Documents of Latin American and Latino Art

This essay by writer and thinker José Carlos Mariátegui formed part of the “Peruanicemos al Perú” section of Mundial magazine. On the basis of developments in literature and art, Mariátegui underscores the nationalist bent of the avant-garde [...]

This essay by Peruvian writer and thinker José Carlos Mariátegui formed part of the “Peruanicemos al Perú” series published by Mundial magazine. Mariátegui asserts that an avant-garde movement has taken hold in the new generations in Peru, [...]

The painters Enrique Estrada and Teresa Morán discuss art in capitalist societies, and mention the need to create art that contributes to society—that is, socialist art. They claim that art produced in capitalist societies is violent and thus [...]

In this lecture, Puerto Rican artist Lorenzo Homar asserts that the ideological content of art is determined by its stance on society since “art for art’s sake” is devoid of ideological content. For Homar, “socialist art” is a question of [...]

In this article, the well-known artist César Rengifo explains that art should be an instrument to help mankind restore the balance that has been shattered by the capitalist system. He discusses the class struggle that has been expressed in art [...]

In this interview, Diego Rivera begins by defining art and explaining its importance to society. In his opinion, “art is better in a society where there are no class divisions.” According to him, “art is able to stimulate very specific [...]

In this article, Manuel Ugarte, who was quite well known in Latin American modernist circles, discusses a speech that Jean Jaurès gave at the Porte Saint-Martin Theater in Paris that was introduced by Anatole France. Ugarte is surprised by the [...]

When Louis E. Rowley interviewed President General Álvaro Obregón, he inquired about a matter of huge concern to North Americans: Bolshevism in Mexico and the imposition of socialism. Obregón, avoiding any reference to the Soviet Union, said that [...]

The Argentine art critic, Raquel Tibol, asked Diego Rivera 14 questions aimed at identifying his different impressions of the Soviet Union [today, in 1956,] as compared to 1927. The questions were focused on new art, the art market, and the disputes [...]

This is an analytical review of the differences between representative art and the “invention” proposed by the Asociación Arte Concreto — Invención [Concrete Art and Invention Association]. The text claims that representative art is not [...]