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Paralela
Ricardo Martínez
CHRONOLOGY
1918
• Ricardo Martínez was born on 28th October in Mexico City. He was the thirteenth of sixteen children of Néstor Martínez and Elena de Hoyos, who both came from the North of Mexico.
• Among his siblings there were other artists: Oliverio, a talented sculptor who died young, who was a strong influence on Ricardo; Enrico and Homero were architects; Jorge became a well-known actor.
1925
• Alberto Correa, primary school.
1928
• Travels with part of his family to the USA, where they remain for several years. His mother’s was one of the founding families of San Antonio in Texas and she still had relatives there. The family stayed four years. Ricardo and his siblings become fully bilingual.
1932
• Return to Mexico, where Ricardo finishes primary school.
1934-1935
• Ricardo visits his brother Oliverio at the building site of the Monument dedicated to the Mexican Revolution. There he meets the sculptor Francisco Zúñiga, with whom he shall have a long friendship.
1935
• Orientación, Secondary school.
1938
• Escuela Nacional Preparatoria, High School.
1939
• Takes part in the foundation of a group called Amigos de la Conservación de los Frescos de José Clemente Orozco at Escuela Nacional Preparatoria and in a manifesto calling for students and the authorities to protect the paintings from vandalism (at that building the Muralistic Movement began).
• Completes his first work in tempera.
• Meets and makes friends with the poet Rubén Bonifaz Nuño.
1940
• Begins law studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). A few months later he decides to devote himself full time to painting. He joins the San Carlos Art Academy but, not satisfied with the teaching methods, makes up his mind to work on his own and learn through extensive reading, including Max Doerner’s The materials of the artist, which revealed the secrets of the old masters.
• He sets up an atelier in the family home in Mexico City. His first works were still lifes, landscapes, common characters and portraits, all these within the nationalistic movement of the times, apart from a few attempts at surrealism.
1942
• Meets Zarina Lacy at the Faculty of Philosophy and Literature of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
• At that time he meets and makes friends for life with Alí Chumacero, Joaquín Díez-Canedo, Jorge González Durán, José Luis Martínez, Juan Rulfo, Fernando Benítez, Luis Cardoza y Aragón, Octavio Paz, Juan José Arreola; and the painters Juan Soriano, Carlos Mérida, Federico Cantú, Luis García Guerrero, Fernando Ramos Prida, Vicente Rojo, José Luis Cuevas and Guillermo Meza.
1943
• Moves to a new atelier in the Anzures neighborhood in Mexico City. His neighbor, friend and fellow artist, Federico Cantú, teaches him engraving techniques and introduces him to the Mexican Art Gallery in Mexico City, under the management of Inés Amor.
1948
• Visiting lecturer in painting at the Fine Arts Centre School at Colorado Springs and San Diego, CA. Meets and makes friends with French artist Jean Charlot, director of the school.
• While in the Fine Arts Center, designed the stage design and costumes for the ballet Xochipilli of the choreographer Hanya Holm.
1949
• Marries Zarina Lacy.
1952
• He settles his home at Etna Street, South of Mexico City, and begins to build his studio. He will live and work there for the rest of his life.
1953
• Tutors Lucinda Urrusti.
1954
• Starts tutoring Susan Sollins, current Executive Producer and Curator of the Art 21 foundation in New York City, which supports young artists.
1955
• Tutors Gerardo López Bonilla, a seminarian.
1958
• Meets Carl Lunde, director of The Contemporaries Gallery, in New York City.
1959
• Makes friends with Dutch designer Leo Lionni.
1968
• Meets the Russian poet Evgueny Evtushenko. He came to Mexico City for a lecture of his poems. The poet asked to visit Ricardo Martínez at his studio.
1969
• Travels to Europe for the first time and visits England, Holland, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain, which widened his experience of European painting.
1972
• Moves to a new studio at the bottom of his garden, on Etna Street.
2009
• Died on January 11th.
Solo
exhibitions
1944
• “Óleos, temples y dibujos", Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City.
1945
• “Ricardo Martínez", Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City.
1947
• “10 óleos recientes", Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City.
1948-1949
• Fine Arte Center, Colorado Springs, CO.
1950
• “Ricardo Martínez", Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City.
1951
• “Óleos y sanguinas", Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City.
1952
• “13 óleos recientes", Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City.
1954
• “Óleos de Ricardo Martínez", Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City.
1955
• “Ricardo Martínez", Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City.
1956
• “15 óleos". His work begins to show a monumental style with pre-Hispanic influence, Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City.
1958
• “Óleos". The paintings in this exhibition display a new style and a personal form of expression that he continues to develop for the rest of his life, Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City.
1959
• “Ricardo Martinez", The Contemporaries, New York City.
1960
• “Martinez. Exhibition of Recent Paintings", The Contemporaries, New York City.
1961
• “Ricardo Martinez, an Exhibition of Recent Paintings", The Contemporaries, New York City.
1964
• “Paintings" – Last solo exhibition at the Galería de Arte Mexicano. He shall not work with dealers in Mexico again but has direct contact with prospective clients, whom he invites to his atelier.
• “Recent Paintings", The Contemporaries, New York City.
1966
• “Ricardo Martinez. Recent Paintings", Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ.
1969
• “Pinturas de Ricardo Martínez”, Museo de Arte Moderno, INBA, Mexico City.
1974
• “Ricardo Martínez. 40 pinturas. Expansión rítmica de los volúmenes", Museo de Arte Moderno, INBA, Mexico City.
1976
• The Sindin Gallery, New York City.
1984
• “Ricardo Martínez. Obra reciente, 1975-1984", Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, INBA, Mexico City.
1994
• “Ricardo Martínez. Obra reciente, 1975-1984", Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, INBA, Mexico City.
2000
• “Ricardo Martínez. Energía y monumentalidad", Club de Banqueros de Mexico, Mexico City.
2011
• “Ricardo Martínez", Museo de la Ciudad de México, Mexico City.
2018
• “Ricardo Martínez y la figura humana", Museo Casa Montejo, Mérida, Yucatán.
• “Ricardo Martínez. Desde el interior", Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City.
2019
• “Ricardo Martínez y la figura humana", Museo Casa del Mayorazgo de la Canal, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato; Palacio del Conde del Valle de Súchil, Durango.
• “Ricardo Martínez. Desde el interior", Museo de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes.
2022
• “Ricardo Martínez. Un mexicanismo de contracorriente", Museo de las Artes de Guadalajara, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Exhibitions
1942
• Arte mexicano contemporáneo", organized by Maria Asúnsolo, in the Galería de Arte María Asúnsolo, Guadalajara, Mexico.
• “Arte mexicano contemporáneo", University Club of Mexico, Mexico City.
1943
• “Mexican Art Today", Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA.
• “The Twenty-Second International Exhibition of Watercolors", The Art Institute of Chicago, IL.
1944
• “The Fifty-fifth Annual American Exhibition of Watercolors and Drawing”, The Art Institute of Chicago, IL.
• “Modern Mexican Artists”, The Whyte Gallery, Washington.
1945
• “Pintura mexicana moderna, 1900-1945”, Guanajuato, Mexico.
• “Mexican Painting”, Knoedler Galleries, New York City.
• “Salón de Pintura 1945”, Galería de Arte Mexicano.
1946
• “Pinturas, esculturas, grabados y dibujos”, Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City.
• “From Market Place to Museum, Exhibition of Mexican Art”, Grand Central Art Galleries, New York City.
• “Quinta exposición Nacional de Floricultura. IV Salón de las Flores”, Dirección General de Agricultura, Mexico.
1947
• “Paintings and Drawings of Latin America”, Knoedler Galleries, New York City.
1948
• Academy, Guatemala.
• “Mexican painting”, Industrial Fair, Toronto.
1950
• “La Fiesta de la Flor y la exposición de pinturas alusivas", Galerías Excélsior, Mexico City.
• “Exposición de grabados y pintura religiosa moderna mexicana", Clardecor, Mexico City.
1951
• Opening exhibition at the Galería de Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City.
1952
• “The 1952 Pittsburgh International Exhibition of Contemporary Painting”, Department of Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute, Washington, D.C.
• “Masterworks of Mexican Art”, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris, France.
• GalleryLiljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden.
1953
• “Collection Mr. & Mrs. Robert D. Straus. Paintings, Prints, Drawings, Sculpture”, Fort Worth Art Centre, Fort Worth, TX.
• The Tate Gallery, London.
1954
• “Arte mexicano", Edificio “La Crónica", Lima, Perú.
1955
• “The Third International Art Exhibition", Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX.
1956
• “Gulf-Caribbean Art Exhibition", Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX.
1957
• “The Fourth International Art Exhibition", The Mainichi Newspaper, Tokio, Japan.
1958
• “Pintura mexicana contemporánea", XXIX Biennale in Venice.
• “Twentieth Century Mexican Painting”, Marion Koogler McNay Art Institute, San Antonio, TX.
• “I Bienal Interamericana de Pintura y Grabado", Museo Nacional de Artes Plásticas, INBA, Mexico City.
• “Art Mexicain”, France, different venues.
• “Mexican Art Pre-Columbian to Modern Times”, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
1959
• “Exhibition of Contemporary Mexican Art”, Mexican Art Gallery, San Antonio, TX.
• “Medio siglo de la Escuela Mexicana de Pintura (1910-1969)", Galería del Centro Deportivo Israelita, Mexico City.
• “Arte mexicano de la época prehispánica a nuestros días", Galería Chapultepec, INBA, Mexico City.
• “Tres siglos de dibujo en México 1700-1959”, Salón de la Plástica Mexicana, INBA, Mexico City.
• “The United States Collects Pan-American Art”, Art Institute of Chicago, IL.
• “El arte de la vida”, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City.
• The Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen, Amsterdam, Holland.
1960
• “Obras maestras del arte mexicano”, London, Paris, Copenhagen, Moscow, Leningrad, Warsaw, Tokyo, Rome, Los Angeles (1960-1963). Organized by the Mexican government.
1961
• “Latin American, New Departures", Institute of Contemporary Art Exhibition, Boston, MA.
1962
• “Pintura mexicana del siglo XX", Galería del Centenario, Plaza del Parián, Puebla.
• “Exposición de pintura mexicana", Campeche.
• “Pintura contemporánea de México", Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• “Pintura y grabado de México", Palacio Municipal de Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
1963
• VII Bienal de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brasil.
• “La floresta en la pintura nacional, cincuenta paisajes mexicanos", Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno, INBA, Mexico City.
1964
• “Mother and Child in Modern Art", American Federation of Art (1964-1965), Estados Unidos.
• “A Decade of Contemporary Mexican Artists (1964-1965)", Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ.
• “El dibujo mexicano de 1847 a nuestros días", INBA, Mexico.
• “Conmemoración de los 183 años de vida de la Academia de San Carlos", Academia de San Carlos, UNAM, Mexico City.
1965
• “Nuevas adquisiciones en el Museo de la Universidad de Puerto Rico", Museo de Arte Ponce, Puerto Rico.
• “Mexico, Past and Present”, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL.
• “Latin American Art from Independence to Our Days” (1965-1967), University of Yale, New Haven, CT.
• “The Emergent Decade, An Exhibition of Contemporary Latin American Painting”, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. & The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City.
1967
• “Salón de Otoño”, Medical Association of Jalisco, Museum of Modern Art, Guadalajara, Mexico.
• “Cento Anni di Pintura Messicana 1867-1967”, Instituto Italo-Latinoamericano, Rome, Italy.
1968
• “Programa Cultural de la XIX Olimpiada", Galería de Arte Mexicano, Mexico City.
1975
• “Artistas Contemporáneos Latinoamericanos", Galería Alexis, San Salvador, El Salvador.
• “La mujer como creadora y tema del arte", Museo de Arte Moderno, INBA, Mexico City.
1976
• “Creadores latinoamericanos contemporáneos 1950-1976. Pinturas y Relieves", Museo de Arte Moderno, INBA, Mexico City.
• The Zócalo-Pino Suárez metro junction, Mexico City.
• “Obra temprana de los grandes maestros", Galería Pintura Joven, Mexico City.
1977
• The Rubicon Gallery, Los Altos, CA.
• “Homenaje a la pintura latinoamericana”, Sala Nacional de Exposiciones Parque Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador.
1978
• “The Latin American Art Exhibition”, De Armas Gallery, FL.
1980
• “Imágenes de México”, Palacio de Iturbide, Mexico City.
1982
• “Acervo do MAC USP”, Museu de Arte Contemporânea Ibirapuera, Universidad de Sao Paulo, Brasil.
1985
• “Mexiko 1900-Talkonst", Liljevakchs Konsthall y Mälmo Konsthall, Estocolmo and Mälmo, Sweden.
1987
• “As Bienais no Acervo do MAC”, Museu de Arte Contemporânea Ibirapuera, Universidad de Sao Paulo, Brasil.
1989
• “Colección Pago en Especie" (Mexican artists may pay their taxes with their own works, sponsored by the Mexican Ministry of Finance and Public Credit), Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City.
1990
• “II Muestra de Pintura y Escultura Latinoamericana", Galería Espacio, San Salvador, El Salvador.
• “Mexican Masters", Brewster Gallery, New York City.
1992
• “Mexican Masters of the Post-muralist Period”, Nevada Museum of Art, E.L. Wiegand Gallery, Belmont, CA.
• “Contrasts". Payment in Kind Collection”, Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, Cultural Centre El Nigromante, INBA, San Miguel Allende. Gallery in INEGI, Aguascalientes, Mexico.
1993
• “Transición y ruptura. 24 artistas mexicanos", EUROPALIA 1993, The Nortman Gallery, Maastricht, Netherlands.
• “Una visión del arte contemporáneo", Payment in Kind Collection, Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, Mexico City.
• “100 pintores mexicanos”, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Monterrey, México.
• “Arte Latino-americana em Museus de São Paulo”, Memorial da América Latina-Galeria do Memorial, Sao Paulo, Brasil.
1994
• “Encuentros”, Casa de la Cultura Jesus Reyes Heroles, Mexico City.
• “El hombre y su entorno. Presencias en la plástica mexicana del siglo XX”, Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara, Mexico.
1997
• “Invenciones: obra en papel", Galería A.G. Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo, Mexico City.
2001
• “Soleils mexicains", Petit Palais, Paris, France.
• “34 artistes mexicains, Quand les imports deviennent un regal pour l'espirit", Le Centre Culturel de l'Ambassade du Mexique, Paris, France.
• “Colectiva de invierno", Galería Lopez Quiroga, Mexico City.
2006
• “Pintura mexicana de la posguerra al fin de siglo", Friends of Shangai Art Museum, Shangai, China.
2008
• “La colección: el peso del realismo", Museo de Arte Moderno, INBA, Mexico City.
2010
• “El maguey. Símbolo de identidad nacional", Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo, Mexico City.
2013
• “L'art mexicain 1920-1960. Eloge du corps", La Bellevue, Biarritz, France.
2015
• “La otra fiesta de las balas. Martín Luis Guzmán", Museo de Arte Moderno, INBA, Mexico City.
2016
• “Erotismos. La vida íntima de los objetos", MODO, Ciudad de México.
2017
• “Monstruosismos", Museo de Arte Moderno, INBA, Ciudad de México.
• “¡Que se abra esa puerta!", Museo del Estanquillo, Ciudad de México.
Publications
1965
• Ricardo Martínez by Rubén Bonifaz Nuño, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.
1974
• The book Pintura Contemporánea de México by Luis Cardoza y Aragón is published by Ediciones ERA, Mexico, with a chapter on Ricardo Martínez.
1980
• Ricardo Martínez by Rubén Bonifaz Nuño published by Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.
1981
• Joaquín Mortiz, Mexico, publishes the book Ricardo Martínez, with an introduction by Luis Cardoza y Aragón.
1994
• Publication of the book-catalogue Ricardo Martínez by Fondo Editorial Panorama, Mexico.
2001
• Ricardo Martínez by Miguel Ángel Muñoz, Círculo de Lectura, Conaculta, Mexico.
2004
• Ricardo Martínez is published by Colección JAPS, Mexico.
2012
• Ricardo Martínez by Museo de la Ciudad de México, Mexico.
2018
• Ricardo Martínez, a 100 años de su nacimiento by Fundación Ricardo Martínez de Hoyos, A.C., Mexico.
• Ricardo Martínez. Desde el interior by Secretaría de Cultura y Fundación Mary Street Jenkins, México.
Illustrations in books
1945
• Epigramas americanos by Enrique Díez-Canedo, published by his son in Joaquín Mortiz, Mexico.
1945
• Segundo despertar y otros poemas by Enrique González Martínez, Nueva Floresta, Mexico,
1946
• Sueño y poesía / Sleep and poetry by John Keats, Espiga, Mexico.
1947
• Nueva Revista de Filología Hispánica, Amado Alonso (director), El Colegio de México, México, Year 1, Number 1, 1947. The illustration on the cover is being published currently.
1949
• Junta de sombras by Alfonso Reyes, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico.
1949
• Libertad bajo palabra by Octavio Paz, Tezontle, Mexico.
1950
• Cuentos by Juan José Arreola, Los Presentes, Mexico.
1950
• Diario histórico de los viages de mar y tierra hechos al norte de la California by Miguel Constansó, Edición Chimalistac, Mexico.
1950
• El retorno by Ernesto Mejía Sánchez, Los Presentes, Mexico.
1950
• Sonetos by Carlos Pellicer, Los Presentes, Mexico.
1951
• Poética by Rubén Bonifaz Nuño, Los Presentes, Mexico.
1951
• A Enrique González Martínez en sus ochenta años, published by Joaquín Diez-Canedo and Alí Chumacero. Hommage, México.
1952
• El nuevo narciso by Enrique González Martínez, Letras Mexicanas, 3, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico.
1951
• Muerte sin fin by José Gorostiza, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico.
1953
• El hermano menor by Jaime García Terrés, Los Presentes, Mexico.
1953
• La jornada hecha. Poesía: 1934-1952 by Francisco Giner de los Ríos, Tezontle, Mexico.
1953
• Cuentos by Augusto Monterroso, Los Presentes, Mexico.
1954
• Relatos mexicanos by Ángel Bassols Batalla, Los Presentes, Mexico.
• Los días enmascarados by Carlos Fuentes, Los Presentes, Mexico.
1954
• Parentalia by Alfonso Reyes, Los Presentes, Mexico.
1955
• El heroísmo intelectual by José Antonio Portuondo, Tezontle, Mexico.
1955
• Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico.
1956
• Palabras en reposo by Alí Chumacero, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico.
1956
• Los demonios y los días by Rubén Bonifaz Nuño, Tezontle, Mexico.
1956
• Las provincias del aire by Jaime García Terrés, Letras Mexicanas, 30, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico.
1958
• Poemas mexicanos by Francisco Giner de los Ríos, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.
1959
• Una luz en la otra orilla by María Lombardo de Caso, Letras Mexicanas, 47, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico.
1962
• Recuento de poemas by Jaime Sabines, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.
1969
• El ala del tigre by Rubén Bonifaz Nuño, Letras Mexicanas, 93, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico.
1978
• La cabeza de la hidra by Carlos Fuentes, Joaquín Mortiz, Mexico.
1978
• La piedra en el pozo by Luis Roberto Vera, Ediciones de la Quinta Estación, México.
1980
• Recolección a mediodía by Ernesto Mejía Sánchez, Joaquín Mortiz, Mexico.
1991
• Otro recuento de poemas (1950-1991) by Jaime Sabines, Joaquín Mortiz, Mexico.
1994
• El espíritu de don Juan. Una introducción a la obra de Carlos Castaneda by Joaquín Castillo y Richard Dixey, Grijalbo, Mexico.
1995
• Retrato crítico by Alí Chumacero, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.
1996
• Diálogo del hombre by Raúl Horta, Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos, Mexico.
1997
• Humanismo en el nuevo mundo: ensayo histórico y perspectivas contemporáneas by Raúl Horta, Porrúa, México.
1998
• Recuento de poemas 1950-1993 by Jaime Sabines, Joaquín Mortiz, México [edición de bolsillo].
1999
• La herencia by Jorge G. Castañeda, Alfaguara, Mexico.
1999
• ¿Hombre o hambre? Caminos para la supervivencia by Raúl Horta, Ediciones Central de Relaciones Públicas, S.A. de C.V., Mexico.
2000
• El árbol de la cultura iberoamericana by Raúl Horta, Edamex, Mexico.
2000
• La herencia by Jorge G. Castañeda, Punto de Lectura, Mexico.
2000
• Paisaje nocturno by Miguel Ángel Muñoz, Praxis, Mexico.
2001
• El futuro del agua en México by Manuel Perló Cohen, Banobras y Artes Gráficas Panorama S.A. de C.V., Mexico.
2005
• El origen de la niebla by Miguel Ángel Muñoz, Fondo Editorial Tierra Adentro, Mexico.
2006
• Exutorio. Poesía reunida 1964-2003 by Guillermo Fernández, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico.
2008
• Recuento de poemas 1950-1993 by Jaime Sabines, Booket, Mexico.
2013
• Linaje de brujos by José N. Iturriaga, Grijalbo, Mexico.
2015
• Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo (tribute edition), RM, Mexico.
2017
• Mata Hari Blows a Kiss by Lisa Domínguez Abraham, Swan Scythe Press, Sunnyvale, CA, USA.
• Recolección de mediodía by Ernesto Mejía Sánchez, Colección Poemas y Ensayos, Coordinación de Humanidades, UNAM, Mexico.
2018
• Rubén Bonifaz Nuño: poesía. Recepción crítica (1945-2012) by Various authors, Colección Poemas y Ensayos, Coordinación de Humanidades, UNAM, Mexico.
Awards and Honours
1964
• Acquisition Prize “Moinho Santista", highest recognition of the Sao Paulo Biennial.
1967
• Raúl Bailleres Prize, Mexico.
1993
• Nominated Artist Emeritus by the National Foundation for Culture and Arts (FONCA).
2008
• For this 90th Birthday, in 2008, he receives the Gold Medal by the National Institute of Fine Arts; the Medal of the Federal District, the Parchment by which he was nominated Distinguished Citizen of the Federal District, granted by Mexico City's Government. At the same time, the creation of the Ricardo Martínez Cultural Center was announced, to be established in the Historical Center.
2009
• Mexico City's Government proposed the creation of the Ricardo Martínez Cultural Center to be established at the former Variedades Cinema, on Avenida Juárez, in the Center of the City. This project did not take place.