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My Art, My Life: An Autobiography (Dover Fine Art, History of Art)
by
Diego Rivera
,
Gladys March
A richly revealing document offering many telling insights into the mind and heart of a giant of 20th-century art. "Engrossing as a novel." -- "Chicago Sunday Tribune." 21 halftones.
Kindle Edition
,
224 pages
Published
April 26th 2012
by Dover Publications
(first published January 14th 1992)
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Community Reviews
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A great tall tale in which Diego always does and says the right thing. If anything goes wrong, he eventually manages to put it right or to accept defeat with dignity. He's funny and engaging and I believe about a tenth of it--mostly the part about what he wanted his murals to achieve and the meaning in his work. The appendix has statements by all four wives, most of whom indicate the centrality of his art in his life, to the point that it was really to that that he was faithful. Fair enough. The
...more
A great read. Lines are blurred between truth and exaggeration as Rivera recounts stories to an American. Describes encounters with corrupt politicians, mistresses, fascists, and other figures of intrigue. A nice glimpse into the heady times of artistic and political revolution in Mexico. Like the works themselves, Rivera is incredibly unpretentious in his descriptions of his work. He expanded my appreciation for his work as he describes the importance of indigenous sources of inspiration and de
...more
Mar 05, 2015
Ellice
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
permanent-collection-nonfiction
Diego Rivera
is a horrible liar. It is exceedingly difficult to believe his version of things: that he lost his virginity at age 9, he had an affair with a married woman at 12 or 13, he escaped from a police dragnet while being framed by Leon Trotsky for an attempt on his life, and that his doctor assured Rivera and one of his several wives that some men "were simply incapable of sexual fidelity" and that Rivera was one of those.
However, if you are wondering if all that is as interesting as it s ...more
However, if you are wondering if all that is as interesting as it s ...more
Jul 19, 2015
Moop
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adult-books
,
2015-book-challenge
I really enjoyed this book. Diego, what a very creative artist however other things in his life were pretty much a mess! He definitely had a very interesting life. His true love was his art as other parts of his life were pretty messed up. He was very politically opinionated and this got him into trouble on several occasions. His personal life with all his wives was a mess. It seemed his male organ ruled him. Interestingly enough he got penis cancer. Enjoyed learning about him and I love his wor
...more
2009 review:
Well, Diego Rivera lied to himself a lot is what I learned from this book. There's a lot in this book that is completely false, uncheckable, or that's exaggerated. It could be interesting as a study of how a man presents himself to appear as the perfect revolutionary/communist Mexican male artist. It was a fairly easy read, especially as books for class go. But I wouldn't go so far as to say I'd recommend it outside of class...:p
Well, Diego Rivera lied to himself a lot is what I learned from this book. There's a lot in this book that is completely false, uncheckable, or that's exaggerated. It could be interesting as a study of how a man presents himself to appear as the perfect revolutionary/communist Mexican male artist. It was a fairly easy read, especially as books for class go. But I wouldn't go so far as to say I'd recommend it outside of class...:p
Rivera tells some pretty fantastic tales in this book... some a bit too fantastic to believe. It's unfortunate, but it makes it harder to read the rest. Despite this, it's totally worth reading for Rivera's descriptions of painting certain murals -- what he was thinking and trying to convey, the context of the times. Also, Frida Kahlo's write-up on him is beautiful.
No matter what you think of Rivera as a person, this was a really interesting read. His life was full of drama, he was so narcissistic, but at the end he owns up to his faults, and doesn't apologize for them.
He is my favorite artist. His own view of his work and his life was just as I expected and more. Great insight into his life...not without a touch of ego. A good read if interested in the life of the muralist/activist.
May not have a mass appeal but if you like lives of artists--this one's for you. He was such a colorful character, and courageous artist.
All of Rivera's fabrications and tall tales make for a quick-moving autobiography, if not totally trustworthy.
Slow start, but really enjoyed especially after reading "Frida".
What a crazy life to lead! Well worth the read.
genial, como toda esa generacion
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“From sunrise to sunset, I was in the forest, sometimes far from the house, with my goat who watched me as a mother does a child. All the animals in the forest became my friends, even dangerous and poisonous ones. Thanks to my goat-mother and my Indian nurse, I have always enjoyed the trust of animals--a precious gift. I still love animals infinitely more than human beings.”
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“In my previous murals, I had tried to achieve a harmony in my painting with the architecture of the building. But to attempt such a harmony in the garden of the Institute would have defeated my purposes. For the walls here were of an intricate Italian baroque style, with little windows, heads of satyrs, doorways, and sculpturesque mouldings. It was within such a frame that I was to represent the life of an age which had nothing to do with baroque refinements -- a new life which was characterized by masses, machines, and naked mechanical power. So I set to work consciously to over-power the ornamentation of the room.”
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