Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Mexican Surrealism in The Colour of My Dreams: The Surrealist Revolution in Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery

Leonora Carrington - The House Opposite - Source centroinvestigaciones.blogspot.com
The Colour of My Dreams is the largest surrealist art exhibition ever presented in Canada and includes pieces from Mexican artists like Diego Rivera, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, British-Mexican Leonora Carrington as well as Austrian-Mexican Wolfang Paalen.

Some of the surrealists works in the exhibition are part of Sir Edward James trust, a supporter of the surrealist Art movement who built an incredible surrealist garden in the jungle of  Xilitla in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. 

Surrealist Gardens of Sir Edward James in Xilitla, San Luis Potosi, Mexico


The Secret Life of Edward James a great George Melly's documentary film from 1975 uploaded in YouTube by pangolinblues user. It was filmed in Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico City and Essex, England

Mexican Phographer Manuel Alvarez Bravo is considered the main representative of Latin American photography. His work was recognized by Andre Breton, the father of the Surrealist Movement, who asked him to photograph  a cover for a Surrealists Catalogue. That photograph is "La Buena Fama Durmiendo" (The Good Reputation Sleeping) which never made it to the cover because of the full-frontal nudity.
Manuel Álvares Bravo - Los Agachados 

Austrian-Mexican Wolfang Paalen, who following an invitation by Frida Kahlo, settled in Mexico in 1939. He with André Breton and Cesar Moro curated the first surrealist exhibition in Mexico in the Galeria de Arte Mexicano.
Wolfgang Paalen - Taches Solaires

During a visit to Mexico Andre Breton met Diego Rivera and Russian revolutionary Leon Trosky who at the time was exiled in Mexico and  living in the house of Frida Khalo and Diego Rivera. Andre Breton and Leon Trotsky wrote "Towards a Free Revolutionary Art Manifesto" in Mexico where Diego Rivera was a co-signatory.
Diego Rivera, Léon Trotsky and André Breton in Mexico
Diego Rivera, The Communicating Vessels (Homage to André Breton),


The Surreelists - An Inspired Film Series

The Surreelists movies is a complement to the Vancouver Art Gallery's exhibition and includes several Mexican Films.
The films are shown at The Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour Street. For more information about the movies and when are they shown click on the name of the movies below:

- Santa Sangre (Mexico,1989) Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky
- El Topo (Mexico,1970) Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky
- Viridiana (Spain/Mexico, 1961) Directed by Luis Buñuel
- The Exterminating Angel (Mexico, 1962) Directed by Luis Buñuel


More info:
May 28 Through October 2, 2011
750 Hornby Street, Vancouver
BC V6Z 2H7
Info Line: 604.662.4719
Administration: 604.662.4700 

Gallery Hours 
Daily 10 am to 5 pm
Tuesdays until 9 pm

VIFF Vancity Theatre 
Vancouver International Film Centre
1181 Seymour St

Vancouver, BC
CANADA V6B 3M


Sources: 





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