In 1931, Diego Rivera was the subject of The Museum of Modern Art's second monographic exhibition, which set attendance records in its five-week run. The Museum brought Rivera to NewYork six weeks before the opening and provided him a studio space in the building. There he produced five 'portable murals' - large blocks of frescoed plaster, slaked lime and wood that feature bold images drawn from Mexican subject matter and address themes of revolution and class inequity. After the opening, to great publicity, Rivera added three more murals, taking on NewYork subjects through monumental images of the urban working class. Published in conjunction with an exhibition that brings together key works from Rivera's 1931 show and related material, this vividly illustrated catalogue casts the artist as a highly cosmopolitan figure who moved between Russia, Mexico and the United States and examines the intersection of art-making and radical politics in the 1930s.

Director Shion Sono's loose adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name, follows two teenagers' attempts to survive the aftermath of Japan's 2011 tsunami. Abandoned by his mother, 14-year-old Sumida (Shota Sometani) lives in a boathouse beside a lake and dreams of living a normal life free from his father (Ken Mitsuishi)'s casual beatings. Sharing his dreams of normality is his classmate Chazawa (Fumi Nikaidô), who has a crush on Sumida, even though her feelings are not reciprocated. As the pair try to come to terms with their seemingly bleak futures, events come to a head when Sumida's father taunts him to excess, resulting in a fatally violent altercation. With his dreams now dashed, but eager to make amends to society for his actions, Sumida takes to the streets as a self-styled vigilante, dispensing 'justice' with the aid of a kitchen knife.

Moteuczoma, the last king who ruled the Aztec Empire, was rarely seen or heard by his subjects, yet his presence was felt throughout the capital city of Tenochtitlan, where his deeds were recorded in hieroglyphic inscriptions on monuments and his command was expressed in highly refined ritual performances. What did Moteuczoma’s “fame” mean in the Aztec world? How was it created and maintained? In this innovative study, Patrick Hajovsky investigates the king’s inscribed and spoken name, showing how it distinguished his aura from those of his constituencies, especially other Aztec nobles, warriors, and merchants, who also vied for their own grandeur and fame. While Tenochtitlan reached its greatest size and complexity under Moteuczoma, the “Great Speaker” innovated upon fame by tying his very name to the Aztec royal office. As Moteuczoma’s fame transcends Aztec visual and oral culture, Hajovsky brings together a vast body of evidence, including Nahuatl language and poetry, indigenous pictorial manuscripts and written narratives, and archaeological and sculptural artifacts. The kaleidoscopic assortment of sources casts Moteuczoma as a divine king who, while inheriting the fame of past rulers, saw his own reputation become entwined with imperial politics, ideological narratives, and eternal gods. Hajovsky also reflects on posthumous narratives about Moteuczoma, which created a very different sense of his fame as a conquered subject. These contrasting aspects of fame offer important new insights into the politics of personhood and portraiture across Aztec and colonial-period sources.

Cuba continues to loom large in U.S. consciousness and politics. Culture and Customs of Cuba is a much-needed resource that gives students and other readers an in-depth view of our important island neighbor. Luis, of Cuban descent, provides detailed, clear insight into the society, religions, customs, media, cinema, literature, performing arts, and art in the context of three interrelated periods in Cuban history: Colonial, the Republic, and Castros Revolution and beyond. The contributions of Cubans in exile are considered an inherent part of Cuban culture and Luis includes them as well.

This striking new monograph on the beloved Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo, marks the 100th anniversary of the artist's birth and features an impressive selection of her works, spanning from her earliest of paintings to her last, along with snapshots of family and friends.Walker Art Center

During the period of Aztec expansion and empire (ca. 1325–1525), scribes of high social standing used a pictographic writing system to paint hundreds of manuscripts detailing myriad aspects of life, including historical, calendric, and religious information. Following the Spanish conquest, native and mestizo tlacuiloque (artist-scribes) of the sixteenth century continued to use pre-Hispanic pictorial writing systems to record information about native culture. Three of these manuscripts—Codex Boturini, Codex Azcatitlan, and Codex Aubin—document the origin and migration of the Mexica people, one of several indigenous groups often collectively referred to as “Aztec.” In Portraying the Aztec Past, Angela Herren Rajagopalan offers a thorough study of these closely linked manuscripts, articulating their narrative and formal connections and examining differences in format, style, and communicative strategies. Through analyses that focus on the materials, stylistic traits, facture, and narrative qualities of the codices, she places these annals in their historical and social contexts. Her work adds to our understanding of the production and function of these manuscripts and explores how Mexica identity is presented and framed after the conquest.

Massive yet elegantly executed masonry architecture and andenes (agricultural terraces) set against majestic and seemingly boundless Andean landscapes, roads built in defiance of rugged terrains, and fine textiles with orderly geometric designs—all were created within the largest political system in the ancient New World, a system headed, paradoxically, by a single, small minority group without wheeled vehicles, markets, or a writing system, the Inka. For some 130 years (ca. A.D. 1400 to 1533), the Inka ruled over at least eighty-six ethnic groups in an empire that encompassed about 2 million square kilometers, from the northernmost region of the Ecuador–Colombia border to northwest Argentina. The Inka Empire brings together leading international scholars from many complementary disciplines, including human genetics, linguistics, textile and architectural studies, ethnohistory, and archaeology, to present a state-of-the-art, holistic, and in-depth vision of the Inkas. The contributors provide the latest data and understandings of the political, demographic, and linguistic evolution of the Inkas, from the formative era prior to their political ascendancy to their post-conquest transformation. The scholars also offer an updated vision of the unity, diversity, and essence of the material, organizational, and symbolic-ideological features of the Inka Empire. As a whole, The Inka Empire demonstrates the necessity and value of a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates the insights of fields beyond archaeology and ethnohistory. And with essays by scholars from seven countries, it reflects the cosmopolitanism that has characterized Inka studies ever since its beginnings in the nineteenth century.

Chronicles the life of Mexican artist Diego Rivera and discusses the artists who influenced him, his involvement in Communism, his family life, and other related topics.

William Henry Holmes' "Ancient Art of the Province of Chiriqui, Colombia" is a seminal work that explores the rich artistic heritage of pre-Columbian societies in Chiriqu√≠. Drawing on meticulous fieldwork and archaeological artifacts, Holmes delves into the intricate designs and cultural significance of pottery, metalwork, and sculptural forms. The book is characterized by its detailed illustrations and thoughtful analysis, reflecting Holmes' commitment to blending scientific inquiry with a narrative that honors the artistic endeavors of ancient civilizations. Positioned within the broader context of American archaeology at the turn of the 20th century, this work not only catalogues the art forms but also intertwines them with the historical and social dynamics of their creators, providing a comprehensive understanding of their cultural legacies. William Henry Holmes, a prominent American anthropologist and archaeologist, was influenced by a lifetime of studies in the field, notably with the Bureau of American Ethnology. His passion for uncovering and preserving indigenous history was catalyzed by a growing concern about the erosion of cultural identities in the face of modernization. Through his detailed examination, Holmes sought to elevate the understanding and appreciation of Chiriqu√≠'Äôs ancient peoples, affirming their place in the narrative of human artistic achievement. For scholars, art historians, and casual readers alike, "Ancient Art of the Province of Chiriqui, Colombia" offers a profound glimpse into the aesthetic expressions of a long-resilient civilization. Holmes' work is indispensable for those interested in the intersection of art, archaeology, and anthropology, and it serves as a vital resource for understanding the intricate tapestries of indigenous cultures in Latin America.