Gunther Gerzso (June 17, 1915 – April 21, 2000) was a Mexican

painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

, designer and director and screenwriter for film and theatre.

Biography

Gerzso was born in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, in the times of the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

. His parents were Oscar Gerzso (), a Hungarian immigrant, and Dore Wendland, German by birth. After his father's death a few months after Gunther was born, his mother married a German jeweler. The economic crisis during the revolution caused the family to flee to Europe in 1922. The family returned to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

two years later and her mother divorced. Not being able to provide for the children, she sent Gunther to

Lugano Lugano ( , , ; ) is a city and municipality within the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. It is the largest city in both Ticino and the Italian-speaking region of southern Switzerland. Lugano has a population () of , and an u ...

, Switzerland to live with his uncle Dr. Hans Wendland, who was an influential name in the art world. Gunther, then a teenager, met

Paul Klee Paul Klee (; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented wi ...

and lived among his uncle's collection of paintings which included works by

Pierre Bonnard Pierre Bonnard (; 3 October 186723 January 1947) was a French painter, illustrator and printmaker, known especially for the stylized decorative qualities of his paintings and his bold use of color. A founding member of the Post-Impressionist gr ...

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation, influenced avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century a ...

Eugène Delacroix Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( ; ; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French people, French Romanticism, Romantic artist who was regarded as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: ...

and

Titian Tiziano Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian Renaissance painter, the most important artist of Renaissance Venetian painting. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno. Ti ...

. During his time in Lugano, he also met

Nando Tamberlani Nando Tamberlani (1896–1967) was an Italian actor. A character actor in Italian cinema of the postwar era, he was the brother of actor Carlo Tamberlani. Another brother Ermete Tamberlani was also an actor. He appeared in a number of peplum epi ...

, noted set designer who would introduce him to the world of theater. In 1931, due to the impact of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

in Europe, Dr. Wendland sent the boy back to his mother in Mexico City. Back home he started doing sketches for set designs and writing plays influenced by Mr. Tamberlani. Two years later he started working in a local theater production company run by

Fernando Wagner Fernando Wagner (November 7, 1905 in Göttingen, German Empire, Germany – October 20, 1973 in Cuernavaca, Mexico) was a German-born Mexican actor and film director. He had prominent roles in ''La perla (film), La Perla'' and ''The Wild Bunch' ...

. In 1935 he was offered a scholarship to study at the

Cleveland Play House Cleveland Play House (CPH) is a professional regional theater company located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1915 and built its own noted theater complex in 1927. Currently the company performs at the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square ...

where he made more than 50 set designs over the course of four years. During the 1940s and '50s he made various set designs for Mexican, French and American films. He won a total of five Premios Ariel (The Mexican Equivalent of the Oscars) for Best

Production Design In film industry, film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and ...

as well as two more honorary Ariel Awards in 1994 and 2000. During this time he collaborated with directors like Emilio "El Indio" Fernández in ''Un Día de Vida'' (1950),

Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish and Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians and directors to be one of the greatest and ...

in '' Susana'' (1951), ''

Una Mujer sin Amor ''Una mujer sin amor'' (English: ''A Woman Without Love'') is a 1952 Mexican film directed by Spanish-born filmmaker Luis Buñuel. It is based on Guy de Maupassant's novel '' Pierre and Jean''. The film, like much of Buñuel's work, criticizes bo ...

'' (1952) and '' El rio y la muerte'' (1955),

Yves Allégret Yves Allégret (13 October 1905 – 31 January 1987) was a French film director, often working in the film noir genre. He was born in Asnières-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine and died in Paris. He was an assistant to film directors such as his brothe ...

in '' Les Orgueilleux'' (1953), and

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He rec ...

in ''

Under the Volcano ''Under the Volcano'' is a novel by the English writer Malcolm Lowry (1909–1957) published in 1947. It tells the story of Geoffrey Firmin, an alcoholic British Consulate general, consul in the Mexican city of Cuernavaca, Quauhnahuac on the D ...

'' (1984). In the late 1930s Gerzso also started painting as a hobby. The steady parade of beautiful actresses and interesting people he met in show business provided him with a great inspiration for his canvases which showed a mix of European and Mexican influences. His friend, Bernard Pfriem, convinced him to enter the annual Art Exhibition at the

Cleveland Museum of Art The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Located in the Wade Park District of University Circle, the museum is internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian art, Asian and Art of anc ...

where two of his works were selected. It was then that Gunther Gerzso started considering himself a painter more than a set designer. In 1941 Gerzso and his wife moved permanently to

and in 1944 he joined a group of

surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

painters that had taken refuge from the Second World War in Mexico. These artists were

Benjamin Péret Benjamin Péret (4 July 1899 – 18 September 1959) was a French poet, Parisian Dadaist, and founder and central member of the French Surrealist movement with his avid use of Surrealist automatism. Biography Benjamin Péret was born in Rezé ...

Leonora Carrington Mary Leonora Carrington (6 April 191725 May 2011) was a British-born, naturalised Mexican Surrealist painter and novelist. She lived most of her adult life in Mexico City and was one of the last surviving participants in the Surrealist movem ...

Remedios Varo María de los Remedios Alicia Rodriga Varo y Uranga (known as Remedios Varo, 16 December 1908 – 8 October 1963) was a Spanish and Mexican surrealist painter. Early life and education María de los Remedios Alicia Rodriga Varo y Uranga was bo ...

Alice Rahon Alice Phillipot (Alice Rahon) (8 June 1904 – September 1987) was a French-born Mexican poet and artist whose work contributed to the beginning of abstract expression in Mexico. She began as a surrealist poet in Europe but began painting in Mex ...

and

Wolfgang Paalen Wolfgang Robert Paalen (July 22, 1905 in Vienna, Austria – September 24, 1959 in Taxco, Mexico) was an Austrian-Mexican painter, sculptor, and Aesthetics, art philosopher. A member of the Abstraction-Création group from 1934 to 1935, he joine ...

. His works from this period show a clear surrealist influence, which he later abandoned when he started working his famous

abstracts An abstract is a brief summary of a research article, thesis, review, conference proceeding, or any in-depth analysis of a particular subject and is often used to help the reader quickly ascertain the paper's purpose. When used, an abstract always ...

. According to

Octavio Paz Octavio Paz Lozano (March 31, 1914 – April 19, 1998) was a Mexican poet and diplomat. For his body of work, he was awarded the 1977 Jerusalem Prize, the 1981 Miguel de Cervantes Prize, the 1982 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, a ...

, Gunther Gerzso was one of the greatest Latin American painters, since it was he, along with

Carlos Mérida Carlos Mérida (December 2, 1891 – December 21, 1985) was a Guatemalan artist and naturalized Mexican who was one of the first to fuse European modern painting to Latin American themes, especially those related to Guatemala and Mexico. He was ...

and

Rufino Tamayo Rufino del Carmen Arellanes Tamayo (August 25, 1899 – June 24, 1991) was a Mexican painter of Zapotec peoples, Zapotec heritage, born in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico.Sullivan, 170-171Ades, 357 Tamayo was active in the mid-20th cen ...

, who opposed the ideologist aesthetic movement into which

muralism 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 Spanish ...

had degenerated. Gunther Gerzso was awarded the

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...

in 1973 and later in 1978 he was the recipient of the Premio Nacional de Bellas Artes. Gunther Gerzso died on April 21, 2000.

Selected filmography

* ''

Santa Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christma ...

'' (1943) * ''

The Newlywed Wants a House ''The Newlywed Wants a House'' (Spanish: ''El casado casa quiere'') is a 1948 Mexican comedy film directed by Gilberto Martínez Solares and starring María Elena Marqués, Rafael Baledón and Malú Gatica. Jacobson p.95 It was part of a scheme b ...

'' (1948) * '' The Shadow of the Bridge'' (1948) * ''

Beau Ideal ''Beau Ideal'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code adventure film directed by Herbert Brenon and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film was based on the 1927 adventure novel ''Beau Ideal (novel), Beau Ideal'' by P. C. Wren, the th ...

'' (1948) * '' A Family Like Many Others'' (1949) * ''

Confessions of a Taxi Driver ''Confessions of a Taxi Driver'' (Spanish: ''Confidencias de un ruletero'') is a 1949 Mexican comedy film directed by Alejandro Galindo and starring Adalberto Martinez, Lilia Prado and Julio Villarreal.Agrasánchez p.32 Cast * Adalberto Mar ...

'' (1949) * '' The Magician'' (1949) * ''

Rosauro Castro ''Rosauro Castro'' is a 1950 Mexican drama film directed by Roberto Gavaldón and starring Pedro Armendáriz, Carlos López Moctezuma and María Douglas. Hershfield & Maciel p.173 It was shot at the Azteca Studios in Mexico City. The film's sets w ...

'' (1950) * ''

Between Your Love and Heaven ''Between Your Love and Heaven'' (Spanish: ''Entre tu amor y el cielo'') is a 1950 Mexican crime drama film directed by Emilio Gómez Muriel and starring Rosario Granados, Roberto Cañedo and Rodolfo Acosta. It was shot at the Clasa Studios in ...

'' (1950) * ''

They Say I'm a Communist ''They Say I'm a Communist'' (Spanish: ''Dicen que soy comunista'') is a 1951 Mexican comedy film directed by Alejandro Galindo and starring Adalberto Martínez, María Luisa Zea and Miguel Manzano.Agrasánchez p.26 Cast * Adalberto Martíne ...

'' (1951) * '' She and I'' (1951) * ''

The Atomic Fireman ''The Atomic Fireman'' (Spanish: ''El bombero atómico'') is a 1952 Mexican comedy film directed by Miguel M. Delgado and starring Cantinflas, Roberto Soto and Gilberto González.Stavans p.91 The film's art direction was by Gunther Gerszo. Pl ...

'' (1952) * ''

Sister Alegría ''Sister Alegría'' (Spanish: ''Sor Alegría'') is a 1952 Mexican comedy drama film directed by Tito Davison and starring Rosita Quintana, Carmen Montejo and Andrea Palma.Riera p.199 It was shot at the Churubusco Studios in Mexico City. The film ...

'' (1952) * ''

The Photographer A photographer A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who uses a camera to make photographs. Duties and ty ...

'' (1953) * ''

The Price of Living ''The Price of Living'' (Spanish: ''El valor de vivir'') is a 1954 Mexican drama film directed by Tito Davison and starring Arturo de Córdova, Rosita Quintana and María Douglas. It was the first Mexican film to be shot in 3-D film, 3D.Baugh p.11 ...

'' (1954) * ''

The River and Death ''The River and Death'' (Spanish: ''El río y la muerte'') is a 1954 Mexican film. It was written by Luis Alcoriza and directed by Luis Buñuel. The film is an adaptation of Miguel Álvarez Acosta's 1952 novel ''Muro blanco en roca negra'' (White ...

'' (1955) * '' To the Four Winds'' (1955) * ''

The King of Mexico ''The King of Mexico'' (Spanish:''El rey de México'') is a 1956 Mexican comedy film. It was written by Luis Alcoriza. Plot A local radio station decides to try out an experiment and offers the first homeless man that walks by the chance of beco ...

'' (1956) * '' El ataúd del Vampiro'' (1958) * ''

Sonatas In music a sonata (; pl. ''sonate'') literally means a piece ''played'' as opposed to a cantata (Latin and Italian ''cantare'', "to sing"), a piece ''sung''. The term evolved through the Music history, history of music, designating a variety of ...

'' (1959)

References

*Artspawn
"Biography of Gunther Gerzso"
''Biographical information about Gunther Gerzso on Artspawn''.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gerzso, Gunther 1915 births 2000 deaths 20th-century Mexican painters Mexican male painters Golden Ariel Award winners Mexican people of Hungarian descent Mexican people of German descent Mexican production designers Artists from Mexico City Mexican surrealist artists Modern painters 20th-century Mexican screenwriters 20th-century Mexican male writers 20th-century Mexican male artists