Blanton’s New “Paper Trails” Exhibition Explores Prints

A new exhibition at the Blanton Art Museum shows how print portfolios helped Latin Americans share their work, allowing them to carry Latin American art and ideas around the world.

The exhibition “Paper Trails: Latin American Art in Print (1950-1995)” was organized by assistant curator of Latin American art, Florencia Bazzano. The exhibition brings together many portfolios that have been introduced to the museum’s collection as gifts. Many of these portfolios have not been researched or studied, but now, brought together, they show how artists from across Latin America used prints to create connections, share cultural identity, and reach audiences around the world.

“I started researching who made them, who organized them, and who had the idea to create this,” Bazzano said. “I realized that the portfolios not only included beautiful artwork, but were also full of information.” The artworks communicated the political and cultural contexts of the places where they were produced. In Mexico, printmaking workshops were established in the 1930s and quickly became a central element of political and social organizations because they produced art influenced by activism. In Puerto Rico, printmaking expanded in the 1950s and, although influenced by Mexican models, was shaped by the island's interests.

The exhibition offered a guided tour by Pablo Stansberry, who helped visitors understand how some printmaking techniques came from Europe and Asia, but that the portfolios on display were from Latin America.

“It would be a mistake to say it's a European derivative,” said Stansberry. “…but we have our own culture, so we're going to show our art in a way that allows us to demonstrate that we're not from Europe, but that we're from Latin America and that we have an interest in Latin American culture.”

Forrest McCoy is an Austin resident, and when he arrived at the museum, he had no expectations. But when the exhibit ended, he left with a deeper appreciation for the work behind each piece. For him, the technical process behind these works adds a new meaning.

“I enjoyed seeing the prints with all the Native American symbols and figures and the number of prints it took to create that colorful masterpiece,” McCoy said. “I appreciate it so much without even realizing it, especially with the prints that are more than just black and white.”

Bazzano said he hopes visitors will not only leave with a deeper understanding of the museum’s collections but also with the mindset that one can engage with art.

“The Blanton has a wonderful collection of Latin American prints,” Bazzano said. “So I hope people are inspired to learn about the arts and maybe even support them.”

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