In her life and art, Rini Templeton (b. 1935 in Buffalo, NY; d. 1986 near Mexico City) was dedicated to documenting struggle, traveling throughout the United States, Cuba, and Central America to create images of protests, mass actions, and everyday life. During the day, Templeton made quick pencil sketches documenting what she saw, then worked late into the night to build up her images with thick strokes of India ink and correct them with liquid paper. When the image was complete, she made photocopies and packets, distributing her artwork to people in shared struggle. Templeton also worked as a graphic designer and art director for political journals such as Punto Crítico, El Grito Del Norte, and New Mexico Review and founded print workshops in Havana and Mexico City, teaching others to compose image and text to create the most impactful messages possible. In 1980, she was invited by Ernesto Cardenal and the Sandinista government to teach graphic composition in Nicaragua.
In the spirit of her life and work, a selection of Templeton’s drawings have been made available online and can be freely downloaded and used by activists in leaflets, newsletters, banners, picket signs or similar non-commercial purposes, serving causes she would have supported.
