Artemio Rodriguez's Grafico Movil Photo Courtesy of Mary Sherwood
The bad news is out. After five years La Mano Press has closed its doors. Founded in 2002 by Artemio Rodriguez and Silvia Capistran, La Mano has been an active and inspiring part of the Los Angeles art world. Steeped in the rich history of Mexican printmaking and infusing it with references ranging from Contemporary skate and low brow culture to the paintings of Pieter Breugel, Artemio’s prints are amazing. La Mano has served as a workshop with classes and exhibitions as well as other public projects such the Grafico Movil, a 1947 delivery truck converted into a moving piece of art as well as print studio on wheels.
The good news is that the decision to close the press is not due to the recession, but rather Artemio and Silvia’s desire to no longer divide their time between Los Angeles and Artemio’s hometown of Tacámbaro, Michoacán, Mexico. Their return to Mexico is complete with plans for new projects. Success will surely follow them.
If you are in the LA area, you can see Artemio’s large scale woodcut The Triumph of Death at the Hammer Museum as part of the exhibition Gouge, The Modern Woodcut.
Detail of The Triumph of Death
