Real Mexico: Artist Maria Izquierdo
Tara A. Spears
This time of political upheaval, diminishing women’s rights and increased stress due to global uncertainties is reminiscent of the 1940s. Many people choose to escape to Mexico in hopes of finding a simpler, happier lifestyle. One artist, Maria Izquierdo, is renowned for choosing the ordinary elements and traditions of Mexican life for her subject matter. Izquierdo’s art stands out for its ingenious portrayals of Mexico among an era of highly politicized art.
It’s sad that the struggles of a woman in the early twentieth century are still being experienced in the early 21st century. Maria wanted to dedicate her life to creating art but in order to pursue education and a career, Maria had to abandon (divorce) her husband. Izquierdo’s art gained international recognition in 1930 when she became the first Mexican woman to have a solo exhibition in the United States. She opened doors for subsequent women artists by being the first Mexican female artist to be selected for public commissions.
As Izquierdo matured as an artist, she identified with the Contemporáneos movement, which believed that Mexican culture should be rightfully seen as a vital contributor to the dominant Western culture. She wasn’t afraid to go against popular Mexican art movements and follow her own style of painting. Her culture as a mestiza was an essential part of her artistic style and themes used in her work. Izquierdo was celebrated as an artist with a genuine understanding of native and rural traditions, and her altar paintings were recognized at the time for “their delightful indigenous ingenuousness.” Her naive painterly technique, intended to recall the folk painting of regional artisans, heightened the effect.