Elizabeth Catlett
American, active in Mexico, 1915-2012
La Presa
INV-1843
Elizabeth Catlett
American, active in Mexico, 1915-20121952
linocutprints and drawing
Date
1952
Medium
Linocut on gray laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 45.2 × 37.4 cm (17 13/16 × 14 3/4 in.); Sheet: 63.8 × 48.5 cm (25 1/8 × 19 1/8 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Purchased with funds provided by The Leadership Advisory Committee
This print, La presa (The Dam), is representative of work Elizabeth Catlett produced for the Taller de Gráfica Popular (People’s Graphic Arts Workshop) to celebrate Mexicanidad (Mexican revolutionary spirit) and social and economic progress. This specific print is part of a series created to laud the achievements of Lázaro Cárdenas’s presidency: in this case, building a dam and channeling environmental resources into impoverished areas of the country, spreading electricity and improved education throughout Mexico. The print was produced for a government-sponsored conference and was exhibited there.
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