ORBITA CERCANA 1965

Editor: We’re looking at Manuel Felguérez’s “Orbita Cercana” from 1965, made with mixed media and acrylic paint. I am struck by the layering, the way shapes emerge from a sort of chaotic background. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I'm drawn to how the materiality informs the piece. Look at the build-up of the paint, those textures! The artist is playing with the physical properties of the medium itself. It’s less about representing something "out there" and more about the act of making, of transforming materials. How do you see this connection with the production and historical context of the piece? Editor: I see what you mean. The layers seem almost archaeological, like revealing a history through the medium. 1965...Felguérez was part of the break away generation from the more established muralist movement. He was using industrial materials... but how does that connect with society at the time? Curator: Exactly. The break from muralism is key, signaling a shift away from overt, state-sponsored narratives. But the industrial materials also connect to Mexico's evolving industrial landscape in the 60's, an embrace and interrogation of the manufacturing processes. Are we just making the art? or also examining its societal value, commodification, consumption of industrial material? Editor: So, it’s about pushing against traditional art forms while acknowledging Mexico's rapidly changing relationship with manufacturing? Curator: Precisely! And that connects to abstraction, to using art to explore ideas rather than simply depicting them. This piece almost forces you to think about its making, the artist's hand, and the industrial materials used. How does that contrast with the notion of the artist as some divinely inspired creator, completely separated from production concerns? Editor: It sounds like he’s blurring lines: art and craft, representation and materiality. I learned a lot. Curator: Absolutely! It encourages us to reconsider the traditional hierarchies and explore the significance of materials and methods.