Art Opening
Ruben Morales
Sat, Aug 15, 6–8pm 
Bordello Galería
Órganos 19

Opening for Mexican impressionist
By Barbara Poole

The Bordello Galería hosts a month-long exhibition of paintings by Morelian artist Ruben Morales.

His impressionist renderings of typical Mexican subjects may seem simple at first, but the combination of economy of strokes and rich colors and light allow these seemingly naïve paintings to reveal a more complex and intentional piece of art.

A former student of Morelia’s Bellas Artes school, Morales says he rejected most of the traditional art education and learned more from other painters he met. He works from his memory and imagination capturing everyday life in Mexico in a striking way.

Morales regards Diego Rivera as his favorite painter, though only his subject matter reflects Rivera’s style; they both pay tribute to the common man and woman. Impressionist works by Morales are technically looser and more flowing than Rivera’s.

Morales, 62, says, “I try to create a feeling or emotion, maybe portraying melancholy or sadness.” He does this through faceless subjects in everyday situations—a woman selling flowers, an old man walking with a cane or a girl washing clothes. The mood is evoked with simple gesture, posture and color applied in broad strokes.

Still a simple man with simple ways, Morales sells most of his work on the street in Morelia. Despite significant outsider acclaim, his work continues to be fresh and affordable.

He has been noticed by international collectors who have sponsored gallery exhibits in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona, in Florida and more locally in Puerto Vallarta. His work will travel to Buffalo, New York, this fall. He has been shown in Uruguay and in the state-sponsored Mexican colectiva “Casa de Artesanías” in Morelia.

Barbara Poole, the exhibit organizer, first became interested in the work of Morales in 1996, and has since collected many of his oil paintings. She recently “discovered” him again on a trip to Morelia and invited him to exhibit at her guesthouse gallery in San Miguel.

The “Bordello Galería” is so named because it is located in the main sala of Madam Turca’s Casa de la Noche, where notorious “ladies of the evening” once made their living. Poole, owner of the guesthouse and a painter herself, hopes to continue using her front room gallery space to promote lesser-known Mexican artists as well as emerging sanmiguelenses.

Many works by Morales already decorate the private rooms at Casa de la Noche. The seven-room guesthouse is filled with original art and is a cozy respite for tourists and travelers. Morales’ works will be on display in the main sala for a month, by appointment or chance (152-0732). 



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Art Exhibit
Magaly Padilla
Fri, Aug 14, 5–8pm
Through August 31
MERO Gallery
Zacateros 24

Serpents and jaguars

Magaly Padilla was born in Mexico City. She studied in Cancún, Quintana Roo, where she began her discovery and admiration for the pre-Hispanic world of the Maya.

This investigation of Mayan cultures, rites and traditions continues to influence her artwork and research.

Her studies of the ancient Mesoamerian cultures are incorporated in contemplative forms and work with diverse materials such as ceramic, bronze and stone; they take shape in her sculpture, graphic art and painting.

One of the most important animals in Mesoamerica, which also had major symbolic complexity, was the serpent. Its relevance dates back to remote epochs, and it was during the high point of Teotihuacán that it became a symbol of political power. According to the Mayan calendar, the serpent was a sign of good fortune. Of all serpents, the one possessing the greatest complexity is Quetzalcóatl: the plumed serpent.

The jaguar symbolized the night and also the nagual (animal spirit) of the most important men (such as the kings or priests), of men linked to the supernatural (such as the shamans) and of the gods themselves (like Tezcatlipoca). In the creation myths, this deity was the first Sun that, displaced by Quetzalcóatl, converted himself into a jaguar. He was the eagle’s companion for that reason. In the Post-Classic period, warriors were called cuauhtli-océlotl (eagle-jaguar).

Padilla’s work in diverse collective exhibitions has appeared in Mexico City, Cuernavaca, Cancún, Playa del Carmen and San Miguel de Allende. As well, she has had individual exhibitions in Mexico City and San Miguel.

After a successful exhibit at Bellas Artes, Padilla shows her work at MERO Gallery, bringing important symbols of ancient Mesoamerican cultures to the present.