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Poster - Libertad de Expresion; Freedom of Expression

Libertad de Expresion; Freedom of Expression

  • Object:

    Poster

  • Place of origin:

    Mexico (made)

  • Date:

    1968 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Mexiac, Adolfo, born 1927 (artist)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Lithograph

  • Credit Line:

    Gift of the American Friends of the V&A; Gift to the American Friends by Leslie, Judith and Gabri Schreyer and Alice Schreyer Batko

  • Museum number:

    E.1517-2004

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

  • Image in copyright

Leslie and Alice Schreyer obtained this poster from Mexican student headquarters just days before the student uprisings were brutally crushed by President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz. The students used social and political grievances to challenge the image projected to the world by their government through the Mexico City Olympic Games. This poster makes the point by turning the links of the Olympic logo into chains, while the short, harsh 'cuts' of the woodcut style create a tortured energy. The 'made in the USA' padlock refers to Diaz Ordaz's political ties to North America.

Physical description

Bust portrait of a man gagged by linked chain and a padlock. Printed in black and white. "Mexico" and Olypic rings logo printed below. Lithograph (made after an original linocut).

Place of Origin

Mexico (made)

Date

1968 (made)

Artist/maker

Mexiac, Adolfo, born 1927 (artist)

Materials and Techniques

Lithograph

Marks and inscriptions

'LIBERTAD/ DE EXPRESION/ MEXICO'
'MADE IN/ USA'
'Policias/ Eretico' from the Spanish: Police/ Heretico

Dimensions

Height: 34 cm, Width: 21.4 cm

Object history note

Adolfo Mexiac was born in 1927. Mexiac was a member of the Taller de Grafica Popular from 1950 to 1959. Originally he made a linocut titled "Libertad de Expresion" which was mechanically reproduced as a lithograph for the 1968 Mexican students' protests.

Descriptive line

Protest poster produced by Mexican students. Mexico, 1968. Lithograph.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

'Prop Art' by Gary Yanker. New York: Darien House, Inc. 1972. page 61.
reproduced in black and white, plate 168 (upper right corner).
'Exhibits: Message Art'. Liat Radcliffe. Newsweek. January 13, 2003. page 8.
'Art of Persuasion'. Metro (London). Wednesday 8 January 2003. page 18.
newspaper article, exhibition review. (4/5 stars).

Exhibition History

A Century of Olympic Posters (Liaoning Museum, Shenyang 12 March 2008-27 April 2008)
A Century of Olympic Posters (Capital Museum, Beijing 15 January 2008-28 February 2008)
A Century of Olympic Posters (V&A Museum of Childhood 17/05/2008-07/09/2008)
A Century of Olympic Posters (V&A Museum of Childhood 17/05/08-27/09/08)
Propaganda Posters from the Schreyer Collection (Henry Cole Wing, Level 3 05/12/2002-23/03/2003)

Labels and date

Leslie and Alice Schreyer obtained this poster from Mexican student headquarters just days before the student uprisings were brutally crushed by President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz. The students used social and political grievances to challenge the image projected to the world by their government through the Mexico City Olympic Games. This poster makes the point by turning the links of the Olympic logo into chains, while the short, harsh 'cuts' of the woodcut style create a tortured energy. The 'made in the USA' padlock refers to Diaz Ordaz's political ties to North America.

Production Note

Made by protesting Mexican students

Materials

Paper; Ink

Techniques

Lithography

Subjects depicted

Man; Propaganda; Protest; Freedom; Chains; Padlock; Mexico

Categories

Prints; Propaganda

Collection code

PDP

Qr_O101389
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