Mónica Mayer

Mónica Mayer (born 1954) is a Mexican artist, activist and art critic whose practice includes performance, digital graphics, drawing, photography and art theory. As a conceptual artist, curator, art critic and theorist she has been engaged in various forums and groups. From 1988 to 2008 she was a columnist for the newspaper El Universal (Mexico)[1]

Early life and education

Mayer was born in Mexico City in 1954, and trained there as a visual artist at the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas. She earned a master's degree in the Sociology of Art at Goddard College, United States, with a thesis entitled Feminist Art: An Effective Political Tool.[2] From 1978 to 1980, Mayer participated in the Feminist Studio Workshop at the Woman's Building in Los Angeles, California.

Career

In 1983, with Maris Bustamante, she founded the first feminist art collective in Mexico, Polvo de Gallina Negra (Black Hen Powder).[3] Mayer and Bustamante’s work combined radical social criticism and humour, exemplified by the group’s name: “Black Hen Powder – to protect us from the patriarchal magic which makes women disappear.”[4]

In 1989, with Víctor Lerma, Mayer created the ongoing conceptual project, Pinto mi Raya, whose main function is an archive that specializes in newspaper articles on contemporary art in Mexico. The project’s objective is to stimulate the art system in Mexico by conducting various activities, workshops and performance interventions involving other practitioners such as El Balcón del CENIDIAP, De Crítico, artista y loco..., and El Mejor Amigo de los Museos. Pinto mi Raya has also hosted radio programmes such as “Pinto mi Raya: Donde las Artes Visuales Suenan” (ABCradio, 1999–2000) and has actively participated in various activist actions as part of the artistic community.[5]

In the 1998 publication 'Pinto mi Raya—A Brief Story of Almost 10 Years of Applied Conceptual Art Projects', Lerma and Mayer write:"This experience allowed us to detect some of the most serious problems in our art system, and little by little we started turning into a platform from which we could launch applied conceptual art projects in order to try to find solutions for them. In other words, we seek to lubricate the art system so it runs more smoothly. We also decided to become nomads."[6]

Conferences (selection)

Los ríos amputados.[7] Juarez Autonomous University of Villahermosa ( Tabasco (Mexico). 5 June 2009

Exhibitions (selection)

Publications (selection)

Items of art criticism:

Books:

Further resources (selection)

'Mujeres en Acciòn, serie documental de performance', DVD by Josefina Alcazar featuring: Andrea Ferreyra, Edith Medina, Lorena Méndez, Lorena Orozco, Lorena Wolffer, Katnira Bello, Maris Bustamante, Thereza Lopez, Monica Mayer, Elizabeth Romero, Elvira Santamaria, Ma. Eugenia Chellet, La Congelada De Uva, Diana, Olalde, Gabriela Olivo, Katia Tirado, Nina Yhared. More info: http://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/resources/study-room

References

  1. ↑ "Mónica Mayer's column on El Universal".
  2. ↑ Re.Act.Feminism. Live Art Development Agency - Verlag fur Moderne Kunst. p. 282. ISBN 978-3-86984-460-2.
  3. ↑ "Polvo de Gallina Negra on pintomiraya.com".
  4. ↑ Re.Act.Feminism. Live Art Development Agency - Verlag fur Modern Kunst. p. 290. ISBN 978-3-86984-460-2.
  5. ↑ "Taller de Autobiografía y Performance – Mónica Mayer y Víctor Lerma".
  6. ↑ Victor Lima and Monica Mayer. Pinto my Raya. p. 2.
  7. ↑ "Ríos Amputados por Mónica Mayer".
  8. ↑ "La batalla de los géneros".
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