Jose Muņoz, the Last Mexican Muralist, at Galeria 8 y Mas
Provided by Ambito - April 2006
Galeria 8 y mas is proud to present an exhibition of the paintings by maestro Jose Muñoz Medina. He is without doubt one of the great Mexican masters of the 20th century whose work has earned international recognition.
Jose Muñoz was born in Mexico City, on December 28, 1927. His father was a fine artisan who made necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings out of mother of pearl from the Panuco River. Ever since early childhood, the second child of the Muñozes used to color the  illustrations of his school books, which were line drawings by Diego Rivera. This way he showed his love of art. In his teenage years he worked in a pottery workshop, painting decorative motifs on vases; and at the age 16, he enrolled in La Esmeralda, where he had some of the most important artists of the first half of the 20th century for teachers; such as Jesus Guerrero Galvan, Carlos Orozco Romero, Manuel Rodriguez Lozano, Pablo O’Giggins, Feliciano Peña, Carlos Alvarado Lang, Fernando Castro Pacheco, and Federico Cantu. He worked with sculptor Francisco Zúñiga, with whom he maintained a close friendship. He collaborated with architect and painter Juan O’Gorman in the Venetian mosaic mural “Mankind and Nuclear Energy” carried out by maestro José Chavez Morado at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
In 1957 Munoz Medina won the gold medal and diploma in the Biennial for Peace, for young artists in Moscow; and a mention of honor in the First Inter American Painting and Engraving Biennial at the National Plastic Arts Museum, INBA, Mexico City. He received the first prize at the New Values Hall, being Diego Rivera a member of the panel of judges. A strong discrepancy with Rivera resulted in the loss of the prize. In 1975 he won the acquisition prize of the National Hall of Plastic Arts, at the Museum of the Palace of Fine Arts. As to date, the whereabouts of that work remain a mystery. In 1984 he was awarded the merit medal “Maestro Rafael Ramirez” and honor diploma awarded by the Minister of Public Education, Jesus Reyes Heroles. He was professor and under director of Plastic Arts at La Esmeralda from 1953 to 1985.
He participated in the First Young Artists Biennial in Paris 1959, with the painting “The washerwoman” currently exhibited at the Art Museum of Brooklyn, N.Y. Later he would show at the Paris Biennials II and III, invited by the National Fine Arts Institute.
In 1990 he was invited for a series of “traveling exhibitions” in the cities of Miami; Washington D.C.; Boston, and San Francisco.
He has had shows from 1951 to this date both in national and international events, and his works are part of important collections in United States, Center and South America, and France.
The exhibition of Jose Muñoz’s artworks continues at Galeria 8 y Mas, through March 21 and can be viewed during regular gallery hours at Miramar 237, corner of Guerrero, Downtown. Galeria 8 y Mas is a member of the Art Walk Association. www.artismexico.com
Source: Ambito Puerto Vallarta Weekly Magazine
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