Nejen Frida Kahlo
Not just Frida kahlo

History of Latin American art written by Czech gratuated in Ibero-American studies

Summary/Abstract: The reviewer states that the publication titled "History of Latin American Art" (Prague: Univerzita Karlova and Karolinum, 2018) is the first-ever book of its type in the Czechbook market and, at the same time, a unique deed in today’s Czech academic production. In her opinion, a very likable feature of the publication consists in the fact that the authoresses – Monika Brenišínová, Markéta Křížová, and Kateřina Březinová – do not attempt to present a comprehensive overview of specific artists and works, but prefer to introduce a broad range of topics which are typical for Ibero-American graphic arts – from the pre-Columbian time to the Conquista and colonization and until today. They identify principal art trends and flows spanning centuries and covering the whole American continent (including the Hispanic community in the United States), and are interested in principal issues which Latin American artists have been devoting their attention to. They describe power policy, economic, environmental and social changes and the art dynamism related thereto in a chronological order, focusing on three principal areas – architecture, painting, and sculpture. The reviewer deals in detail with chapters on the Latin American art of the 20th century, emphasizing the extraordinary importance of the political context for its formation, and sees its dominating feature in a search for own identity in the tension between the pre-Columbian tradition and European and North American influences. In particular, she concentrates on the penetration of modernism and avant-garde to Latin America and graphic art works produced in Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, and by Latinos in the United States.

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