Views from Mexico: A 20th Century Panorama

Ruiz-Healy Art presents Views from Mexico: A 20th-Century Panorama, a group exhibition showcasing works by Dr. Atl, Federico Cantú, Pedro Friedeberg, Mathias Goeritz, Julia Lopez, Feliciano Peña, and Francisco Toledo, among others. The exhibition will be on view at our New York City gallery from September 5 to October 31, 2025. Covering nearly a century, the exhibition provides a glimpse into the fluidity and evolution of global artistic movements and how they are interpreted in Mexico. Ranging from realism, abstraction, surrealism, and modernism, the featured artists cultivated and mastered these styles, influencing the cultural landscape of 20th-century Mexico.

Following the 1910-1920 Mexican Revolution, the country experienced a cultural and political revival that motivated artists to experiment with new techniques, subjects, and media. The early Mexican Renaissance aimed to create a distinct national identity, emphasizing pre-Hispanic imagery and the natural landscape. Artists such as Dr. Atl expressed deep respect and admiration for nature, often depicting the silent strength of volcanoes. His work, Popocatépetl…amada, offers a modern interpretation of traditional landscapes, using graphite and charcoal to modify lines and shapes. For artist Feliciano Peña, returning to a more classical, academic style allowed him to capture a realistic likeness of the Mexican landscape, as seen in his oil painting, Arboleda y Montañas.

Abstraction became more prominent as a younger generation of artists moved away from the dominant Mexican muralism movement, reflecting the country’s industrial and modern development. A leading forerunner of the ruptura, or break from the muralism school, Mathias Goeritz approached art and architecture with an avant-garde perspective, using bright colors, geometric shapes, and subtle symbolism. The exhibition includes two of his collages from the Hospital ABC Trilogía Clínica series, where Goeritz draws on his own experience of having surgery in a Mexico City hospital, illustrating the liminal moments of his stay. Much like Goeritz’s geometric style, artist Azteca de Gyvés abstracts culturally significant objects through painting and mixed media, connecting Mexican Indigenous culture with the Western art canon. Her painting, Huipil Negro, alters a Huipil, a traditional garment deeply rooted in indigenous cultures in Mexico, drawing from her Zapotec heritage to transform it into a universal language, creating a dialogue between past and present.

The state of Oaxaca is home to a community of artists inspired by its unique environment and regional mythology; their work transforms everyday life and culture, creating remarkable scenes. Dreamlike, absurdist stories are part of the regional aesthetic, revealing ideas that linger in the subconscious. For Juchitán native Francisco Toledo, the myths and legends of the indigenous community form the foundation of his artwork. Toledo’s art became a symbol of Oaxacan culture during his more than 65-year career, developing a visual language that honors indigenous traditions, native animals, and mysticism. Like Toledo, artist Felipe Morales explored Zapotec culture through playful scenes, emphasizing the strong connection to land and community through both Spanish and indigenous languages, as well as the animal kingdom.

Views from Mexico: A 20th-Century Panorama highlights the attitudes and perspectives of some of the country’s most transformative years. Celebrating the masters and pioneers of artistic movements, the exhibit offers an engaging journey through the artistic, political, and cultural landscapes that shaped modern Mexico. This panoramic view not only honors the creative voices of the 20th century but also deepens our understanding of Mexico’s lasting impact on the global art scene.