Octavio medellin biography of barack

American sculptor

Octavio Medellín (–) was a Mexican American sculptor and teacher, best known for the Mexican-influenced sculptures that he created in Texas in the first half of his career. In the s, s, and s, his art became more abstract.

Medellín wrote that “sincere art must be elemental and close to the earth,” and he strove to create art influenced by “the common people and everyday life,” not “politics” or “sophisticated ideas.”^[1] In the s and s, Medellín's work consisted primarily of sculptures and some paintings, many of which are owned by Southern Methodist University's Bywaters Special Collections.

Early life

Born of the son of an Otomi Indian mine worker in San Luis Potosi, Mexico in , Medellín's native country was turning violent and riots were erupting more frequently than before.^[2] The violent chaos of the revolution in his country caused his family to relocate several times before they would eventually settle in to S