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Lot Essay
In his paintings, Rodolfo Morales spins wondrous tales about women--young and old--in love, in pain, at home, with their children or friends, sharing secrets in the town market, at church--in vignettes and scenarios that seem animated by the artist's exuberant palette. He knew his characters, and their lives--their joys and sorrows; sometimes, they transcend their mere existence and become ethereal--like these paracaidistas, who float effortlessly in an enamel blue sky and seem somehow, lighter than life. Their shoes, hats, and bags--all feminine accoutrements of fashion become lyrical displays of whimsy and fantasy. His compositions are visual tapestries that relish the sheer joy of everyday life and all its imperfections.
Morales studied to become an art teacher in Mexico City's Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas de San Carlos and became a drawing instructor at the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria in the 1950s. The artist traveled to Europe and throughout South America during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1975, Morales received encouragement from Rufino Tamayo and embarked on his most celebrated paintings such as this one. The artist returned to his hometown after the devastation of the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City and spent the rest of his days painting but also gifting his town with his generous spirit; he rebuilt churches; funded art centers and donated his time and moneys to benefit his community.
"I have three pleasures in life: painting, selling, and then, in turn, sharing what I receive with everyone," Morales once said. Indeed, his pictorial production was outstanding and was matched by his generous spirit. Born in 1928 in the little town of Ocotlán where life revolved around the town plaza--the artist's bigheartedness was renowned. With us, he shares his boundless love for the landscape and traditions of his native Ocotlán--a place that inspired him and is the setting for his incandescent narratives and legends from ancient times; the home of wondrous flowers and sensual women; a mythic paradise that defies beauty itself. The artist situated his works in his native soil as if possessed by it and its magical essence.
Morales studied to become an art teacher in Mexico City's Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas de San Carlos and became a drawing instructor at the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria in the 1950s. The artist traveled to Europe and throughout South America during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1975, Morales received encouragement from Rufino Tamayo and embarked on his most celebrated paintings such as this one. The artist returned to his hometown after the devastation of the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City and spent the rest of his days painting but also gifting his town with his generous spirit; he rebuilt churches; funded art centers and donated his time and moneys to benefit his community.
"I have three pleasures in life: painting, selling, and then, in turn, sharing what I receive with everyone," Morales once said. Indeed, his pictorial production was outstanding and was matched by his generous spirit. Born in 1928 in the little town of Ocotlán where life revolved around the town plaza--the artist's bigheartedness was renowned. With us, he shares his boundless love for the landscape and traditions of his native Ocotlán--a place that inspired him and is the setting for his incandescent narratives and legends from ancient times; the home of wondrous flowers and sensual women; a mythic paradise that defies beauty itself. The artist situated his works in his native soil as if possessed by it and its magical essence.