A Collection of Optimism

Early 20th century calendar paintings reflecting the optimism and fervor of nationalist pride that swept in after the Mexican Revolution are set to hang here for the next month.

The paintings - slated to go up at the South Texas College Starr County Campus' Art Gallery starting today - are all originals that were copied and printed into thousands of calendars that lined homes and offices across Mexico long ago.

"They weren't made for an in-house show or museum," said Ricardo Backal, an art collector who runs his work through his own company, Half Spoon LLC. "Most of them are still kept in those huge printing companies. They're simply gathering dust."
Backal and his wife, Debbie, have collected the paintings for years.

While Mexican art of that era is largely dominated by the muralists, Backal argues that perhaps the calendar art was more important to the masses.

"Everybody had a calendar of these paintings," he said. "After the year was over, they took off the calendar part and kept the beautiful painting there. It was a cheap way of having art."

The gallery is set to open tonight with a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Then on May 1, a lecture about the work is also planned at 5 p.m. at the Campus Auditorium, Building E.

The paintings boom with nationalist pride. Images of an ideal Mexico, untainted by Spanish conquest with Aztec warrior kings, are contrasted by erotic paintings of beautiful Mexican women.

"They started making these paintings in the big way after the Mexican revolution," Backal said.

"It was a time when it was very, very important to reunite the country.

"Imagine, after 10 years of revolution and internal war."

Sean Gaffney covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4434.