Murals, posters, fliers, products, posters...passion.

I’ve always been intrigued by the bold graphics of pop art, which is why “¡Sensacional! Mexican Street Graphics", a new exhibit at the Massachusetts College of Art’s Paine Gallery, stopped me dead in my tracks. According to an article on ThePheonix.com the show:

    ...is a funhouse of brilliantly clunky handmade Mexican street art. If you find the gallery scene lacking in pictures of gremlins eating ice cream, masked Lucha Libre wrestlers, and R2-D2 serving pizza, this is the show for you.



Made possible  by Tricle Editiones in Mexico City and San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, what began as a book project turned into the full-fledged exhibit (which has already visited Scotland, New York, and Pasadena.)

There is something personal, charming, and gloriously fun about the the organic, hand-made creations in the show, which provide a refreshing break from the too-perfect graphics modern technology has created. The artists are real people, the art is functional, public and accessable. As the museum web site describes:

    The artists of this exhibition are known as Los Rotulistas (sign painters), anonymous creators without technical training, who produce their work at once, without preliminary sketches or planning. Sometimes the results are ugly, sometimes they are hilarious, charming, or beautiful. This spontaneity creates a visual richness that is a delight for the eyes.

See a slideshow here.