The Blanco Art Collection

Media: Linoleum Cuts
Themes:Mexicanidad

Francisco Mora

was born May 7, 1922 in Uruapan, Michoacán. He lived in Cuernavaca, Morelos.

From 1936 to 1939, he studied agriculture at La Huerta Agriculture Community College, in Morelia, Michoacán. In 1939 he painted a portrait of the Governor of the State, which enabled him to obtain a scholarship to study art in Morelia’s Art School. Between 1941 and 1944 he studied at The Esmeralda Academy, in Mexico City, while making a living painting houses and held other odd jobs that required his painting talents.

He joined Taller de Grafica Popular in 1941. During 1946 he sketched miners from Pachuca, Hidalgo for the Association of American Artists. That same year he married Elizabeth Catlett.

From 1949 on he was a professor of art in the daytime, and of continuous adult education in the evenings. He made a great number of engravings for the Journal of the Teachers Association, and magazine “El Maestro Mexicano” (The Mexican Professor). He also made a series linoleum engraving about “Los hombres de la Reforma” (The Reformist Men). In 1950 he painted a mural for the building of the daily “Sol de Toluca”.

He was Mexico’s representative to the 1960 Pedagogy World Congress, in Conakry, Guinea and traveled extensible in East and West Europe. In 1964 he had a solo Abstract Art Exhibit in National Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City.

In 1965 he resigned the TGP.

Media: Linoleum Cut meant as a Poster
Themes: The Social and Political Awareness

Jesús Álvarez Amaya

was born in Mexico City on November 19, 1925.

In 1942 he attended the Art School for Workers Number 1. He studied under Ramon Alva de la Canal. In 1948 he had his own personal exhibition. From 1952 on, he has painted several murals.

In 1956 he joined Taller de Grafica Popular. Since 1967 he is its General Coordinator. In 1965 he was a TGP delegate to the Peace Congress in Helsinki.

During the 1968 students’ demonstrations in Mexico City, Álvarez Amaya made a lithography of Che Guevara. It was very well received by the students, who used it as a poster in their protests. He also made a lithography of president Allende, at the time he died. It was later used as an homage to the Memory of Salvador Allende.

At present he lives in Mexico City.

Media: Linoleum Cut
Themes: The Social and Political Awareness

Alberto Beltrán

was born in Mexico City in March 22, 1923. where he lived.

In 1934 he became an apprentice, in his father’s taylor shop. He attended night the commercial graphics school at San Carlos Academy . Later, he took courses at La Academia de Gráfica Libre under the guidance of Carlos Alvarado Lang.

He joined Taller de Gráfica Popular in 1944. His productions of a great amount of flyers were published in workers unions’ publications, journals and booklets for the alphabetization campaigns and missions organized by the Institute of Indigenous People.

From 1948 on he took responsibilities in several positions of leading committees in the the TGP.
In 1953 he became a founding member of the Mexican Fine Arts’ Institute. In 1967 he also became a Founder Member of the Mexican Academy of Arts.

In 1956 he received the National Price from the National Institute for fine Arts (INBA), in Graphics, and two years later he won the first place in Graphics at the First Interamerican Biannual Contest in Mexico. In 1958 as President of TGP, he attended the Peace Congress in Stocolm Sweeden.

He has been editor at several liberal publications such as the “Ahi va el Golpe” (There Goes a Punch), el “Coyote Emplumado” (The feather Coyote). He has also been a member of the editoral council of the Mexican daily “El Dia”.

He also had been director of the art departament at the Universidad Veracruzana, in Jalapa, Veracruz. He has received many awards, and he has participated with his works in large number of Expositions.

He resigned the TGP in 1960.

Ángel Bracho

was born in February 14, 1911 in Mexico City.

He worked as a blue collar worker. and at the same time took night classes at the San Carlos Academy in 1928. from the next year up to 1933, he took art courses on drawing and painting at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.

He was considered a founding member of the Taller de Grafica Popular. There he produced his first lithographies.

In the year of 1948 he also was founding member of the Society for the Enhancement of the Fine Arts. From 1952 to 53, he was its Director and later from 1961 to 63, he was its president.

He was awarded the Gold Medal in 1960 at the Biannual competition in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His production of murals and wood cuts and paintings was very substantial.

Media: Linoleum Cut
Themes: The Social and Political Awareness

Xavier Iñiguez

was born in October 7, 1932 in Vista Hermosa, Michoacan. He died in 1979 in Mexico City.

In 1942 he studied architecture in Mexico city. In 1951 he was awarded a scholarship to study art at the Academy of Art. In 1952 another scholarship was awarded to him to study at the National stamp Press Shop by the Treasury Department.

In 1954 he assisted in a mural at the central electric producing company in Temescal, Oaxaca.

He was member of TGP from 1956 to 1959. During this period he produced a mural in a school in the State of San LuIs, Potosi the state where he was the head director of INBA (NATIONAL INSTITUE Of FINE ARTS).

From 1960 he taught as a professor at the Esmeralda Art school, and at the San carlos Academy of Art, the School of Art at the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico.