Candelario Medrano Toy Airplane, 1970's, Sta.Cruz de las Huertas

Peos Priced Item;    Candelario Medrano (1918-1986) . "Originally from Santa Cruz de las Huertas, Tonalá , Jalisco. Surrealist craftsman, Popular artist, technically trained under the various techniques that are transmitted from generation to generation between families of artisans.  He was born on February 2, 1918, at the age of 17 he abandoned his trade as a clay drainage tube maker to create sculptures made with the same material but profusely colored. In 1960 his work began to be fully valued, reaching true importance and recognition not only in Mexico but universally, although he never understood that it was classified as a surrealist work at Harvard or Berkeley Universities . USA .  Of surprising creativity and imagination, creator of: Arcas de Noé with everything and mariacheros, kiosks of floating tastoanes, kiosks that almost fly and circuses with the fattest woman; churches and cathedrals with high towers full of pigeons, passenger trucks with chickens and everything; planes with paunchy angels, derailed trains, bullrings without sun or shade. Candelario: the surrealist popular genius, he was capable of all this and more.  Awards:  Several national recognitions received "Don Cande" . In 1983, the Institute of Crafts and FONART awarded him the State Prize for Ceramics. In 1986 in the National Ceramics contest of Tlaquepaque , Jal . He received the Pantaleón Panduro Award , later the Government of the State of Jalisco awarded him the State Award. Important Museums in Mexico, the United States and Europe have him in their collections. Today his work has very high prices. A good man, cheerful and talkative, he liked parties at home and in the town, he played the position of "moreno" in the festival of the Tastoanes where he danced and drank. In his always witty talk, the stories and myths of all the places and times, his work is: the small gap through which one can peek into the old dreams of that child that hidden and forgotten we carry inside. Candelario died as he lived: crushed and poor but always happy."  (This data is from a Mexican government internet post. ) This Airplane measures 16" long, 13 1/2" wide and 7" tall.  He was iliterate and never signed his works.  Near the end of his life, he had his grandchildren sign his name to some pieces for gringos who treasured "signed" pieces.. This is unsigned but there is no doubt it is his work and not that of his offspring. The colors are his traditional colors from the beginning.