Pedro Preux
Pedro Pablo Preux (November 17, 1932 – June 16, 2011) was a Mexican tapestry maker of French origin, part of an effort to revive the craft as an art form in Europe under Jean Luçart then introducing and promoting the concept in Mexico in the 1960s and 1970s. Although tapestry making as art declined back to handcraft status starting in the 1980s, Preux’s efforts were recognized with membership in the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana and the Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte.
Life
Pedro Preux was born in Paris to Roberto Preux, a painter and Sonia Lernau, a sculptor and tapestry weaver. He began to learn artistic skills from his parents, studying violin and architecture as well. He and his family immigrated to Mexico in 1942, arriving alongside a wave of Spanish exiles to the country. He later became a naturalized citizen of the country.[1][2]
Preux did not have any formal artistic training. However, he received scholarships from the French government in 1961 and 1965 to study tapestry making in Aubusson and in Gobelins Manufactory, the official factory in Paris. Here he apprenticed under Jean Luçart.[1][2]
Although tapestry making as an art form waned after the 1970s, Preux remained an active artist until his death, in 2011 from an embolism.[2] He left behind a daughter, Mónica Preux, a singing teacher at the Universidad de Sonora, and a large collection of contemporary tapestries from around the world.[2]
Career
Preux and others such as Martha Palacio and Fritz Riedl introduced tapestry making with contemporary designs as an art form starting in the 1960s.[3][4] The concept gained favor with the artistic community, which had begun promoted Mexico’s handcraft tradition after the Mexican Revolution. This effort blurred the lines between fine art and “popular art” (handcrafts), attracting artists such as Carlos Orozco Romero, Francisco Moreno Capdevila, Francisco Icaza and Marcela López to create tapestry designs.[4] This trend peaked in the 1970s but then declined starting in the 1980s. Today, tapestry weaving is no longer considered an “art” but rather a handcraft.[3]
Preux learned the Gobelins weaving technique in France in the 1960s. When he returned, José José Chávez Morado invited him to create workshop for this activity, in which Preux worked from 1963 to 1973. In that year, the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL) sponsored the workshop, transforming it into the Taller Nacional de Tapiz (National Tapestry Workshop), which Preux directed until 1984.[2][5] At this time, INBAL closed the enterprise considering the making of tapestries to be “obsolete,” sending Preux and others to a newly formed textile design school.[5]
In addition to teaching at the Taller Nacional de Tapiz, Preux also taught at the art and design school of the Universidad Iberoamericana and the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas.[1][6]
Preux’s work has been exhibited in Mexico and abroad. During his lifetime, his individual exhibitions included the Galería Diana in Mexico City (1960), Galería Trini in Cuernavaca (1961), the Palacio de Bellas Artes (1966), Galería Pecanins in Mexico City (1967), Galería Jack Misrachi in Mexico City (1968), the Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego (1969), the Long Beach Museum of Art (1970), Museo de Arte Moderno (1971, 1979), Galería de Arte Mexicano in Mexico City (1972), the Pavilion Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona (1973), Galería Kin in Mexico City (1974), the Casa de Cultura in Mexicali (1976), the Consort Gallery in London (1986) and the Canning House in London (1987). He also participated in collective exhibitions in Mexico, France Colombia, the United States, Peru, Poland, the Netherlands, Cuba, Argentina and Brazil.[6]
Preux collaborated in graphic design with the Colegio de México, the Banco de México and various magazines and other publications.[6] He served both as an artist and as a jurist to the Tapestry Biennial and the Salón Michoacano del Textil en Miniatura, and offered numerous presentations on different aspects of tapestry.[1]
Preux’s work as an artist was recognized with membership in the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana and admission to the Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte in 1994.[7][6] In 2009, his work was honored with a retrospective at the Universidad de Sonora.[2][8]
Artistry
Although Preux did some work in printmaking, his notable work was in tapestry design and making, using the Gobelins techniques in a mixture of cotton and wool.[1][6]
Preux was part of an effort to resurrect tapestries as art in Europe, studying under Jean Luçart in Aubusson and becoming a loyal disciple of both technique and philosophy. Like his mentor he insisted that tapestries are paintings in another medium as they require the same sense of composition and create a drawing on canvas or paper, but mindful the finished work is wool or cotton.[1][2] One of his most important exhibits to this effect was at the Museo de Arte Moderno in 1979, in which he placed not only tapestries, but also paintings related to the history of the craft. The idea was to show what tapestries are “wall paintings” or a kind of portable mural.[1]
He also believed that fine arts students should also study one or more crafts as part of their academic studies because many artists do not make a living from their art and those who do need to remain grounded and not elitist.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Guillermo Tovar de Teresa (1996). Repertory of Artists in Mexico: Plastic and Decorative Arts. Vol. III. Mexico City: Grupo Financiero Bancomer. p. 92. ISBN 968 6258 56 6.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Roberto Ponce (June 23, 2011). "Fallece el artista plástico Pedro Preux; indiferencia del INBA". Mexico City: Proceso magazine. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
- ^ a b Yazmin Juandiego (January 14, 2000). "Buscan difundir el arte del tapiz". Mexico City: Reforma. p. 1.
- ^ a b Alberto Hijar (November 1986). "Arte textil y ruptura artística". Red Textilia. Mexico City: Universidad Iberoamericana. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
- ^ a b Jose Garza (January 18, 1997). "Siembra el amor por el textil". Monterrey: El Norte. p. 5.
- ^ a b c d e "Pedro Pablo Preux Artes visuales (1 9 9 4 )" (PDF). Mexico: CONCULTA. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
- ^ "Lista de miembros". Salón de la Plástica Mexicana. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
- ^ "Presentan obra de Preux por primera ocasión en el estado". Mexico: Universidad de Sonora. October 28, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2013.
- v
- t
- e
- Gilberto Aceves Navarro
- Luis Acosta
- Aurea Aguilar
- Ignacio Aguirre
- Rodolfo Aguirre Tinoco
- Lourdes Alaniz
- Ernesto Alcántara
- Rosa María Alfonseca
- David Alfaro Siqueiros
- Ramón Alva de la Canal
- Ernesto Álvarez Cortés
- Jesús Álvarez Amaya
- Lola Álvarez Bravo
- Manuel Álvarez Bravo
- Colette Álvarez Urbajtel
- Jorge Alzaga
- Pablo Amor
- Raúl Anguiano
- Anibal Angulo
- Chappie Angulo
- Luis Y. Aragón
- Gustavo Arias Murueta
- Gabriela Arévalo
- Javier Arévalo
- Rolando Arjona
- Luis Arenal
- Gerardo Murillo ("Dr. Atl")
- Abelardo Ávila
- Oscar Ávila Soberanes
- Alfonso Ayala
- Héctor Ayala
- Ignacio Asúnsolo
- Octavio Bajonero
- Santos Balmori
- Pedro Banda
- Silvia Barbescu
- Osvaldo Barra Cunningham
- Sofía Bassi
- Feliciano Béjar
- Arnold Belkin
- Valerio Bello
- Angelina Beloff
- Alberto Beltrán
- Félix Beltrán
- Luis Beltrán
- Roberto Berdecio
- Ignacio M. Beteta
- Helen Bickham
- Ángel Bracho
- Adrian Brun
- Ángel Boliver
- Enrique Bostelmann
- Bruno Pablo Bresani
- Alejandro Caballero
- Rocío Caballero
- Geles Cabrera
- Yolanda Cabrera
- Celia Calderón
- Gloria Calero Sierra
- Susana Campos
- Alfonso Campos Quiroz
- Federico Canessi
- Federico Cantú
- Gerardo Cantú
- Francisco Cárdenas Martínez
- Alfredo Cardona Chacón
- Angélica Carrasco
- Julio Carrasco Bretón
- Leonora Carrington
- Jorja Carreño
- Beatriz Caso
- Pilar Castañeda
- Isidro Eduardo Castellanos Paredes
- Rosa Castillo
- Fidencio Castillo
- Carmen Castilleja
- Guillermo Castrejón
- Antonio Castro López
- Fernando Castro Pacheco
- Vita Castro
- Elizabeth Catlett
- Alberto Cavazos
- Guillermo Ceniceros
- Pedro Cervantes
- Enrique Climent
- Arnaldo Coen
- Vladimir Cora
- Flaviano Coral
- Pedro Coronel
- Álvaro Cortés
- Erasto Cortés Juárez
- Francisco Corzas
- Olga Costa
- Hugo Covantes
- Christa Cowrie
- José Víctor Crowley
- Héctor Cruz
- Marco Antonio Cruz
- Dolores Cueto
- Germán Cueto
- Alejandro Chacón Pineda
- Blanca Charolet
- Carlos Antonio Chávez
- José Chávez Morado
- Tomas Chávez Morado
- Maria Eugenia Chellet
- Julio Chico
- Chungtar Chong López
- Azteca de Gyves
- Myriam de la Riva
- Alberto de la Vega
- Gonzalo de la Paz Pérez
- Javier del Cueto
- Antonio Díaz Cortés
- Francisco Díaz de León
- María Elena Delgado
- Olga Dondé
- Roberto Donis
- Francisco Dosamantes
- Guillermina Dulché
- Armando Eguiza
- Evangelina Elizondo
- Laura Elenes
- Augusto Escobedo
- Jesús Escobedo
- Arturo Estrada
- Manuel Echauri
- Enrique Echeverría
- Alfredo Falfán Vivanco
- Gabriel Fernández Ledesma
- Javier Fernández Helguera
- Luis Filcer
- David Flores
- Leopoldo Flores
- Pedro Friedeberg
- Manuel Fuentes Estrada
- Mario Fuentes
- Dina Frumin
- Guillermo Gadda
- Byron Galvez
- Jesús Gallardo
- Mario Gallardo
- José Gama González
- Vicente Gandía
- José Julio Gaona
- Andrés Garay
- María García
- Arturo García Bustos
- Arturo García Campos
- Héctor García Cobo
- Carlos García Estrada
- José García Narezo
- José de Jesús García Gil
- Adalberto García Ordaz
- Luis García Robledo
- Antonio García Vega
- Mauricio García Vega
- Elva Garma
- Andrea Gómez
- Mauro Gómez
- Esther González Gómez
- Jorge González Camarena
- Melquiades González
- Silvia H. González
- Gregorio González
- Consuelo González Salazar
- Ignacio Granados
- Irma Grizá
- Alfredo Guati Rojo
- Arturo Guerrero
- Carlos Guerrero
- Jesús Guerrero Galván
- Lorenzo Guerrero
- Xavier Guerrero
- Ángela Gurría
- Luis Gutiérrez
- Jesús Gutiérrez Martínez
- Olivia Guzmán
- José Hernández Delgadillo
- Desiderio Hernández Xochitiotzin
- Miguel Hernández Urbán
- Cuauhtémoc Hernández Landa
- Víctor Manuel Hernández Castillo
- Manuel Herrera Cartalla
- Elena Huerta Muzquiz
- Rodolfo Hurtado
- Francisco Icaza
- Xavier Iñiguez
- María Izquierdo
- Tania Janco
- Carlos Jaurena
- Abel Jiménez
- Sarah Jiménez
- Alberto Jiménez Quinto
- Heriberto Juárez
- Juan Carlos Juárez Arreola
- Carlos Jurado
- Jazzamoart
- Frida Kahlo
- James Key
- Macrina Krauss
- Pablo Kubli
- María Lagunes
- Carlos Lamothe Silva
- Carmen Lang Merino
- Marisa Lara
- Gerardo Lartigue
- Paulina Lavista
- Agustín Lazo
- Rina Lazo
- Paula Lazos
- Fernando Leal
- Miguel Ledezma Campos
- Alfredo León Gil
- Rosa Lie Johansson
- Armando López Becerra
- Julia López
- Nacho López
- Amador Lugo
- Catherine Mac Deville
- Leonel Maciel
- Maridel Macluf
- Elsa Madrigal
- Francisco Magallán
- Maka
- Tosia Malamud
- Salvador Manzano
- Maria Luisa Martin
- Francisco Marín
- Arturo Márquez
- Ofelia Márquez Huitzil
- Mary Martín
- Héctor Martínez Arteche
- Gustavo Martínez Bermúdez
- Magdalena Martínez Franco
- Pedro Martínez Osorio
- Jesús Martínez
- Ricardo Martínez de Hoyos
- Ángel Mateos Benavides
- Daniel Manrique
- Rafael Mazón
- John Mc.Ghee
- Jody Mc.Grath
- Arturo Mecalco
- Ramiro Medina
- Jaime Mejía
- Patricia Mejía Contreras
- Deyanira África Melo
- Eliana Menassé
- Olga Méndez
- Leopoldo Méndez
- Antonio Mendoza
- Carlos Mérida
- Oscar Merino
- Rafael Merino
- Benito Messeguer
- Adolfo Mexiac
- Guillermo Meza
- Alfonso Michel
- Flor Minor
- Raúl Monje Poo
- José Monjaraz
- Roberto Montenegro
- Gustavo Montoya
- Francisco Mora
- Vicente Jesús Montes
- Aliria Morales
- Virginia Morales
- Alejandro Moreno
- Francisco Moreno Capdevila
- Nicolás Moreno
- Carlos Nakatani
- Rogelio Naranjo
- Eduardo Nasta Luna
- Antonio Nava
- Nefero
- Ignacio Nieves Beltrán
- Leonardo Nierman
- Claudia Nierman
- Rodolfo Nieto
- Luis Nishizawa
- Isidoro Ocampo
- Juan O'Gorman
- Pablo O'Higgins
- Froylan Ojeda
- Carlos Olachea
- Armando Ortega
- Ignacio Ortiz
- Trinidad Osorio
- Carlos Orozco Romero
- Mario Orozco Rivera
- Luis Ortiz Monasterio
- Javier Oteiza
- Fernando Pacheco
- Javier Padilla
- Sandra Pani
- Uriel Parker
- Mariano Paredes
- Tomás Parra
- Héctor Pérez Cruz
- Antonio Peláez
- Aida Petit Jean
- Feliciano Peña
- Ángel Pichardo
- Luz María Pizá Núñez
- Salvador Pizarro
- Enrique Pontones
- Pedro Preux
- Antonio Pujol
- Alejandro Quijano
- Yolanda Quijano
- Francisco Quintanar
- Adolfo Quinteros
- Fanny Rabel
- Alice Rahon
- Abel Ramírez Águilar
- Antonio Ramírez
- Everardo Ramírez
- Noemí Ramírez
- Jorge Germán Ramírez Nieto
- Mario Rendón Lozano
- María Luisa Reid
- Walter Reuter
- Maria Antonieta Reyes
- Jesús Reyes Ferreira
- Mario Reyes
- José Reyes Meza
- Antonio Reynoso
- Diego Rivera
- Elvia Rivero Chavero
- Gilberto Rodríguez
- Antonio Rodríguez de la Serna
- Antonio Rodríguez Luna
- Manuel Rodríguez Lozano
- Ignacio Rodríguez
- José Julio Rodríguez
- Oscar Rodríguez
- Tránsito Rojas Santamarina
- Rosa Rolanda
- Mario Romero González
- José Luis Rueda Leal
- José L. Ruíz
- Antonio Ruiz El Corcito
- Froylan Ruiz
- Juan Manuel Salazar
- Cecilia Sanchez Duarte
- Carlos Sánchez
- Sergio Sánchez Ramos
- Herlinda Sánchez Laurel
- Sebastián
- Alfredo Serrano Lara
- Victor Scareño
- Naomi Siegmann
- Sikuame
- Adriano Silva
- Adriano Silva Pantoja
- Waldemar Sjölander
- Luz Maria Solloa Junco
- Elena Somonte
- Juan Soriano
- Hermenegildo Sosa
- Rosendo Soto
- Valetta Swann
- Eduardo Talledos Sánchez
- Rufino Tamayo
- Leticia Tarragó
- José Guillermo Téllez Brun
- Silvia Tinoco
- Luis Toledo
- Elena Tolmac's
- Maria Teresa Toral
- Ángeles Torrejón
- Gerardo Torres
- Jorge Tovar
- Guillermo Toussaint
- Paulina Trejo
- Lucinda Urrusti
- Cordelia Urueta
- Luis Valsoto
- Sergio Valadez Estrada
- Ángel Vallarta
- Nancy van Overveldt
- Aniceto Vargas
- Zalathiel Vargas
- Octavio Vázquez
- Reynaldo Velázquez
- Gabriel Vergara
- Fernando Vilchis
- Alfonso Villanueva
- Luis Vizuet
- Vlady
- Barry Wolfrid
- Héctor Xavier
- Mariana Yampolsky
- Moisés Zabludovsky
- Alfredo Zalce
- Ángel Zamarripa
- Beatriz Zamora
- Álvaro Zardoni
- Gerardo Zarr
- Nahum B. Zenil
- Francisco Zúñiga
- José Zúñiga
- Celso Zubire