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The period following the Mexican Revolution was characterized by unprecedented artistic experimentation. Seeking to express the revolution's heterogeneous social and political aims, which were in a continuous state of redefinition, architects, artists, writers, and intellectuals created distinctive, sometimes idiosyncratic theories and works.
Luis E. Carranza examines the interdependence of modern architecture in Mexico and the pressing sociopolitical and ideological issues of this period, as well as the interchanges between post-revolutionary architects and the literary, philosophical, and artistic avant-gardes. Organizing his book around chronological case studies that show how architectural theory and production reflected various understandings of the revolution's significance, Carranza focuses on architecture and its relationship to the philosophical and pedagogic requirements of the muralist movement, the development of the avant-garde in Mexico and its notions of the Mexican city, the use of pre-Hispanic architectural forms to address indigenous peoples, the development of a socially oriented architectural functionalism, and the monumentalization of the revolution itself. In addition, the book also covers important architects and artists who have been marginally discussed within architectural and art historiography.
Richly illustrated, Architecture as Revolution is one of the first books in English to present a social and cultural history of early twentieth-century Mexican architecture.
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architecture as revolution architecture as revolution by luis e. carranza Foreword by Jorge Francisco Liernur episodes in the history of modern mexico roger fullington series in architecture University of Texas Press austin Publication of this book was made possible in part by support from Roger Fullington and a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Copyright © 2010 by the University of Texas Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America First edition, 2010 Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to: Permissions University of Texas Press P.O. Box 7819 Austin, TX 78713-7819 www.utexas.edu/utpress/about/bpermission.html ∞ The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48-1992 (r1997) (Permanence of Paper). library of congress cataloging-in-publication data Carranza, Luis E., 1968– Architecture as revolution : episodes in the history of modern Mexico / by Luis E. Carranza ; foreword by Jorge Francisco Liernur. — 1st ed. p. cm. — (Roger Fullington series in architecture) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-292-72195-1 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Architecture and society—Mexico—History— 20th century. 2. Modernism (Aesthetics)—Mexico— History—20th century. 3. Architecture—Mexico— History—20th century. 4. Mexico—History— Revolution, 1910–1920—Monuments. I. Title. II. Title: Episodes in the history of modern Mexico. na2543.s6c35 2010 720.1'0309720904—dc22 2009053617 For Denise Alison Clemente [La historia hay que leerla] como si se estuviera en reuniones familiares en la cocina al amor de los fogones. Ahí es frecuente que la tradición desfigure la historia para hacer leyendas; que la historia recobre su sentido popular tan olvidado; que las diosas del séptimo arte aparezcan vivitas y coleando y que en las noches de plenilunio se tiemble con la sombra del padre sin cabeza. carmen vázquez mantecón, prologue to sucedió en san ángel: viñetas históricas, by ernesto vázquez lugo Foreword ix by Jorge Francisco Liernur Acknowledgments introduction xiii 2 Mexico, Modernity, and Architecture after the Revolution 1. <