Gunther Gerzso: Chronology; Bibliography; Exhibitions; Filmography; and Scenography Amy J
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Chapman University Chapman University Digital Commons Art Faculty Books and Book Chapters Art 2003 Gunther Gerzso: Chronology; Bibliography; Exhibitions; Filmography; and Scenography Amy J. Buono Chapman University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/art_books Part of the Ethnic Studies Commons, Latin American Languages and Societies Commons, Latina/o Studies Commons, and the Painting Commons Recommended Citation Buono, Amy J. “Gunther Gerzso: Chronology; Bibliography; Exhibitions; Filmography and Scenography." In Risking the Abstract: Mexican Modernism and the Art of Gunther Gerzso, edited by Diana C. Du Pont, 296-323. Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 2003. This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Art at Chapman University Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Art Faculty Books and Book Chapters by an authorized administrator of Chapman University Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. RISKING THE' ABSTRACT: MEXICAN MODERNISM A:ND THE ART OF .GUNTHER·· GEi .. ·• SO "{ · 1 DIANA C. DU PONT WITH CO NTRI BU TIONS BY LUIS-MARTIN LOZANO CUAUHTEMOC MEDINA EDUARD O DE LA VEGA ALFARO SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART RISKING THE ABSTRACT: MEXICAN MODERNISM AND THE ART OF GUNTHER GERZSO TH IS CATALOGUE WAS PUBLISHED IN CONJUNCTION WITH TH E EXHIB IT ION RISK ING THE ABSTRACT: MEXICAN MODERNISM AND THE ART OF GUNTHER GERZSO, W HIC H WAS ORGAN IZED BY THE SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART IN COOPERATION W ITH THE CONSEJO NAC IONAL PARA LA CU LTURA Y LAS ARTES, TH ROUGH THE INS TITUTO NACIONA L DE BELLAS ARTES AND THE MUSEO DE AR TE MODERNO, MEXICO . TH E CATA LOGUE AND EXH IBITION WERE MADE POSS IBLE THROUGH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF : CHARL ES A . STORKE THE CHEERYBLE FOUNDATION JON 8. AND LILLIAN LOVELACE Ell AND LEATRI CE LURI A THE GRACE JONES RICHARDSON TRUST LARRY AND ASTRID HAMMETT HOUSTON AND ANNE HARTE SANTA BARBARA BANK & TRUST THE J. PAUL GETTY GRANT PRO GRAM THE CHALLENGE FUND THE CAPITAL GROUP THE SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART WOMEN'S BOARD THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIE S THE SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM Of ART VI SIONARIE S EX HIBITION ITINERARY : SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF AR T. JULY 12- 0CTOBER 19, 2003 . MUSED DE ARTE MODERNO, MEX ICO CITY, NOVEMBER 12. 2003- FEBRUARY 22. 2004 MEXICAN FINE ARTS CENTER MUSEUM. CH,iCAGO, MARC H 19 - JUNE 27. 2004 SANTA BA RBAR A MU SEUM OF ART , 1130 STATE STREE T, SANTA BARBARA. CALIFORN I A 93 101 , AC A DEMI C ADVISORS: DR JEAN FRANCO, LUIS -MARTIN LOZANO, AND DR . EDWARD J SULL IVAN CURATORI AL ASSI STANT: ALISA PETT I DESIGNER : DAN IELA" ROCHA EDITORI AL COORDINATION : LUCINDA GUTI ERREZ EDITOR: DAWN HAL L COPYEDITOR : DEBRA NAGAO ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF ESSAYS BY EDUARDO DE LA V EGA A LFARO, LUIS-MARTIN LOZANO, AND CUAUHHMOC MEDINA ARE BY CARO LI NA CLARK SANDOVAL LAYOUT: ANA DE LA SERNA AND SUSANA GUZMAN DE BLAS . PRINTIN G: A RTES GRAFICAS PALERMO, MADRID, SPAIN BINDING : HERMANOS RAMOS, MADR ID, SPAIN , COPYRIGHT © 2003 BY THE SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART / DIANA C. DU PONT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED NO PA RT OF TH IS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY M EANS, ELEC TRON IC OR MECHAN ICAL, INCLUDING PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING, OR ANY INFOR M ATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYS TEM, WITHOUT WR ITTE N PERMISS ION FROM TH E PUBLISHER PUBLISHED BY THE SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART IN ASSOCIATION W ITH OGE EQU ILIBR ISTA / TURN ER DISTRIBUTED TH ROUG H OAP/DISTRIBUTED ART PUBLISHERS, INC. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATA LOGUING-IN -PUBLI CATION DATA : DU PONT, DIANA C. RISKING THE ABSTRACT· MEXICAN MODERNISM AND THE ART OF GUNTHER GERZSO I DIANA C. DU PONT; WITH CON TRIBUT IONS BY LUIS·MARTIN LOZANO, CUAUHTEMOC MEDINA, AND EDUARDO DE LA VEGA ALFARO CM CATA LOGUE OF A TRAV ELING EXHIB ITION HELD AT SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART AND OTHER VENUES BEGINN ING SUMMER 2003 INCLUDES BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES 1 GERZSO, GUNTHER. 19 15- 2000- EX HIBIT IONS Z. GERZSO. GUNTH ER, 1915- 2000- CRITICISM AND INTERPRETATION . 3 . PAINT ING, ABSTRACT- MEXICO. 4 MODERNISM (ART)- MEXICO I. LOZANO, LUIS-MAR TiN 11 MEDINA, CUAUHT[MOC 111 VEGA ALFARO, EDUARDO DE LA IV GERZSO, GUNTHER, 1915-2000 V SAN TA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART, VI. TITLE N6SS9.G4 7D8 2003 709' .2-Dc2 1 2003042693 . COV ER : GUNTHER GERZSO, lES TEMPS MANGE lA VIE/EL TIEMPO SE COME A LA VIDA (T IME EA TS AWAY LIFE). 196 1, OIL ON MASONITE. 18 x 25 1/4 IN (46 " 64 CM), SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART, MUSEUM PURCHASE WITH FUNDS PROVIDED BY JON B. AND LILLIAN LOVELACE. Ell AND LEATRICE LURIA. THE GRAC E JONES RICHARDSON TRUST. AN ANONYMOUS DONOR, LORD AND LADY RIDLEY- TREE, SBMA M ODERN AND CONTEMPO RARY ART ACQUISITION FUND, THE ALA STORY FUND, AND THE SBMA VISIONARIES, 2002.50 (D ET A IL, PL. 62) GUNTHER GER ZS O IMAGES © GENE CADY GERZSO, ANDREW GERZSO, AND MICHAEL GERZSO REPRODUCTION S OF All WORKS BY GUNTHER GERZSO AS WELL AS PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE GERZSO STUDIO AND FAM ILY ARCHIVES ARE AUTHORIZED BY GENE CADY GERZSO, ANDREW GER ZSO. AND MICHAEL GERZSO . PERM ISSION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND PHOTOGRAP HY CRED ITS FOR THE PLATE S AND TEXT ILLUSTRATIONS ARE FOUND ON PAGE 334 , CLOTH ISBN 8 4-7S06- 544-9 PAP ER ISBN B4 -7S 06- S8S -6 0.L. : M . 29 .880-2003 CHRONOLOGY AMY J. BUONO I / 1915 Gunther Gerzso is born in Mexico City, on June 17, five years after the start of the Mexican Revolution. His father, Oscar Gerzso, ofJewish ori GUNTHER GERZSO'S MOTHER I GUNTHER GERZSO'S FATHER I gin, moved from Budapest, Hungary, to Mexico City DORE WENDLAND GERZSO OSC AR GERZSO in the 1890s, during a period of active emigration from Europe. He became successful as an import export merchant. Gerzso's mother, Dore Wendland, 1922-24 Ludwig, Dore, and the children spend Gerzso later described this house as "a veritable art a singer and pianist from Berlin, immigrated to two years in Europe. Gerzso is seven years old at museum." Mexico in 1906. the start of this first European sojourn. Gerzso attends excellent schools, taught in Gerzso's parents met during one of Oscar By the time Gerzso and his family return to German-Swiss and Italian-Swiss, and is pressed to Gerzso's annual business trips to Europe. On his Mexico, the muralist movement is well underway. behave like an adult. Discouraged from developing return voyage, Oscar was introduced to Dore and The post-Revolutionary Mexican government of friendships with children his own age, he rebels. the two soon married. Of Dore's eight siblings, two Alvaro Obregon initiates and sponsors the paint He cuts classes and plays with the children of sisters become artists and one older brother will be ing of murals in churches, schools, libraries, and laborers working near his uncle's estate, or he slips an art historian and an art collector-dealer; the public buildings. away to the movies. As a last resort, Gerzso's aunt older brother will later play a fundamental role in 1927 Dore ends her marriage with Ludwig, who and uncle hire a German tutor to assist their nephew Gerzso's artistic education. suffers from alcoholism. As a result of his mother in his studies. T his also proves unsatisfactory, so 1916 Oscar Gerzso dies prematurely of a cerebral and stepfather's divorce, Gerzso is sent to southern they eventually send him to a French-Swiss school hemorrhage in Mexico City. Gunther Gerzso is six Switzerland at age twelve ro live with his uncle, Dr. in Lausanne, where, at last, he reports being happy months old. Hans Wendland, and his wife who offer ro direct with friends his own age. 1917 Dore Gerzso marries another German busi Gerzso's education and make him their heir. An In 1929, at the age of fourteen, Gerzso is given nessman, Ludwig Diener, who with his brother extremely influential presence for much ofGerzso's Le Corbusier's book, Vers une architecture (Towards owns a jewelry srore in Mexico City. Located in La life, Dr. Wendland serves as a father figure, men a New Architecture, 1923), as a Christmas present. Perla (The Pearl) building, at the corner of Calle tor, and educator. An art historian, art dealer, and Madero and Motolinfa. Ludwig's store is renowned art collector, he was a pupil of Heinrich Wolffiin, in its day. The family lives above the shop, in an the famous Swiss art historian, and like him be apartment on the fourth floor. Gerzso's half-sister, came a specialist in Northern Renaissance art. Dore Diener, is born. 1927- 31 Gerzso lives with his uncle near Lugano The family soon moves to the fashionable on a large estate with extensive vineyards, a Renais Condesa district of Mexico City where they live in sance monastery, and a monk's cemetery. During the European-sryled Edificio Condesa. Gerzso's this period, Gerzso receives his only formal artistic mother hosts extravagant parties on Sundays for training, living for five years surrounded by out Ludwig Diener's extended family and his business standing works of art ranging from the ancient to associates. Among Ludwig's friends is the photogra the modern periods, with a particular emphasis on pher Guille_rmo Kahlo, the father of Mexican mod Old Master paintings. Dr. Wendland is especially ernist painter Frida Kahlo fond of works by fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Gerzso's nanny, Estefana, an indigenous Northern European artists, including Konrad woman from Texcoco, has a critical impact on his Witz, Martin Schongauer, and Jan and Hubert van upbringing.