What is Chicano Art?

noreply@blogger.com (Ernest M. Saenz) — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 03:59:00 +0000

Mark Vallen:

The California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives of the University of Santa Barbara, California (CEMA), describes the aesthetic in the following manner: "Chicano art is a public and political art, proclaiming and expressing public and social concerns in its themes and subjects."

That is not a description I’m inclined to argue against, though in all fairness it is one in need of further elaboration.

Historically Chicano Art - or Chicanarte - has served as the basic building blocks of a people’s self-esteem. It has exhorted the Mexican American community to stand, take pride in itself, and to resist the forces of subjugation. The earliest expressions of Chicano art were in support of the United Farm Worker’s Union and their leader César Chávez, as the battle to bring decent working conditions to California’s agricultural workers raged in the mid-60s, but artworks soon addressed other concerns - from cultural identity and immigration, to poverty and the Vietnam War. Chicanarte was - and remains - community based and tied to the culture, folk traditions and histories of people on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border. Over the years Chicano art has become nuanced, accepting a multiplicity of styles and interests without becoming diluted, it has embraced performance, installation, and conceptual forms without abandoning its essence.

In their curatorial statement, the organizers of Xican@ Demiurge wrote: "Art that is innovative and aggressive in its approach is critical to developing a contemporary aesthetic that is representative of the 21st Century Xican@ artist. The cultural climate influencing this particular group today is not the same as the one that triggered 'El Movimiento Chicano' of the 1960’s."

I’m left wondering how the art presented in this exhibit could be considered "aggressive in its approach," unless the direction is one of insistent self-absorption, political retreat and apathy. The curators of Xican@ Demiurge take pains to point out that conditions currently facing Chicanos are not those of the 60s, which is true enough - but this seems an excuse not to address current realities more than anything else. Of the twenty-one artists in the exhibit, only one displayed a work addressing an overt political issue - and that attempt was not very engaging.

Armando Baeza:

Well I am! [a Chicano Artist]

By the word "aesthetics", I hope they don't mean style or something that is assumed to be inherent in all Chicano art work.

Perhaps if we were all clones, this might be true, but even cones must have a backbone with some independence in them.

I will admit that there are groups of like minded artist that work in like minded styles, but our aesthetic independence is as varied as there are individuals or groups of like minded individuals.

As "fine artists" we all belong to the world of artists expressing what we feel compelled to express without anyone's persuasion or dominance over us, unless we desire that.

As Chicanos we represent a variety of cultures boiled down to two, Mexican and American for the present, and evolving.

Even though, the American influence represents as many “cultures" as the Mexican influence does, blood remains thicker than water, but roots always follow water where abundant. Yet one thing is for sure, nothing is everlasting. I've witness many forevers disappear.

Our progeny, unless it's under chains will always decide for themselves where they make roots as we did. Even Chicanismo like everything else has a finality. But let’s give it our best while we are in it or it's in us.

Sonya Fe:

I know what isn't Chicano Art...

Chicano art isn't boring.

Chicano art isn't predictable and formulated.

Chicano art isn't techniques taught in art schools.

Chicano art isn't a passing fad.

When I see Chicano art I see plain raw emotions capture on whatever medium/media the artist chooses.

In this day and age when so many artist art stuck to one style to produce the same style and subject matter over and over again for a gallery show, I just don't see that when I see Chicano art.

The images I see aren't formulated, but come directly from the artists experiences meaning the use of his/her materials.

Ernesto:

I agree [with Sonya].

Some people think Chicano Art is only La Virgen, anything Aztec, Lowriders or Che; icons that I find interesting no matter how often they are duplicated.

It seems like to be a Chicano Artist, you must, at least, make one painting of one of those icons - it's the right of passage into Chicano Art. Once you pay your dues in icons, you can venture into what ever chingArte you want to produce.

ChingArte is the term I created to identify Chicano Art that has the "Soy Chicano, Y Que" attitude.

Armando:

The question remains, Ernesto.

What is inherent in everyone's Chicano Experience?

In other words, what is it that we all share from birth besides all the cultures and origins we do share?

Or is it just a passing thing that eventually diminishes?

Or something that will grow regardless if our progeny continue to marry into other cultures and influences.

Ernesto:

What is inherent is the realization that you are neither Mexican nor American.

That you are a foreigner everywhere except in the company of other Chicanos.

Below are samples of the artwork of artists featured at Xican@ Demiurge, which we are disputing the validity of calling it Chicano Art:

Rolo Castillo:

Mental Menudo Artists Exhibit New Work

noreply@blogger.com (Ernest M. Saenz) — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 01:06:00 +0000

Chicano: Pronouncing Diversity.
Mental Menudo Artists Exhibit New Work in Landmark Show.

It’s almost incredible that Chicano Art Shows keep getting better and better. An excited crowd is its own reward; energized by ambience, conversations flow among strangers sharing delighted moments of inspiration. In such moments, crowd and art fuse into the same thing, culture. Every show brings new talents to the walls, but for me, seeing the maturation of talent in new work by familiar artists offers the greater pleasure.

So it was at the opening reception for Chicano: Pronouncing Diversity, in Los Angeles’ Eagle Rock Cultural Arts Center. An encouraging display by a new generation of artists and a core of veteranas and veteranos from the old days. Holding it all together the familiar materials and attitudes of Chicanismo.

At one point during the exhibit, I was leaning against a pillar taking candid shots of Vibiana Aparacio-n Chamberlin speaking animatedly with Serg Hernandez about Pola Lopez’ irreverent piece combining loteria cards and la Virgen. Out of the blue, I remembered Salvador Plasencia saying he’s glad to be published outside the chicano mainstream. And here’s Pola Lopez placing her work squarely in the heart of that mainstream.

I asked Magu, who curated the exhibit, what qualifies a piece for the show? Not what makes the work “good,” but what makes it “Chicano.” I got the answer the question deserves: go inside and have a look! The excitement of the moment begins at the door with Raoul De La Sota’s painting of cactus pencas.

Hugely magnified and rendered in fanciful warm colors, the canvas evokes Rousseau’s “Magical Kingdom”.

Turning left into the main gallery, the visitor will be welcomed by the curator, who will nudge the visitor to take in the vendor’s cart, and photographer Oscar Castillo’s tribute to Frida.

To read more, click

Vibiana Aparicio Chamberlin

Sergio "Serg" Hernandez

Upcoming Mental Menudos:

October 13th ~ 7pm
Eagle Rock Art Center
“Business, Galleries y Que"
Panel de Art Consultants
Patrick Ela
Howard Fox
Bob Squires

November 10th ~ 7pm
Mexican Cultural Institute
“Acting up y Que"
Panel de celebrities
Roseana De Soto
Evalina Fernandez
Jose Valenzuela
Herbert Siguenza

December 8th ~ 7pm
Eagle Rock Art Center
“Future of Los Angeles Art Centers”
Panel de Administrators
Jonathan Yorba
Lui Sanchez
David Tourje

For Info Contact:

Eagle Rock Art Center
Director: Jenny Krusoe
jenny@centerarteaglerock.com
2225 Colorado Blvd, Eagle Rock, CA 90041
323-226-1617

Mexican Cultural Institute
Chair: Abelardo de la Pena
Abelardo @ iconoculture.com
125 Paseo de la Plaza Por la Calle Olvera
Los Angeles 90012-2932
213-264-3660

Chicano Artists "M-P" Lista

noreply@blogger.com (Ernest M. Saenz) — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:17:00 +0000

Patricia Marroquin

César A. Martínez

Óscar Martínez

Tony Mendoza

Gloria Osuna Pérez

Frances Paragon Arias

Mark Piñon

Chicano Artists "G - L" Lista

noreply@blogger.com (Ernest M. Saenz) — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 22:18:00 +0000

Pat Gómez

Sergio Gomez

Miguel Gonzales

Marco Antonio Govea

Juan Granados

CESAR HOLGUIN

Salomón Huerta

Anna Jáquez

Heriberto Luna

Chicano Artists "D, E & F" Lista

noreply@blogger.com (Ernest M. Saenz) — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 22:53:00 +0000

Ramon Delgadillo

Susan Elizalde

María de Lourdes Flores Gruben

Christina "Tina" Fuentes

Chicano Artists "C" Lista

noreply@blogger.com (Ernest M. Saenz) — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 20:44:00 +0000

The “C” Lista:

Silvia Capistrán

Mel Casas

Sam Zaragosa Coronado

Chicano Artists

noreply@blogger.com (Ernest M. Saenz) — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 16:21:00 +0000

More work by Chicano Artists

Charles "Chaz" Bojorquez

Candance Briceño

David Buenrostro

Manuel Burruel

Chicano Abstract, Modern and Minimailism

noreply@blogger.com (Ernest M. Saenz) — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 21:34:00 +0000

Chicano Artists use many forms to express the Chicano Experience. I will post (alphabetically) the works of several Chicano Artists delving in the abstract, modern and minimalism.

Cande Aguilar, Jr.

Connie Arismendi

Linda Arreola

Chicano Minimalism

noreply@blogger.com (Ernest M. Saenz) — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 18:23:00 +0000

Fellow artists have dubbed the artwork of Ernest M. Saenz as Chicano Minimalism.

Minimalism is contemporary art and music with origins in the 1960s that emphasized simplicity and objectivity. Reacting against the formal excesses and raw emotionalism of abstract expressionism, practitioners of minimal art (also sometimes called ABC art) strive to focus attention on the object as an object, reducing its historical and expressive content to the bare minimum.

Los Voladores - The Flying Men by Ernest M. Saenz

Los Tres - The Three Men by Ernest M. Saenz

La Pareja - The Couple by Ernest M. Saenz

El Molcajete II - The Mortar by Ernest M. Saenz

La Tiendita - The Little Store by Ernest M. Saenz

Artwork by Ernest M. Saenz

noreply@blogger.com (Ernest M. Saenz) — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 19:33:00 +0000

The artwork shown here was created by Ernest M. Saenz, Chicano Artist.

Saenz currently lives in San Diego and is working on pieces for an upcoming show in San Diego.

Saenz is a multidisciplinary artists that has nurtured many styles in painting and sculpting.

TAXISTA
by
Ernest M. Saenz

TACO SHOP
by
Ernest M. Saenz

MOLCAJETE
by
Ernest M. Saenz

JARRON
by
Ernest M. Saenz