Mark in Mexico
“I studied sculpture with Elizabeth Catlett. She was teaching at Academia San Carlos in Mexico City in 1964 and 65. I was a student of hers for both summers. The second summer Elizabeth spoke to me about the role of TGP prints as well as murals--both playing such an important role with the public. She gave me a letter which introduced me to David Alfaro Siqueiros, the last of Mexico's great mural painters. He was painting just a few blocks from where Elizabeth was teaching.”
“The reason why I was working with this great artist was because he took critical messages and put them on public walls.”
David Alfaro Siqueiros
“The mural was to became part of this massive space in Mexico City in Parque de la Lama. but we were working in Cuernavaca in this incredible studio. We were working with a 3D scale model that was to scale with this future massive building in Mexico City. We were working with 11x13 foot asbestos panels. We were working with a scale model based on drawings and paintings but mainly sort of gesture drawings that he did while in prison. “ -Never The Same interview with Rebecca Zorach
“I have completed two drawing notebooks - some small landscape water color + another in b&w. Also I have done some nice character studies which I hope you would be proud enough to frame. “ - Letter to parents 1967
“Siqueiros has seen the few shots we have made of the workers & requested shots of all the gang - he said he put them up in his studio & if he is to make a folio of the workers of the M of H he’d use them.” - Letter to parents 1968
“I’ve been working very hard 9-6 with the sculptors. It's been very important. I know nothing about molding, pounding, cutting, or fitting metal. I can weld a bit and it's important for future work - or at least to acquaint myself with metal and its workings. These are big figures - 10 to 12 feet tall - 4 or 5' wide and about 1 foot “thick” - they are bolted to the panels and then woven into the painting - into the mural." - Letter to parents 1967
“offer to siq. to use my B+W portraits of the workers for publication in future books on articles on the March of Progress. (while in jail he published a 15pg pamphlet on his painers + sculptures)”- Letter to parents 1968
