In Memoriam: José Clemente Orozco Farías

• By: admin
• On: 02/05/2021 15:36:27
• In: In Memoriam

August 8, 1960- January 17, 2021

 

By Pedro García Moreno Esteva

We celebrate the life of Clemente Orozco, a dear friend, a consummate book lover, a talented graphic artist, engraver, typographer, book artist and editor, who passed away January 17, 2021.

Many of you knew and will remember Clemente through his work as a member of Taller Ditoria and as a partner of Impronta Casa Editora. My relation with Clemente always seemed to have books at the center as well. As absurd as it sounds, I met Clemente ‘for the first time' on three different occasions, all of them having to do with books. One day he appeared at my parents' home to show me some books he had made at different stages of his life. A second time, a cousin of mine showed up at my door with him, books to show in hand, without him or I knowing it was each other we were supposed to be introduced to. The third timewas when he was working at a fine press that I bought books from, without knowing he was a (member of it or participant in it). Also, we later learned that he and my brother knew each other well from the time they both studied in Dartmouth.

That is a good depiction of Clemente for me, long time present in my life in one form or another, leaving it and reappearing randomly. That is also how he lived, in apparent randomness but in reality at will, generous and unconcerned with the complexities and complications of life, always starting a new project with someone while having several others already going on at the same time. 

Rest in peace, José Clemente Orozco Farías.

Photo courtesy of Impronta Casa Editora