The Adventures of the Modernist Cannibals (Les Aventures des Cannibales Modernistes)

1999

The Adventures of the Modernist Cannibals (Les Aventures des Cannibales Modernistes), 1999. Enrique Chagoya (American, b. 1953), published by Shark's Ink, printed by Shark's Ink. Accordion-folded book with eight lithograph and woodcut with chine collé panels; each page: 19 x 29.3 cm (7 1/2 x 11 9/16 in.); overall: 19.2 x 235.1 cm (7 9/16 x 92 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Dudley P. Allen Fund 2018.17 © Enrique Chagoya Enrique Chagoya modeled Les Aventures des Cannibales Modernistes on the format of a pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican codex. By altering, combining, and juxtaposing images from diverse sources, Chagoya presents cultural and religious icons in contradictory and unexpected contexts, thus disrupting a linear view of history. In this topsy-turvy world, Mexican stereotypes play dominant roles, complicating the idea of European political and artistic supremacy.