Dr. Atl and América Magazine: An Anti-Imperialist Aesthetic and Editorial Program

Abstract

This paper analyzes the Mexican magazine América (1926) and reviews the organization of its five numbers published in order to expose the political-aesthetic program defined by its director, artist Gerardo Murillo, known as Dr. Atl. The text underscores Atl’s editorial, designing and writing work, as well as his development. The magazine’s subjects are popular art, urbanism, race, artistic production and continental politics, among others. This article points out the national connections and intellectual networks designed by Atl as an intent for reviving the International League of Writers and Artists, which was active in Paris during 1912-1913 and linked to the anarchist group and the publication L'Action d'Art, coordinated by Gérard de Lacaze-Duthiers and André Colomer. Likewise, here the importance of the proposal for the production of new local and regional repertoires and dictionaries is underlined, based on the collaboration of authors such as poet Horacio Zúñiga and pedagogue and linguist Delfino Torijano.