Tamayo, Rufino, << tah MAH yoh, roo FEE noh >> (1899-1991), was an important Mexican painter. He became noted for his bold, brightly colored paintings of human figures, animals, and still lifes. Tamayo painted in a semiabstract style, in which he distorted forms to make them more expressive. His paintings reflect the influence of the folklore, history, and landscape of Mexico. But unlike other major Mexican artists of his day, Tamayo seldom emphasized nationalism or political ideology.
Tamayo was born in Oaxaca. In the early 1920’s, he worked sketching ancient Indian sculpture for the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. In the 1930’s and early 1940’s, his style was affected by his exposure to the works of the modern European painters Georges Braque, Joan Miró, and Pablo Picasso. Beginning about 1970, Tamayo’s paintings became more abstract and philosophical, often exploring the individual’s relation to the universe.
