Juan O'Gorman He was an architect and muralist, member of the Mexican mural school and author of the mural of the Central Library of the UNAM.
Born in 1905, he was the son of the chemical engineer Cecil Crawford O'Gorman, of Irish origin. Although from a very young age he excelled in painting, in 1921 he entered the San Carlos Academy to study architecture.
Professionally he served as a public official. In the 30s he built 35 elementary and technical schools based on the current of functionalist architecture, that is, buildings with a purpose and function without ornaments.
His first murals were made in canteens as part of his decoration. In the following years, his works would be created in the old airport in Mexico City, formerly the Federal District, which were partially destroyed.
He built the study house Diego Rivera and Anahuacalli museum, both of the famous Mexican muralist and with whom he became friends.
In the city of Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, he made two murals for the Gertrudis Bocanegra Public Library.
"Altarpiece of Independence" was another mural by O'Gorman in the Castle chapultepec made between 1960 and 1961.
His best known work in Mexico and the world is the building of the Central Library on the campus of Ciudad Universitaria full National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM, which was carried out between 1949 and 1952. The library, emblem of the university students, is covered with a mosaic of natural stones.
The mural is divided into four walls: the design of the north wall is inspired by the pre-Hispanic past, the south wall tells of the colonial past, the one to the west narrates the contemporary world and the one facing the west describes UNAM and to Mexico from the author's context. If you want to know more about these murals, the Central Library has a more extensive explanation about it. Here we leave you the league.
Recently, the university carried out a digital program where the elements of the mural come to life. Here we share the link.
Juan O'Gorman, the deep admirer of Mexican popular art, died on January 18, 1982.