Tucanes

Two toucans on a gray background: one of them standing on a branch in profile, and the other is next to a slice of watermelon.
"Tucanes" is a work of printmaking using the Aquatint technique which give it the color.
Watermelons are very popular at that time in Mexican art scene. Although watermelons aren´t endemic of Mexico their production and association to the tropical areas links them to the toucans, turning both in to a representation of the tropical México in the imaginary.
On the other hand, toucans as an endemic animal from the south of the country became a motif to illustrate tropical forest.
Alfredo Zalce was an artist involved in the Mexican art arte scene since 1930 until his dead working as painter, printmaker and sculptor. He gets involved in muralism, the "Taller de Gráfica Popular" (TGP) and teaching. Some common themes in his work are: Mexican countryside, animals and popular scenes.