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Image Courtesy: Google Doodle
Rufino Tamayo (26 August 1899 – 24 June 1991) emerged as a Mexican painter of Zapotec heritage, hailing from Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. Throughout the mid-20th century, Tamayo left his artistic mark in both Mexico and New York, skillfully blending figurative abstraction with surrealist influences.
In the year 1899, Tamayo was born in Oaxaca, Mexico, to Manuel Arellanes and Florentina Tamayo. His father worked as a shoemaker, while his mother was a talented seamstress. Unfortunately, his mother’s life was cut short by tuberculosis in 1911. An early formative influence on Tamayo’s creative journey was his Zapotec heritage, which played a role in shaping his artistic perspective. Following his mother’s passing, he relocated to Mexico City to reside with his aunt. During this time, he became intimately acquainted with the city’s bustling fruit markets, often working alongside his aunt.
Rufino Tamayo, standing alongside other prominent muralists like Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros, played a pivotal role in representing the 20th century’s artistic narrative within their native Mexico. In the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution, Tamayo dedicated himself to crafting a distinctive artistic identity. He sought to capture the essence of what he perceived as the essence of traditional Mexico, steering clear of the overtly political art championed by contemporaries like José Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, Oswaldo Guayasamín, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. While these muralists held firm to the belief that the revolution was indispensable for Mexico’s future, Tamayo, in contrast, believed that the revolution would lead to detriment.
In his notable painting “Niños Jugando con Fuego” (Children Playing with Fire, 1947), Tamayo depicted two figures being consumed by a fire they had ignited, symbolizing the Mexican people’s self-inflicted harm through their choices and actions. Tamayo eloquently conveyed, “We find ourselves in a perilous situation, where the danger lies in the potential for humanity to be engulfed and destroyed by its own creations.” His political views led some to label him a “traitor” to the prevailing political cause.
Rufino Tamayo’s legacy continues to shine as a testament to his unique artistic vision and the thought-provoking messages woven into his masterpieces. On 26 August 2013, a Google Doodle was created to celebrate Rufino Tamayo’s 114th Birthday.
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