Roberto Guardia Berdecio (20 October 1910–1996) was a

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

n-born artist and a significant contributor to the important political and cultural art movement in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

during the 1950s and 1960s.

Early life

Berdecio was born in

Sucre, Bolivia Sucre () is the capital of Bolivia, the capital of the Chuquisaca Department and the 6th most populated city in Bolivia. Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre lies at an elevation of . This relatively high altitude gives the c ...

Career

Berdecio worked in New York City in the 1930s with

David Alfaro Siqueiros David Alfaro Siqueiros (born José de Jesús Alfaro Siqueiros; December 29, 1896 – January 6, 1974) was a Mexican social realist painter, best known for his large public murals using the latest in equipment, materials and technique. Along with ...

. Berdecio moved to Mexico in the late 1940s where he continued his career in art. He painted

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...

s and

portrait A portrait is a portrait painting, painting, portrait photography, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, Personality type ...

s, created

lithograph Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

s and artistic explorations into the fourth dimension. Berdecio's personal archives, which outlined his collaboration with David Alfaro Siquieros in New York and Mexico, was purchased by the

Getty Museum The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa. The Getty Center is located in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles and fe ...

in 1995. He died in

La Paz, Bolivia La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the third-most populous city in Bol ...

in 1996.

Personal life

Berdecio married Marion Davis Berdecio. In 1980, he met Susan Ribnick in

Cuernavaca, Mexico Cuernavaca (; nci-IPA, Cuauhnāhuac, kʷawˈnaːwak "near the woods", ) is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. The city is located around a 90-minute drive south of Mexico City using the Federal Highway 95D. The na ...

. They moved to the U.S., and traveled annually to Europe and South America, where the artist's politically prominent brother, Mario Mercado, resided in

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...

. Susan and Roberto were in a relationship for 15 years. They collaborated on many projects including the mural restoration (1990) of The Padre Hidalgo mural painted originally with Juan O 'Gorman in at the CIESS campus in Mexico City.

References

External links

* https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/124-10313-10012.pdf * https://archive.org/details/CoplonJudithHQ10 * * Bolivian artists Bolivian expatriates in Mexico Bolivian expatriates in the United States Artists from New York City People from La Paz People from Sucre 1910 births 1996 deaths {{Bolivia-artist-stub