An exhibition of art by Abraham Ángel, a 1920s Mexican modernist, is on display at the Dallas Museum of Art in what the museum is calling the first major survey of his work in more than 35 years and the first dedicated showing of his paintings in the U.S.
“Abraham Ángel: Between Wonder and Seduction” spotlights the changing society and culture of Mexico City post-Mexican Revolution, the museum says. Ángel’s paintings express mexicanidad, or “Mexicanness,” and explore personal identity through the natural environment, indigenous culture and urban life.
“Living in a society that was not ready for him, Ángel suffered harassment and discrimination during his lifetime, but his art embodies joy and vivacity while tracing Mexico’s transformation from rural to modernized,” said Agustín Arteaga, the DMA’s director, in a statement.
Ángel, who lived from 1905 to 1924, created 24 paintings during his three-year career. He was, the museum says, among a generation of young artists who explored the Best Maugard method, which influenced his early works. This drawing method was developed by Mexican painter Adolfo Best Maugard and is based on a combination of basic design elements. Ángel continued to immerse himself in the cultural scene of Mexico City until his death at 19.
“Despite the shortness of his career, Ángel had an immense impact on Mexico City’s artistic scene in the early 1920s. Tapping into the capital’s emerging queer subculture, Ángel’s work asserted his own identity and in doing so carved out space for future queer artists in Mexico,” said Mark A. Castro, the DMA’s former curator of Latin American Art and curator of this show.
Ángel’s paintings are displayed alongside works by his contemporaries, including Best Maugard and Manuel Rodríguez Lozano, who helped shape his art.
The exhibition is accompanied by the first English-language publication on the artist. After being shown at the DMA, it’ll head to the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City.
Details: Through Jan. 28 at Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 N. Harwood St., Dallas. $10, dma.org.
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