Pressing Politics: Revolutionary Graphics from Mexico and Germany" Unveiled at LACMA

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In a captivating exploration of 20th-century political printmaking, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has introduced the exhibition "Pressing Politics: Revolutionary Graphics from Mexico and Germany."

The exhibition, curated by Rachel Kaplan and Erin Sullivan Maynes, sheds light on the parallel narratives emerging from two pivotal moments in political printmaking. It delves into the revival of German Expressionist graphics in the wake of the 1918 revolution and the formation of the Taller de Gráfica Popular (People’s Print Workshop) in Mexico City during the late 1930s. Despite arising from unique social and historical contexts, artists from both nations employed print as a powerful means to convey messages to a broad audience amidst times of upheaval.

"Pressing Politics" illuminates the visual strategies and shared subjects that underscored the graphic expressions of political turmoil. The exhibition showcases how artists, driven by the fervor of their respective revolutions, harnessed the potency of print to communicate forcefully with the masses.

Co-curators Rachel Kaplan, Assistant Curator, Latin American Art, and Erin Sullivan Maynes, Assistant Curator at the Rifkind Center for German Expressionist Studies, have meticulously crafted an exhibition that not only commemorates historical moments but also emphasizes the enduring power of visual storytelling.

"Pressing Politics" is an invitation to explore the converging and diverging paths of revolutionary graphic expression in Mexico and Germany, offering visitors a unique lens into the turbulent epochs that shaped these artistic narratives.