77 Voices of /January • March, 1993

Arnold " Belkin: , a neohumanist

rnold Belkin was born in on December Painter, engraver, costume and 9, 1930. He later studied painting at The School of Art. He carne to Mexico at set designen and muralist, Belkin Athe age of 18, attracted by its and became a naturalized Mexican citizen in 1958. "I am Mexican by was a non-conformist, rebel choice, not by accident. It is here that I want to do my artist, the theorist behind his painting." (El Gallo ilustrado, February 6, 1966). He died of cancer at the age of 61 on July 2, last year. own artistic proposals who Robot-men, cybernetic heads, slashed figures showing their internal organs and the inside structure of the human created series, paraphrases and body, were resources he used to emphasize man's nature epic paintings and was an and martyr status, as well as creating the illusion of movement and constantly evolving dynamism. advocate of portable murals. Belkin thought that true artists should not remain vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv silent, painting and sculpting to amuse the buyer while they were aware of what was going on in the world. In his book, responded, "We are not a group. Some of us reject the Against amnesia. Texts: 1960-1985, he comments, term `insiders'". "Complacency is terrifying. Art should have content and In spite of his dislike of labels, he preferred the term show concern for man's destiny. Given the total `neohumanist' to `insider', although both imply art with a annihilation facing the world, how can one possibly commitment to man, that seeks images of truth and the produce art that is simply decorative and cowardly?" possibility of communicating at a broader level, without In August 1961, he and the painter, , compromising the integrity of ares message. produced the manifesto, "New Presence," which highlights Belkin defined neohumanism in art as the defense his rejection of "good taste" in art, academicism, of human existence against the danger of man's intellectual criticism and myths. Together they published dehumanization through machines and an inhuman form five issues of a poster magazine of the same name. of social organization invented by man and to which he is He, photographer Nacho López, and painters Francisco chained. Corzas, and José Luis Cuevas took part in "It is not a simple denunciation of everyday crimes; it an art exhibition called "The insiders" ', organized in July is a grand denunciation of crimes that man commits against 1961. The exhibition highlighted similarities between the himself, by means of artistic language that can transcend work of there artists who had had no previous contact: the time. We have to represent a new man, since we are in a choice of dramatic subjects, the predominance of black and stage of transition and want to address present and future the limited use of color; for a long time, Belkin based his generations, not those that have already died." paintings on ochre tones. In 1975, in Excelsior's cultural "Diorama," he Since the publication of New Presence coincided with explained the motives that led him to live in New York, the exhibition, all the participating artists were regarded "Living in the heart of the monster made me much more as a group who agreed with the manifesto. Belkin' s politically aware. The world's largest city is a microcosm... I went there at a time when artists, intellectuals, and people from the neighborhoods were 1 As they were called by the American critic, Selden Rodman. 78 works ofthepast). Neoclassicists, Romantics,Constructivists, Futurists, a seriesofpictures andconstructionsthathave asimilar a theme)andparaphrase(the transfiguration offamous characterized mainlybythecreation ofseries(variationson Cubists andExpressionistsbefore findinghisownstyle, IIE for fineartistsinrecentyears." key featuresinhisvisualmetaphors."Photographyhas photographic projections.Camerasandprojectorswere 1 UNAM. information andhasbeenanincreasinglyimportanttool always beenawonderfulsourceofimagesand artist. Hewasamasteroftheairbrushandsketchesusing preside hisfuneralhomageattheMuseumofModemArt. paintings oftheFrenchrevolutionary,Marat,waschosento whom hewasagreatadmirer.However,oneofhissixteen Felipe Angeles,RubénJaramilloandLucioCabañas,of ,FranciscoVilla,theSerdánbrothers, revolutionary leaderssuchasSimónBolívar,CheGuevara, rights anddiscriminationagainstwomen." Vietnam, theGreekcoup,restrictionofBlacks'civil taking paninpoliticalmovements,protestsagainst In Belkin'sview, theprogressionofanimage through Belkin studiedSiqueiros'theories,andreviewed Belkin rejectedacademicism,buthewasadisciplined He dedicatedmostofhisworktoLatinAmerican IIE /UNAM. Four ofthe16paintingsin"Marat"series,1971. V oiceSof Mexico /Januar) , • March,1993 V oiCesofMexico New Hampshire,1974. The 1970KentStateUniversitykilling,5.50x2.44m.muralin /January • March,1993 basic forro,butvaryincolorandintensityfrompaintingto journalists andsoldiers,withtheRembrandtpainting,"Dr. that cannotbeachievedwithindividualpaintingsoraset painting, createsinternalvarietyanddimensionalrichness particularly outstanding."Thelovers,"inspiredby"Poems

of loveandindifference,"byMarioBenedetti,wasan of differentimages. / UNAM. a seriesofphotographsthatBelkinusedtoprojectontothe in theselectionofhispoemsandRafaelDonmizprovided interdisciplinary workinwhichBenedettihimselftookpart IIE press photoofthedeadCheGuevara,surroundedby canvas. photo hadbeenpaintedbyRembrandt, oneofRembrandt's produce threepaintings:oneofChe'sdeath,asifthepress position inRembrandt'spaintingandChe'sphotographto Tulp's annualanatomylesson." painting asifitwereapressphoto andoneofChe'sdeath as ifitwereaRembrandtpainting. On thesubjectofrnuralism According toBelkin, thereisthesamedifference between a paintingand a muralasthereisbetween private The "Marat","Zapata"and"Thelovers"seriesare The paraphrase,"Theannualanatomylesson"linksa Belkin tookadvantageofthesimilaritycorpse's 79

Voices of Mexico /January • March, 1993

being the `owners' of a that attracted the public and aroused its sympathy rather than repulsion or fear." However, Belkin was aware that the theme of this type of mural might not be topical for very long and that such works would have a very short life span, either because the paintings did not last more than fifteen years or because the

buildings on which they were painted might be demolished. Arnold Belkin was a great defender of portable, mobile UNAM.

/ murals, "This is a genre or sub-genre of mural art that has

IIE been extensively employed by muralists (one of the finest / examples being Picasso's "Guernica") but scarcely written Cruz about by critics and theoreticians of the fine arts. des r "Mobile murals have very special features. Like Lou paintings, they bear no relation to architectural space, but Inventing the future, detall of the mural, 1990. because of their size, they are regarded as public art and conversation and a speech, since the latter is public and their internal organization is faithful to the concept of a therefore has to be more precise, elaborate and weighty. mural. The artist chooses a large format to handle an epic He painted his first professional mural, "We are all topic, because the smaller, more intimate size of a studio guilty," in 1960 commissioned by the Federal District's painting does not lend itself to this concept." General Prosecutor's Office, having undertaken an Another of Belkin's concems was to fight for the creation extensive study of criminal psychology, with Dostoyevsky of an archive of . Paradoxically, the largest as one of his main sources, before carrying out the painting. archive of this type is to be found in Uppsala, Sweden. When the mural was unveiled in the Santa Marta He frequently remarked that bibliographical and visual Acatitla Penitentiary, one of the prisoners remarked, "For material, studies, notes, sketches, preliminary sketches,

NAM. UNAM. / / U IIE IIE The annual anatomy lesson, in its three versions, 1972-74.

those of us who have temporarily been deprived of one of tracings, photos, slides and videotapes, provide valuable life's most precious gifts, our freedom, Arnold Belkin's documentation to a mural's progress, recording changes in mural represents the hope that society and justice may ideas and variations in the development of a topic, rectify the errors that destroy many valuable lives. particularly for art students. Belkin thought that a new form of muralism could only In 1977, Belkin proposed the creation of the Museum be executed by a new generation with the wish and ability of Contemporary Mexican Art, so that 20th century to work in groups, as did the US urban muralists between Mexican art could be permanently displayed. 1967 and 1971. Arnold Belkin was not content to be simply an "The methods used to paint murals, their popular accomplished artist and, although criticized for doing so by content, and references to social problems and local politics an art critic, he never hesitated to write about his ideas on make this a truly democratic forro of art for the people." aesthetics and his concems as a human being, or share his In the 70s, Belkin painted a mural in the Hell's Kitchen knowledge, since he was a tireless campaigner against district of New York, taking into account the community's amnesia opinions and suggestions. "The district changed. Crime and aggression levels went down. Why? Because lots of new Marybel Toro Gayol people carne to see the mural. Residents were proud of Managing Editor.