Before the 1960’s, Latin Americans were very literal in their artwork. They were considered social realists, and lacked the kind of creativity that …show more content…
Rivera went on a scholarship in Europe for painting, and when he returned to Mexico after the revolution he was surprised by the how much it had changed. Although there were still a mass of semi-illiterate people, so the education minister named Jose Vasconcelos gathered many painters, including Rivera, in order to create a huge mural that would reshape their ideas about Mexico and its history. The Union of Technical Workers also helped infuse art with education and declared, “Art must no longer be the expression of individual satisfaction, but should aim to become a fighting, educative tool for all.” Fernando Botero considered the murals “overly political”, although even he went back to pre-Columbian culture to create his own Latin American style. He believed that, if you were Latin American, your style in painting should reflect one from Latin America. Robert Matta disagreed with Botero’s views, and favored the surrealist style of painting that many people during the time in New York adored. Botero’s work couldn’t get into any galleries in Europe or the US because he stuck to his Latin American roots; but now his artwork are held in many museums and sell for millions of dollars