today I am including the SACM cinema, which was later known as the Cineteca Nacional de Mexico.

Julio Ruelas

Happy Birthday Julio Ruelas!

Born on June 21, 1870, Julio Ruelas only lived 37 years before he died of tuberculosis. He was born in Zacatecas, Mexico. Ruelas first went to military college before attending the Escuelas del Bellas Artes to study. Ruelas traveled to Germany, where he lived and worked for a time before returning to Mexico. He became the primary illustrator for the publication Revista Moderna.

While in Germany he was greatly influenced by Romanticism, thought to be his greatest artistic element. He is also known, however, for his depictions of his tortured self, as I have chosen to include today...

Ruelas died in Paris after  three year battle with tuberculosis.

Isodoro O'Campo

Happy Birthday Isodoro O'Campo!

June 20, 1910, Isodoro O'Campo was born in Veracruz. He spent the 5 years before primary school with his father, who was a lighthouse keeper. Then he attended primary school in Mexico City. He loved drawing and wanted to go to art school, however his father insisted on a career in commerce due to the family|s poverty. O'Campo began night courses in engraving and printmaking at the Academy of  San Carlos  and after just  a short time he was given a teaching assistant position. He dedicated his life to teaching at various schools, which impacted his art output, but he continued in engraving and also studied lithography.

His work was exhibited in several shows He was a founding member of Taller de Grafica and also the Sociedad Mexicana Grabadores. The printmaking of O'Campo dealt in the plight of the working class but he is also known for his depictions of workers at leisure, as the print below displays.

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Ada Colorina

Happy Birthday Ada Colorina!

Born June 19, 1970, Ada Colorina was a "Naive" painter from Puerto Vallarta. She began painting at age nine. Encouraged by her father, artist Daniel Inchaurregui, Ada began painting, giving away and selling her own cards.   She had her first solo show at age 16, with many more to follow. Naive art is child-like and simple in perspective, refreshing and often idealized scenes of everyday life.

Known worldwide for her personalized use of color, it has become termed "colorina".  It is said her work connects us with our inner child and causes us to react with joy.

Ruth Rivera Marin

Happy Bithay Ruth Rivera Marin!

Daughter of famed Diego Rivera, Ruth Rivera Marin was born on June 18, 1927.  She studied architecture at the College of Engineering and Architecture at the National Polytechnic Institute, the first woman to be admitted there. She married Mexican painter Raphael Coronel and they had three children.

Ruth Rivera Marin spent most of her career teaching architectural theory and helping design programs. She was also involved in urban planning after studying in Rome for two years. Marin was a member of several organizations and published several books and publications.

Perhaps her most well known project was the creation of the Anahuacalli Museum (pictured below). Diego Rivera and Juan O' Gorman were her partners in the effort.