UNDER THE MEXICAN SKY: Gabriel Figueroa—Art and Film

On view March 4, 2015 – June 27, 2015

Educator Resource Guide

Dear Educator,

We are excited to present UNDER THE MEXICAN SKY: Gabriel Figueroa—Art and Film. From the early 1930s through the early 1980s, Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa (1907–1997) helped forge an evocative and enduring image of . Among the most important cinematographers of the so-called Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, Figueroa worked with leading directors from Mexico, the United States and Europe, traversing a wide range of genres while maintaining his distinctive and vivid visual style.

This exhibition features film clips, paintings, photographs, prints, posters, and documents that help us learn about Figueroa’s work. It includes work by other artists and filmmakers from his period. We invite you to join us in exploring his career and discover one of the most influential cinematographers of his time.

We hope you will use the educational materials provided in this guide as a resource to support different areas of study in the classroom and to help prepare your students for a visit. To help you plan your lessons and units, we have included contextual information, extension activities, a glossary, and resources for further study.

We look forward to having you join us for a visit to El Museo del Barrio this season!

The Education Department El Museo del Barrio

Table of Contents

About the Exhibition

About Figueroa

Preparing for your visit to El Museo del Barrio

Extending your visit to El Museo del Barrio: Classroom Activities

Works Cited

About the Exhibition

From the early 1930s through the early 1980s, the Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa (1907–1997) helped forge an evocative and enduring image of Mexico. Among the most important cinematographers of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, Figueroa worked with leading directors from Mexico, the United States and Europe, traversing a wide range of genres while maintaining his distinctive and vivid visual style.

These exhibition features film clips from Figueroa, paintings by Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, Manuel Rodriguez Lozano and José Chavez Morado, photographs, prints, posters and documents, many of which are drawn from Figueroa’s archive, the Televisa Foundation collection, the collections of the Museo de la Estampa and the Museo Nacional in Mexico. In addition, the exhibition includes work by other artists and filmmakers from the period such as Luis Buñuel, , Edward Weston, and Tina Modotti that draw from the vast inventory of distinctly Mexican imagery associated with Figueroa’s cinematography or were heavily influenced by his vision.

Figueroa’s filmography can be understood as a chronicle of the invention of modern Mexico. A journey through worlds both real and imagined, this exhibition is above all a confirmation that there are many Mexicos, and that many of them are but an effect of the seductive power of imagery.

For more information please visit our website at http://www.elmuseo.org/under-the- mexican-sky/

About Figueroa1:

Gabriel Figueroa Mateos (April 24, 1907 – April 27, 1997) was a Mexican cinematographer who worked both in Mexican cinema and Hollywood. He became an emblematic figure in Mexico through his work as a studio portrait photographer, still photographer, lighting artist, camera operator, and cinematographer.

His mother died after giving birth to him. His father, unable to cope with the loss of his wife, left Gabriel and his brother Roberto to be cared for by their aunts. He grew up in a family of liberal writers, sympathizers of different Revolutionary leaders and determined widows. He studied painting at the Academia de San Carlos, and at the age of 16 he became interested in photography thanks to José Guadalupe Velasco. He later befriended other photographers, such as Gilberto Martínez Solares and Raúl Martínez Solares, and these three would then move on to cinematography.

Figueroa made his entry in the movie industry in 1932 as a photographer of stills for the film Revolución by Miguel Contreras Torres. He was later one of the twenty cinematographers hired for the Howard Hawks’ film Viva Villa! After a few jobs, he obtained a scholarship to study in the United States, where he learned from the established director of photography .

Back in Mexico, his first film was 's Allá en el Rancho Grande (1936), which would become one of the most popular films in Mexico and , and gave him his first award at the . His filmography consists of over two hundred films. In them he displays his technical skill, careful handling of composition and lighting, affinity for the aesthetics of other artists, and ability to keep in step with a rapidly changing art form that was at once entertainment and industry. His talent was recognized at the world’s premier film festivals and sought out by directors as distinguished as , Luis Buñuel, and . Some of his most notable films include by Luis Buñuel, The Night of the Iguana by John Huston, The Fugitive by John Ford, and Río Escondido by Emilio “El Indio” Fernández.

1 http://televisafoundation.org/gabriel_en.html

Preparing for Your Visit to El Museo del Barrio

The following preparation is intended to support teachers in integrating the exhibition UNDER THE MEXICAN SKY: Gabriel Figueroa—Art and Film from El Museo del Barrio into their curriculum. Use the discussion questions and activities outlined in the guide before and after your visit to continue the conversation with your students. In the guide you will also find text boxes with some technical information related to cinematography for teachers.

Due to the content of the show and the size of the galleries the exhibition is recommended for grades 4 through College.

Feel free to come with the material you create at school to the museum or send us pictures to [email protected]. We will try to include your work in your visit.

What is a cinematographer?

The cinematographer works closely with the director to compose the images that are captured on film. The cinematographer’s job is to help the director realize what is in his or her head. The cinematographer creates a consistent look for the film and makes images that help tell the story. He or she is in charge of framing the images and lighting the scenes to get the mood right - getting images that push the story along and keeps the audience engaged with the film. Sometimes the cinematographer needs to retouch the images after filming to convey the atmosphere the director wanted. While some cinematographers operate the camera, most of them supervise a team that includes one or more camera operators, who do the actual filming, and camera assistants, who load the film, mount the cameras, and focus the lenses.

Ø Activities for Elementary, Middle and High School Students:

Research Project:

Ask your students to research on the following cinematography concepts and share their findings with the rest of the class. They can create a presentation with visual examples of their discoveries for their classmates. These concepts will help them have a better understanding of Figueroa’s work, the exhibition, and the activities they will do before, during, and after their visit to El Museo del Barrio.

Concepts:

- Framing - Set - Lighting - Shooting - Scene - Retouching

Framing: The placement of the subject in relation to other objects in a picture Lighting: The use of light to create effects Scene: Part of the film’s action in a single location Set: One of the locations of the movie Shooting: The act of filming a movie Retouching: Transforming a photograph into a desired image

Photography Exploration:

Gabriel Figueroa’s relationship with images started early in his life. He was not yet twenty years old when he got his first job as a photographer in a studio. By 1931 Figueroa was participating for the first time in a film project. Hired as a still photographer, his work consisted of using a photo camera to capture certain scenes of the movie in order to promote it during its distribution and screening phase. He was also in charge to record what went on behind the camera during the making of the film itself.

Still Photograph and Camera Angle Exploration:

Separate your students in groups to work as still photographers. Start by asking them to select a story they want to work on, or pick up a story you have been working on together. Then ask them to imagine that they are the still photographers

of a movie based on that story. Together, they will create scenes which clearly express the narrative through images.

Have your students start the process by deciding which scenes of the movie they would like to capture. When they have their selection, they will have to create the scene in order to photograph it. They can use different objects, toys, or themselves to recreate the scene. When the recreation is ready, ask them to take 4 to 5 photographs.

After the first few photographs, encourage students to explore the possibilities of capturing an image from different angles and seeing how the results change. How does the scene change when you shoot from above or below? What about up-close, or far-away? With a camera they can create very different effects by varying the angle — or point of view — of the photograph.

Once they have their photographs, they can share them with the rest of the class. Without revealing the story they chose, encourage the rest of the class to guess what the movie is about. Have the students discuss and reflect together on how their photographs captured their story.They can repeat the activity after the feedback.

What is a camera angle?

It refers to the way a picture is composed, the angle of the camera relative to the subject.

Some of the common camera angles terms are:

Eye-Level: It shows subjects as we would expect to see them in real life.

High Angle: A high angle shows the subject from above.

Low Angle: This shows the subject from below.

Bird's Eye: The scene is shown from directly above.

Ø Middle and High school:

View and Discuss:

Exploration of Landscapes:

Figueroa became known around the world for his exquisite images of Mexican landscapes. To convey his ideas of the ideal Mexico, Figueroa depicted different landscapes from different angles and with different lighting. Look at the landscape of the movie La Perla2. This movie is about Quino, a fisherman who founds a very valuable pearl in the bottom of the sea. Now he and his family are being chased after, so they think that the best solution is to leave the village where they live.

After sharing the plot of the story, ask your students:

- How do you feel when you are looking at this landscape? - Does it remind you of a place you have been to or seen before? - How might that link to the story of La Perla? - What cinematographic resources that are cited in the research activity did Figueroa use to convey those emotions?

2 GABRIEL FIGUEROA. Digital Frame from La perla (Emilio Fernández, 1945). Colecciones Fotográficas Fundación Televisa / Colección Gabriel Figueroa http://televisafoundation.org/gallery/gf/020.jpg

Art Exploration:

The Taller de Gráfica Popular (Popular Graphic Arts Workshop or People's Graphic Workshop) was an artist's print collective founded in Mexico in 1937 by artist Leopoldo Méndez and other collaborators. The group was primarily concerned with using art to communicate revolutionary social causes. The print shop became a base of political activity and attracted many artists as collaborators.

Gabriel Figueroa and Leopoldo Méndez worked together on a dozen films. They were deeply committed to art with significant social content. They were very aware of the fact that cinema had the capacity to reach more extensive and diverse audiences. Figueroa himself explained the collaborative process with Méndez: “We [Figueroa and the director of the movie] presented him [Méndez] with a newly completed film; he interpreted the theme and created eight or ten engravings that we used as background for the credits. It was an entirely new concept.”

Observe the image that Méndez created for Figueroa’s movie Río Escondido (Hidden River). The film directed by Emilio Fernández, tells the story of an idealistic rural school teacher who urges the people of a village to resist a despotic leader who is denying them their rights to schooling and to their supply of water. In the image, the rural schoolteacher walks determinedly through a desolate landscape. Overhead, an angel-like figure and eagle, intertwined with the Mexican flag, direct the little figure to her destination. The eagle and the flag are strong patriotic symbols that represent Mexican revolutionary ideas and reflect Mexican history.

Figueroa used Méndez’s image for the title of the movie. Both were deeply influenced by the goals of the Mexican Revolution, including promoting education of all Mexicans. Tell your students to think of a day that celebrates a historic event (e.g. 4th of July, Independence Day, Thanksgiving). Have them consider: why is this event important in American history? What symbols could show the different elements of the day? Then ask them to create an artwork that uses those elements to

represent the event.

Leopoldo Méndez, Pequeña maestra, ¡qué inmensa es su voluntad! (Little Teacher, How Immense is Thy Will!), 1948 Linocut.

Ø Middle and High school:

After looking at the collaboration between Mendez and Figueroa, ask students to think about the social issues that concern them today. Together discuss why these issues are important, and have the students settle on a visual message they would like to communicate about their chosen issue. What values would they like to share, and how can those be communicated visually? Would they use words? Would they use color, or keep the image black and white? Where would they display their images? After creating the images, have students share and discuss their final products.

Extending Your Visit to El Museo del Barrio: Classroom Activity

During his career Figueroa filmed 235 movies over fifty years. He is one of the most influential cinematographers of Mexico’s Cinema. He worked with leading directors from Mexico, the United States, and Europe.

Ø Middle and High school:

Class discussion and essay

As a cinematographer, one of the most important jobs that Figueroa had to do during a shooting was to compose the scene: he had to decide where to place the camera, how to illuminate the setting, and where to position the characters. Observe the still of Rio Escondido3 and discuss you with your class:

- Where do they think the photograph was taken? - Who do they think this person is? Why? - Why do you think she is represented like that? - Where do they think Figueroa placed the camera to shoot this scene?

After the discussion ask your students to write a short story about the character. What happened before and after the photo was taken?

3 GABRIEL FIGUEROA. Still from Rio Escondido http://cabosfilmfestival.com/wp- content/uploads/2014/10/Maria-en-desierto-Rio-Escondido-1947-1.jpg

Short film creation:

After the Mexican Revolution, a community of artists including Figueroa, conveyed the country’s transformation and helped to form a national identity. Observe again the still image from Enemigos4 and discuss how Figueroa depicted men, women, and idyllic landscapes.

Ask your students to take a series of photographs of a landscape that is important to them. Encourage them to try to capture different aspects of that place by taking the photographs from different angles and stances, at different times of the day or year, with and without people in the photograph. Tell them to select one photograph that best represents their feeling about the place and explain to the class why they chose it.

Have your students create a short film of their neighborhood using their phones. You can encourage them to film various landmarks in their community under different lighting conditions (weather conditions, time of day, etc.) and different people that are important to their neighborhood. After filming, they can use photo apps to try different filters. How is the film different if it is in black and white versus color? Ask them to present two versions of their film, one using a black-and-white filter and the other using color film. Create a class display. For example, how does the lack of color affect the mood and tone of the photographs?

4 GABRIEL FIGUEROA. Still from Enemigos (Chano Urueta, 1933). Archivo Gabriel Figueroa Flores: http://televisafoundation.org/gallery/gf/004.jpg

Further exploration:

The movie was directed by Emilio “el Indio” Fernández. Students can see an 11 minutes clip of several of the movies Fernández and Figueroa did together on this link: https://vimeo.com/album/2589529/video/80582814. The video contain some violence. It is advice that the teacher watches the movie before sharing it with the students.

Credits and Acknowledgements

Text written by Magali Kivatinetz, Education Programs Coordinator (On-Site) with the assistance of Remei Capdevila Werning, Senior Manager of Education and Samantha Schott, Education Programs Coordinator (Off-Site)

Special thanks to Curatorial and Education Department at El Museo del Barrio, and those who have contributed to these materials: Rocío Aranda-Alvarado and Sofia Reeser del Río.