Isauro Martinez Theater a cultural Icon in the middle of Mexico!
A worthwhile visit.


The paintings in the theater by Salvador Tarazona took more than 2 years to complete.
The design of the façade & interiors are Art Deco with Spanish, Arab & very stylized designs. Of particular note is a frontal rose window contained inside an immense Moorish arch that surrounds the stage; however, it is Tarazona’s art containing elements from Arabia, Indochina & the Ottoman Empire that draws the eye to the ceiling & stage. The impressive murals Tarazona painted show exotic scenes that could have been taken from the One Thousand and One Nights. The murals are somewhat faded but haven't been retouched even through an extensive remodeling to retain the artistic integrity that Salvador Tarazona intended.

We all had a great time on our tour even when our tour guide told us very unbelievable ghost stories! ...some sort of 3rd row "ghost seat"? My friend Carolyn smiled even when we were taken up into the dizzy uppermost portion of the theater where the cheap seats were! Isauro Martinez Theater is one of the national historic art treasures. It is said to be rated as the 2nd most beautiful theater in Latin America.


Beauty, Wisdom & an evil doer! Always at part of a dramatic setting! These carved columns were part of the interior artworks that took several years to complete when Isauro Martinez built this theater.




Eternal Love as painted by Salvador Tarazona in the Theater Isauro Martinez, Torreon Coahuila.

Also in historic Centro, we toured the "Canal de la Perla" which is an old irrigation channel running underneath the Historical Center of Torreon. The origins of the Perla irrigation channel date from 1890's & actually predate Torreon as a city. The corridor of the old canal which has been preserved is now host to modern day art exhibits.


Quiet subterranean stroll...while the Traffic flies by overhead!! (Probably the most orderly Mexican traffic I have ever seen or photographed!)

This beautiful Arbol de Vida~Tree of Life was a gift. While the shape of the cross is a bit out of the ordinary for the Tree of Life, it is popular in Southern Mexico & is actually Mayan in origin. I think they are beautiful with each one a little different & themes widely varying. There are even Dia de los Muertos trees I have seen with the macabre little skeletons decorating the entire piece.

The Tree of Life is often compared to the construction of Mayan temples, which was also a vertical structure representing the passage from subterranean to the heavens & afterlife.

~Many years ago, Mexican Godparents would give a candlestick to newly weds as a wedding gift. If the couple didn't receive one they had misfortune in everything they did. Their land, crops & even ability to have children would fail & therefore their marriage would fail. However, if they had a candlestick or Tree of Life, it was said they would live in abundance, have many children & a very happy life together.
So it is that the simple candlestick became a symbol of life, and people began to call the candlestick 'Arbol de la vida,' tree of life, since it offers a miracle of a healthy, rich and happy life. And so the story goes...

The original versions of the Tree of Life consisted of a clay tree with its branches ending in candleholders. On the tree are leaves, molded flowers and round "fruit" balls and often religious figures of some sort. Sometime in the 1940s Diego Rivera showed a Metepec family how to use aniline paints to create a bright polychrome effect. The same polychromics decorate many church interiors throughout Mexico. Rivera promoted production of the ceramic trees in Mexico City & both he & his wife Frida Kahlo collected them. The Tree of Life theme is carried out in several of her paintings but most notably in her "Tree of Life", "Tree of Hope" & "Frame" portrait of herself. It is one of my favorites since it has use of such bold colors & reminds me of a the small tissue paper banners & painted tin decorations used at fiestas in Mexico.

There is a Wonderful book published about these beautiful works of art called:
Ceramic Trees of Life: Popular Art from Mexico by Lenore Hoag Mulryan


Frida Kahlo, "The Frame"

Fuego!



Aida~Opera Monumental!

Saturday night John & I attended a spectacular performance of Aida in Torreon at Estaduio Revolucion. The world premiere was in Monterrey Mexico 2 nights before Torreon's performance. There were 180 Actors, a chorus of 80 & a massive stage with 27 meter screen that had images of Ancient Egypt which seemed to sweep the audience into the production. Set in Ancient Egypt the plot of Aida has all the elements of any great story: Doomed love, War, Betrayal & Jealousy. We were blown away by the Scenery & Fire that is used to punctuate the storyline & could actually feel the heat in our VIP seating. The show is billed as Monumental Opera on Fire! Priceless! People Watching in Torreon on a Saturday night: Magnifico!
for more info on the show: http://www.aida-on-fire.com/index.php?id=7

Art & Culture
Downtown Art in Torreon Arocena building
John visits Museo Arocena
Museo Arocena, Bravo!
Cow Parade in Mexico? Cows create interest!
Plaza de Armas

Torreon along with Mexican history are proudly represented in the new Museo Arcena. Paintings both contemporary & classic as well as artifacts from Europe & Mexico were beautifully arranged in the galleries of the new Museum. Four floors of extraordinary objects. Outside we were amused by a Cow Parade much like the same exhibits held in the U.S.A. Appeal of Cows is universal it seems.