In 1947 Leonard and Reva Brooks left for Mexico where Leonard planned to study painting for a year. In Mexico they discovered a vibrant, sometimes even dangerous, society and a dynamic artistic community, unlike the mundane world they had left behind in Canada with its stale and unwelcoming artistic scene. Invigorated by their new environment Leonard and Reva ended up staying for over half a century, playing a key role in establishing San Miguel de Allende as a world-famous art colony. In this new biography, John Virtue chronicles the lives of these two important artists and offers an intimate look at these complex and creative people. Virtue describes how they were caught up in the McCarthy era of Communist witch hunts and blacklisted in the United States. He details their close friendships with luminary figures such as Marshall McLuhan, Earle Birney, and the Mexican art icon David Alfaro Siqueiros, as well as a host of others. As Leonard became a fixture in the Mexican art scene Reva's photography quickly garnered international recognition, applauded by photographers Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. In 1975 the San Francisco Museum of Art selected her as one of the top fifty female photographers of all time. With tales of deportations, shootouts, murder attempts, failures, and triumphs, Leonard and Reva Brooks is a biography of two creative people caught up in interesting times.
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"John Virtue reveals the fascinating story of how the deportation at gunpoint of American and Canadian art teachers from San Miguel de Allende at the start of the McCarthy witch hunts almost kept the Mexican town from becoming the international art center it is today." Andres Oppenheimer, author of Bordering on Chaos: Mexico's Roller-Coaster Journey Toward Prosperity "Virtue's extensive research into the lives of Leonard and Reva Brooks opens our eyes to the circle of Canadian artists who made their home in San Miguel, Mexico. The book is an excellent resource for students of Canadian art and culture and a timely record of a passing generation of artists." Anna Hudson, assistant curator, Canadian art, Art Gallery of Ontario
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Artists in Exile,
By A Customer
This review is from: Leonard and Reva Brooks: Artists in Exile in San Miguel de Allende (Hardcover)
John Virtue has done a splendid job in researching, writing and assembling this highly readable and beautifully conceived volume--part biography, part art book, part history. In Leonard and Reva Brooks: Artists in Exile in San Miguel de Allende, he has recorded the lives of two fascinating individuals who chose to settle in this small Mexican art community in 1947 and has shed light on the Mexican and Canadian art scene of the time. In addition, he has created a moving portrait of the expatriate community and life in this unique Mexican town. (San Miguel de Allende should award him the keys to the city.)
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty good, but some accuracy problems...,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Leonard and Reva Brooks: Artists in Exile in San Miguel de Allende (Hardcover)
This is a pretty good book about Leonard and Reva, and would be of interest to people that actually knew them and their somewhat unusual relationship. There were a couple of things that caught my attention, such as referring to the artist James Pinto as "Jimmy," and the mention of Reva giving Miguel de la Madrid Cordero classes in photography. In fact, Reva received a call from Los Pinos: the president's son needed a crash course and could she recommend someone. She then called Bob Somerlott at the San Miguel Writing Center, where I had built a darkroom and was giving classes. Reva simply told Bob that the son of a prominent Mexico City family wanted a week of private instruction, and if I was available. When Miguel arrived the following Monday morning he introduced himself in flawless English as Michael Lamb. A few hours later Bob went out, and when he returned he was visibly shaken. He pulled me out of the darkroom and whispered that there were two armed men in front of the house, apparently bodyguards. Not long after Miguel returned the next morning Bob slipped out and brought back some unusual information. There were two men on every corner of the block, and they looked serious. Dressed in dark suits, they carried machine guns under their coats and each wore an earphone. I must have looked concerned because when I returned to my student he asked if everything was okay. I responded affirmatively and mentioned the eight bodyguards, adding "There must be some pinche politician in town." He grinned and replied "I'm not a politician, but my father is." It was a good week although a bit strange walking around taking photographs while being shadowed by eight guys carrying machine guns.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book,
By House Doctor "interior decorator" (Beautiful South) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Leonard and Reva Brooks: Artists in Exile in San Miguel de Allende (Hardcover)
Gives the reader great insight as to how the artsit colony in SMA came to be and the relationship between Leonard and Reva. A must read for anyone traveling to SMA or for one that has been there.
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