Art Slice - A Palatable Serving of Art History

VIDEO VERSION HERE: https://youtu.be/MHJ5KNFtfqU

Listeners, today we are FINALLY diving into Leonora Carrington’s epic mural “The Magical World of the Maya” or “El mundo mágico de los mayas” made with casein, tempera on panel 1963-64. 

Picking up from Part 1, we rejoin LC after several visits to Chiapas to observe and learn from the Tzoztil, Teztil and Lacandon in Chiapas, reading and studying the Popol Vuh, she begins incorporating her own experience.

Among the places she visited in Chiapas that appear in the mural are the cemetery in Romerillo, with its giant, majestic blue-green crosses; the syncretistic church of San Juan Chamula, and the former monastery of Santo Domingo in San Cristobal de las Casas.

We get deep into how our Hyena Queen was so expertly able to weave together all of these influences using her unique painting technique made of those iconic tiny brushmarks and washy layers to depict all of these Mayan gods and mythical creatures.

We also discuss important events that occurred during and soon after the completion of the mural including the sudden death of Remedios Varo and Jose Horna, the beginning of Mexico’s Dirty War inspiring LC’s political works “Leptidoptera” (1968), “Operation Wednesday” (1969) and the poster for the women’s feminist movement in Mexico, “Mujeres Conciencia” (1972).

Topics include: Turtle-Earthers, so much corn (not KoЯn), Carl(os) Sagán, Chac’s tamales, kiterangs, animorphing goddesses, sacred hummingbirds, jungle love stew, Mayan crosses, Xibalba orgies, and so much more!

FEATURED MUSIC:

Chris Zabriskie - 'Everybody's Got Problems That Aren't Mine' from the album 'Thoughtless'

https://chriszabriskie.bandcamp.com/album/thoughtless

MUSIC:

glaciære - 'Shimmering Dust'

Monplaisir - 'Staring at the void between me and the wall'

2003 Toyota Corolla - '2011 Toyota Corolla'

Chris Zabriskie - 'Rewound'

2003 Toyota Corolla - '2002 Toyota Corolla'

CREDITS:

Writing and Research by Stephanie Duenas and Russell Shoemaker

Editing, Production and Sound Design by Russell Shoemaker

Theme by Russell Shoemaker and Betta Music Pro

Ending Theme by Russell Shoemaker and Underwood Beats

✅ 

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WEEE’’’RREEE BAAACCCKKKK!!!!

VIDEO VERSION HERE: https://youtu.be/4Rx_f27XNlg

Today we are revisiting our fav Hyena Queen LEONORA CARRINGTON: this time covering her epic mural “The Magical World of the Maya” or “El mundo mágico de los mayas” from casein, tempera on panel 1963-64. 

This 14ft x 7ft beaut of a work features a slice of Mayan life including the sky, earth and underworld all filled with mysterious scenes, cosmological events, and mythical creatures - brought to us through Leonora’s lens using those tiny brushmarks and washy layers.

 

We first covered her work, the small 1945 painting “The House Opposite” in our Las Tres Witches episodes featuring her witchy besties Surrealist artists Remedios Varo and Kati Horna and we left off as she settled into her new home in Mexico City.

Through Kati Horna, LC would meet and fall in love with and marries also newly immigrated Hungarian photographer and concentration camp survivor, Emerico “Chiki” Weisz. She captures this new era in her 1944 painting “Chiki Your Country”, an autobiographical, fantastical and wonderfully weird landscape - a work that foreshadows her approach to the Mayan mural. 

Fast forward 20 yearish later: it’s 1963, Surrealism has faded and LC is part of a new generation of artists called the Breakaway Generation (Generación de la Ruptura) for breaking away from Muralism. And she landed a commission to paint “The Magical World of the Maya” for the grand opening of the National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepec Park.

To prepare, LC found herself embarking on a wild ride (literally and figuratively) to meet with the Maya of Chiapas including the Tzoztil, Teztil and Lacandon. 

Her guide to Chiapas would be the badass Swiss, machete-wielding, combat boot-wearing land activist and indigenous advocate Gertrude “Trudi” Blom. 

Along with getting to experience the unique wildlife and landscapes Chiapas had to offer, Trudy introduced LC to curanderos (shamans) and was able to observe secret rituals that most don’t, especially foreigners. 

Back in her home in Colonia Roma in Mexico City, she took her research studying the Kʼicheʼ (Quicheʼ) Maya Popoh Vu and combined it with her experience with the Chiapas Maya, and some Northern Renaissance inspiration like Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Hieronymus Bosch, resulting in this stunning timeless mural.

“The Magical World of the Maya” has been on our minds since those Las Tres Witches days and in 2024, we decided to finally see it for ourselves in Mexico City! Words cannot describe what it was like to experience it in person but hopefully this episode might be a close second!

So, join us as we explore how this mural came to be! 

Topics include: Was Waldo in Bosch’s ear? Guardian Chihuahuas in Roma, Henry Kissinger goes woke, early 2000s Hot Topic tees, and so much more!

FEATURED MUSIC: 

glaciære - "3,5km long distance (feat. Hysteric Pixie Nightmare Girl)" 

https://glaciaere.bandcamp.com/album/overflow

OTHER TRACKS:

glaciære - "shimmering dust" https://glaciaere.bandcamp.com/album/overflow

 @Holizna - "yesterday" https://holiznacc0.bandcamp.com/album/lofi-and-chill

CREDITS:

Writing and Research by Stephanie Duenas and Russell Shoemaker

Editing, Production and Sound Design by Russell Shoemaker

Theme by Russell Shoemaker and Betta Music Pro

Ending Theme by Russell Shoemaker and Underwood Beats

✅ 

Sign up for our algorithm free newsletter ➫ 

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Support the show! ➫ https://Patreon.com/artslicepod

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This week we are zooming out . . . wayyy out . . . further . . .further . . .Okay now zoom innnn. . . . to a world without borders through the eyes of artist, illustrator, set-designer, archeologist, and art historian Miguel Covarrubias. And to help us out on this journey, the amazing Veka Duncan @vekaduncan has joined us. 

WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION HERE: https://youtu.be/BOJ13HZA3Bs

Sign up for our algorithm free newsletter: https://substack.com/@artslicepod

Miguel aka El Chamaco, is the other half of that Mexican artist power couple, not named Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera, from our last episode with Rosa Rolanda: https://youtu.be/w-CVdxpnwBc 

Some may know him from his Harlem Renaissance series, his Broadway set designs, his groundbreaking book on Bali, or even his covers for Vanity Fair and/or The New Yorker.

You Texans may know his monumental 1954 glass mosaic mural, "Genesis, the Gift of Life," outside of the Dallas Museum of Art where Miguel reinterprets the story of genesis through a Mesoamerican and Native-American symbols and mythologies.

Miguel’s work touched on so many subjects; traveling to so many continents, really observing and getting to know the people, their culture and surrounding environments. 

His groundbreaking archaeological research was revered, his caricatured cultural icons duked it out in his “Impossible Interviews” series, he painted massive murals that highlight all of the people, flora, and fauna that make up our home planet, always blending humor, science, and a real love for everything that makes us human.  

Like Rosa Rolanda’s work, it’s unbelievable that his work still feels so contemporary despite being made almost a century ago. 

Topics Include: Tomax and Xamot at Costco, Anthony Bourdain blowing up the 90s glam culinary scene, Cracking your teacher’s skull, Palacio de Cultura Banamex, Harlem Renaissance, Impossible interviews, Animal bucket lists, Empanadas with tentacles

Support us on Patreon! - Patreon.com/artslicepod

MUSIC INCLUDES:

“Keep up the momentum, friend” by Chris Zabriske - https://chriszabriskie.bandcamp.com/album/i-made-this-while-you-were-asleep

“2013 Toyota Corolla” by 2003 Toyota Corolla - https://hanahata.bandcamp.com/album/2013-toyota-corolla  

“You’re Magic” by Soft and Furious - https://chezmonplaisir.bandcamp.com/album/bae 

CREDITS:

Writing and Research by Stephanie Duenas and Russell Shoemaker

Editing, Production and Sound Design by Russell Shoemaker

Logo Design by Russell Shoemaker

Theme by Russell Shoemaker and Betta Music Pro

Ending Theme by Russell Shoemaker and Underwood Beats

Social Media by Stephanie Duenas and Russell Shoemaker

Newsletter by Stephanie Duenas

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We are back, we are wide-eyed, almost Bratz Dolls eyed (!) and South of the Border 🇲🇽 

This time diving into the work of Rosa Rolanda, who metamorphosis-ized 🦋 from a famous Broadway dancer into a Surrealist late in life. 

Full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-CVdxpnwBc

Along the way she crossed paths with figures like Man Ray. It's likely she even learned the photogram process from him, which she then made uniquely her own. Her photograms feel like intimate journal doodles crossed with the raw energy of punk zines from the early '90s.

She also met her soon-to-be partner and collaborator, the Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias—also known as 'El Chamaco.' 

Together, they became Mexico's first artistic power couple, predating even Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Their groundbreaking work, the book "Island of Bali," was the first comprehensive account of Balinese culture for the Western world, detailing its art, music, dance, and rituals.

But it's her paintings that have this incredible, haunting feeling of anemoia—a nostalgia for a time you've never known. This gives them a distinct '90s or early 2000s vibe. On the surface, they seem simple and illustrative, but on a second, third, or even fourth look, you start to peel back all these incredible visual and narrative layers."

Topics include:

Bratz Dolls and Crazy Town

Frida Kahlo and Arte Popular at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston

the Museo de Arte Moderno

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Smart and Final yellow

Marion Morgan’s Morgan Dancers

Man Ray’s photograms or Rayograms 

Rat Fink for some reason

Mexico City’s first artist power couple 

Tina Modotti, Nickolas Muray, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera

Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Girls 

Miguel Covarribus and Rosa Rolanda’s Island of Bali book from 1937 

Las Mañanitas scene from “El Rapto” starring Maria Felix

The 60th Venice Biennale “Foreigners Everywhere”

LACMA’s 2012 exhibition “In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States”

And what Visual Art can learn from performative art like dance

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Support the show!

Patreon ➫ 

http://patreon.com/artslicepod 

Merch ➫ 

https://artslicepod-shop.fourthwall.com/collections/all 

More Merch ➫ 

https://www.artslicepod.com/ 

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The featured song was “Cascades” from Kris Keogh’s new album Processed Harp Works, Volume 3 on the Japanese imprint - Muzan Editions.

https://muzaneditions.bandcamp.com/album/processed-harp-works-volume-3  

The album is amazing - It’s like drifting off in a meditative trance, being brought back to awareness, before drifting again. If you like artists like The Caretaker - you really need to spend time with these albums. 

Other tracks featured:

Elvenheim - “At Night” https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Shamil_Elvenheim/momentum

Holizna - “First Snow” https://holiznacc0.bandcamp.com/album/winter-lo-fi-2 

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CREDITS:

Writing and Research by Stephanie Duenas and Russell Shoemaker

Editing, Production and Sound Design by Russell Shoemaker

Logo Design by Russell Shoemaker

Theme by Russell Shoemaker and Betta Music Pro

Ending Theme by Russell Shoemaker and Underwood Beats

Social Media by Stephanie Duenas and Russell Shoemaker

Newsletter by Stephanie Duenas

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

LISTENERS we’re back with maybe a little glimmer of hope?

“Impossible” you say! Eye Rolls you do!

But after our conversation with Jennifer Dasal of the ArtCurious podcast, we had to ask ourselves, could a historical sanctuary for artists offer a vision for today's creators? 

You can WATCH this episode here: https://youtu.be/H42eI7V1eek

In her new book, The Club: Where American Women Artists Found Refuge in Belle Époque Paris," Dasal uncovers the story of The American Girls Club of Paris. This remarkable institution provided hundreds of expatriate American women artists with housing, tea gardens, libraries, and—most importantly—dedicated studio and exhibition space.

Far from home and full of ambition, artists like Florence Lundberg, Anne Goldthwaite, Alice Morgan Wright, and Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller found refuge and community in this unique "u-topia" (or as we like to call it, a "YOU-topia").

Building Your Modern Creative Community

With resources for artists often scarce, the story of The Club is more vital than ever. It reminds us of the importance of nurturing our creative practices and finding ways to support each other.

Whether it's a physical space or a dedicated online community, we must be generous with our time and energy to foster collective creativity. This episode explores how to carve out these personal utopias, drawing parallels to diverse examples like Mexican chinampas (floating gardens), Kristin Ghodsee’s "Everyday Utopia," and… the…. 00s UK rap group The Streets.

Sign up for our algorithm free newsletter ➫ 

https://www.artslicepod.com/

Support the show!

https://Patreon.com/artslicepod

Merch ➫ 

https://artslicepod-shop.fourthwall.c...

More Merch ➫ 

https://www.artslicepod.com/

CREDITS:

Writing and Research by Stephanie Dueñas and Russell Shoemaker

Editing, Production and Sound Design by Russell Shoemaker

Logo Design by Russell Shoemaker

Theme by Russell Shoemaker and Betta Music Pro

Ending Theme by Russell Shoemaker and Underwood Beats

Social Media by Stephanie Dueñas and Russell Shoemaker

Newsletter by Stephanie Dueñas

MUSIC INCLUDES:

“Soul for Sale” by StevenAndolf

“Lighter than Air” by HoliznaCC0

“Limbo” by HoliznaCC0

“Yesterday” by HoliznaCC0

“Hard bay light” by The Library

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy