To celebrate the influence of Latin America in the creation of modernism, the San Diego Museum of Art is holding an exhibition for Latin American masters this fall, from October 21st, 2017 - March 11, 2018.  The exhibition will showcase almost 100 works of art from Latin masters including Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Rufino Tamayo, spanning from the early 1800’s to the turn of the millenium. 

There will be more than 75 artists. Other notable artists include: Jose Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Alfredo Lam, Fernando Botero, Jose Maria Velasco, Pedro Figari, Joaquín Torres-García, Kazuya Sakai, Alfredo Ramos Martinez, Jesús Rafael Soto, and Gunther Gerzso. The show will represent artists from over a dozen countries including: Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela

Juan Antonio Pérez Simón

The show is called Modern Masters from Latin America: The Pérez Simón Collection and features work entirely from the private collection of Spanish born, Mexican based businessman and avid art collector, Juan Antonio Pérez Simón.

Juan Antonio Pérez Simón made his fortune through telecommunications and is the Vice President of Telmex, Chairman of Sanborns Hermanos, and founder of the foundation, Fundación JAPS, which has loaned works of art to museums across the world. 

Mr. Pérez fell in love with art as a child and began collecting in the 1970’s. He now owns approximately 1,500 works of art, including paintings, sculptures and artifacts. Pérez views his collection as a reflection of his personality and claims to have never sold a painting.

3 Major Themes

The show is comprised of 3 sections: Landscape and Identity, The Avant-Garde Explosion, and Breaking Boundaries: Post 1960s Diversity & Dystopia.

The first theme, Landscape and Identity explores the development of a Latin style of art, how landscape painting shaped the identity of Latin American people, and how the colonial history of Latin America impacted its art. 

The second theme, The Avant-Guarde Explosion explores the major Latin surrealists, abstract, and avant-garde artists who were influenced by a larger movement outside of Latin America and how they in turn helped shape this movement. 

The third theme, Post 1960s Diversity & Dystopia examines modern and contemporary art, post 1960 that depicts indigenous peoples, customs, and cultures as well as the role modernity and the industrial revolution has played in shaping modern and contemporary Latin American art. 

Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA

The show is part of the current project, Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, spanning more than 70 cultural institutions, galleries, and museums across Southern California: from Santa Barbara to Palm Springs, to San Diego, and of course, Los Angeles. The mission of the project is to showcase Latin and Chicano artwork across the region and to explore the cultural exchange between California and Latin American. LA/LA began in September of 2017 and ends in January 2018.

To learn more about Modern Masters from Latin America: The Pérez Simón Collection click here or on the button below.