#chicana art

Here at CAM, we wanted to share our participatory actions and highlight our interactions with the arts. This end of year review for 2021 contains the different efforts we made to be art patrons during the continuation of the COVID-19 ( and its variants) pandemic.

(Detailed interior view of “Rise of the Resistance” ride at Disneyland’s Star Wars Galaxy Edge.) 

While abiding by the mandates, we traveled to five locations across Southern California to partake in person the artworks and cultural stimulation. In July 2021, we started off at the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim to take in Star Wars Galaxy Edge sprinkled with some nosglatic rides, tasty food, and great souvenirs all while the park was at limited capacity.

(“Untitled” print by Albert Reyes.)

In September 2021, CHICANO ART MOVEMENT traveled to the home of illustrator Albert Reyes to pick up an art print added to our collection and correlating with the piece, we had a spooky chat about the upcoming Halloween season. Afterwards, Reyes extended an invitation for us to tour his Haunted House creation for a second year in a row & was filled with fright around every turn.

ReadCHICANO ART MOVEMENT visits: Artist Albert Reyes 2021

(Detailed view of Pipilotti Rist survey at MOCA Los Angeles.)

In October 2021, CAM purchased tickets to experience“Pipilotti Rist: Big Heartedness, Be My Neighbor” at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA Los Angeles. The Swiss born artist created an interactive, multi-sensory exploratory exhibit filled with phenomenal visual techniques. We also visited the Geffen Store to support the sales of the Pipilotti Rist Microfiber Cleaning Cloths (both Face & Colors editions) & the plantable seed cards made exclusively for Rist’s exhibition by Margins Imprint. 

(Pilar Castillo artwork for “Stories of the Land” exhibition.)

In November 2021, at Santa Ana College’s Art Gallery we analyzed the “Stories of the Land”exhibition that focused on female artists who connected with the land in one way, shape, or form in their respective mediums.  The piece that has stayed with me was the installation by Pilar Castillo entitled “Plantation to Paradise Designing the Caribbean: Handkerchiefs” that depicted the impacts of the tourism industry on the region.

View CHICANO ART MOVEMENT attends: “Stories of the Land” exhibit 2021

(Logo and welcome sign by Tropico de Nopal Gallery Space.)

In December 2021, CAM traveled to Echo Park’s Trópico de Nopal Gallery Space for some holiday shopping at the Caracol Marketplace which hosted various artistic vendors & creators. Our attendance was specifically for the hand printed items by Dewey Tafoya, Masterprinter & Assistant Director of the Professional Printmaking Program at Self Help Graphics & Arts, who had four of his unique designs to be silk screened on bring your own textiles thanks to Tafoya’s $5 special. 

(Detailed view of “Cakeland.LA” exhibit.)

On a cloudy December 2021 afternoon, we drove to Downtown Los Angeles’ Chinatown to experience the multi-sensory, multi-layered “Cakeland.LA” by Scott Hove. Housed within this experiential art gallery, we ventured into Hove’s creations that contained elements of illusions, sweet but metaphysical manifestations, and sharp scenarios of creative ingenuity. 

(Top to bottom: Dewey Tafoya silkscreen image & Mark Englert print by Bottleneck Gallery.)

During the pandemic, we supported the arts by purchasing artists editions, totes, and multimedia pieces. Robert’s favorite collected piece of the year was a silkscreen by Dewey Tafoya which depicts Olmec heads stacked in an Aztec tzompantli pattern style. During this year’s May the Fourth Be With You - a celebration of Star Wars, I received my Mark Englert’s “There Aren’t Many Jedi Left” timed edition print from Bottleneck Gallery. I chose Englert’s image to add to my collection; his version of a heartfelt scene within the Mandalorian life-action series where little Grogu communicates his thoughts, feelings, and connection to Mando via the force to my favorite mujer Jedi - in limbo, Ahsoka Tano. One distinct feature of this Englert’s print was its glow in the dark transformation to depict the duel fight between Ahsoka and the villainous Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth. 

At CHICANO ART MOVEMENT we would like to highlight a big accomplishment of ours that happened in 2021. We wrote and finalized our extensive media coverage for the second and third installments of CHICANO ART MOVEMENT reviews Pacific Standard Time: Latin American and Latino Art in Los Angeles. On the tumblr platform, one can read about the 18 programs we attended plus gather descriptions and details found within the PST: LA/LA endeavor. On CAM’s Facebook page, we posted an extensive photo album documenting the different facets of participation in the Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA edition. 

Read CHICANO ART MOVEMENT reviews Pacific Standard Time Attended Programming parts 1 through 3.

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(Detail: gallery view of “Aztlán to Magulandia: The Journey of Chicano Artist Gilbert “Magu” Luján” at the University Art Galleries.)

CAM:

For our November 2017 PST: LA/LA themed field trip, we visited the University of California, Irvine (UCI) to examine “Aztlán to Magulandia: The Journey of Chicano Artist Gilbert ‘Magu’ Luján.” Researching the exhibition prior to our arrival, I learned from the information provided by university that this was “the first survey of one of the most iconic figures of the Chicano art movement.” UCI had also exhibited the work of Luján’s collective Los Four in 1973. Once on campus, we were educated that the survey was split into two areas: the University Art Gallery (UAG) and the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) Gallery. We chose to visit the UAG first as our introduction. Inside we were welcomed into the gallery by an assortment of glossy glazed colored ceramic sculptures that were created by the artist throughout his years. Most were located near the entrance, placed on platforms in the center of the gallery for up close analyzation. 

Along with Magu’s sculptures inside the UAG, we viewed works on paper from originals to prints with other one of a kind pieces which included many of his well-known anthropomorphic creatures. There we were provided with a “List of Works” pamphlet for the participating galleries and that is when we noticed no museum labels adhere beside the artworks. Initially, Anita and I had attempted to decipher titles of the art with provided pamphlet. Some of the artwork titles we were familiar with from previous viewings showcasing Magu’s work throughout the years. No labels for us fostered moments of contemplation while viewing his many prismatic colored creations adorning the wall spaces. 

After spending time inside the UAG surveying the art, we then moved on to the CAC Gallery which was about a two minute walk away. Once inside the gallery what had first grabbed my attention was what appeared to me as an altar installation upon initial glance. Upon further examination, I learned the large three-dimensional artwork was a mixed media piece entitled “Trailing los Antepasados.” Close up the massive piece contained many elements of indigenous images in Mr. Luján’s style which narrated a story of migration. The allotment was a “reformulation of Returning to Aztlán” a serigraph print created by the artist which too was exhibited at “Aztlán to Magulandia” very near the three-dimensional, mixed media artwork. 

As we walked through the Contemporary Arts Center Gallery, I had noticed a more fluid curated narration of the artworks displayed in this area. Here were multiple works of art located adjacent to each other combined to chronicle tales of love, indigenismo, and migration through the brightly colored lenses of Mr. Gilbert “Magu” Luján.

(View of “Virgen de Guadalupe, Chalma, México” by Graciela Iturbide for Revolution & Ritual exhibition.)

During the long holiday weekend of November 2017, we made a trip to see three participating institutions of the PST: LA/LA programming. Our first location was the Pomona College Museum of Art located on the campus grounds of the Claremont Colleges (a collective of five undergraduate liberal art colleges in the city of Claremont). This college museum hosted the exhibit “Prometheus 2017: Four Artists from Mexico Revisit Orozco” that highlighted the work by four mujeres: Adela Goldbard, Rita Ponce de León, Naomi Rincón-Gallardo, and Isa Carrillo. After reading the welcoming exhibition mission statement within Pomona College Museum of Art’s entrance area, we proceeded to the lower level to the historical collection of sketches and drafts that reflected Orozco’s planning processes to create such a mural masterpiece that is located inside Frary Dining Hall of Pomona College that was completed in 1930; which we visited in conjunction with our itinerary of PST: LA/LA events.

We continued down the hallway and entered an expansive room that contained the video installation by Adela Goldbard. From the exhibit pamphlet provided by the museum, it explained that Goldbard and the use of fire while burning items in an effigy style were to symbolize the political violence of Mexico; some items that were set a blaze were: vehicle replicas and piñatas of politicos and bulls. The video and audio footage displayed within the museum, and the incorporation of volatile flames by Goldbard is similar to the inferno inclusion by Orozco with his piece “Prometheus” which according to Greek mythology, Prometheus gave fire to the human race that in turn enabled them to have progress and, later, civilizations. Through Goldbard’s video installation and within the context of Mexico, the fire of “Prometheus” has been an antithesis due to the country’s high level of criminal activity that is allowed by the corrupt politicians and police officials and not the civilized society related to the Greek god.

The next section that Robert and I entered was a curated historical timeline of facts, pictures, and ephemera between the connection of Pomona College and the “Prometheus” mural by José Clemente Orozco. After this we crossed into the extensive painting by Rita Ponce de León. Her body of work were the words spoken by Claremont College students who answered the following questions: “What does Prometheus mean to you?” and “What does art mean to you?” Ponce de León transferred these “inherited conversations” (students’ responses to questions) by directly painting them onto the museum walls thus, literally, leaving her mark on the Pomona College campus [similar] in likeness of Orozco’s “Prometheus” mural.

Our path was then guided to the works by Naomi Rincón-Gallardo. Patrons were instructed use the accompanying headphones to fully comprehend the videos that reflected themes of liberation, feminist thought, and the push towards to enlightenment which are pillars of the Greek god Prometheus.

The last mujer featured in this exhibit was Isa Carrillo. The accompanying literature explained Carrillo took direct inspiration from José Clemente Orozco due to her artist residency at his house studio in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México and her work was a direct response to her time there. Isa Carrillo included various pieces inspired by the tragic firework accident in which Orozco lost his left hand. For example one of Carrillo’s pieces was a display of test tubes filled with gunpowder which reflected the same substance that caused the amputation in 1904.

We departed Pomona College and drove to the neighboring campus of Scripps College to visit the second participating institution of the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery. This institution of the Claremont Colleges organized the exhibit “Revolution and Ritual: The Photographs of Sara Castrejón, Graciela Iturbide, and Tatiana Parcero.” The accompanying catalogue explained the focus to be of “women who have shaped the photographic field” of Mexico beginning in 1908 to the present and how these mujeres were trailblazers in their own right. This gallery made its presence known that beyond its autumn courtyard was a warm welcome for one to examine these female photographers who all shared a special connection to Mexico. The first woman was to our left, the surrealist photographer, Graciela Iturbide. The exhibit catalogue contained the details behind Iturbide’s subject matter. An essay by Ph.D. Associate Researcher Marta Dahó explained that Graciela Iturbide that photography was used “to preserve the intensity of the encounter characterized by an atmosphere of complexity and surprise” at a specific moment in time and space. This intensity is indeed captured by Graciela Iturbide in “Nuestra Señora de Las Iguanas, Juchitán, Oaxaca” (1979; translation: “Our Lady is the Iguanas, Juchitán, Oaxaca), a figurative portrait of a Mexican woman graciously wearing a crown of live iguanas atop of her dark hair.

We continued along the gallery walls in a clockwise fashion and found the second artist: Tatiana Parcero. This photographer used the medium along with historical imagery to create symbolism and interpretation through the human body. The essay by Dr. Esther Leah Gabara, an Associate Professor of Romance Studies at Duke University, stated that the artist used her own body as the model for all the pieces then layered the historical visual to create a unique interpretation for the patron to look between the lines or in the case of Tatiana Parcero, to look between the layers.

The third women in this exhibition was Sara Castrejón: a native from Teloloapan, Guerrero was born in 1888 to an affluent familia who studied photography in Mexico City at the age of eighteen which was an oddity for women during the early part of the twentieth century. In the center of the gallery, we reached Castrejón’s collection of original photographs as well as information inserts that recreated the harshness of the Mexican Revolution with hint of amazement for these artifacts to have survived this long. Noted research professor from la Universidad de Puebla, John Mraz explained in his essay within the catalogue that Castrejón returned to her hometown, a small city, to work alongside her sister Dorotea to open a photography studio and began to document the life occurrences when Mexico began to change due to the nation’s revolutionary movement. Sara’s decision to stay and be committed to Teloloapan as a resident was at the center of her photographic lens which led her to be “the only women to extensively document the Mexican Revolution (1910-20) [and] one of the earliest female war photographers in the world.” The curated display included different stages of the Mexican Revolution and its countless interactions with the city and residents of Teloloapan: from various revolutionary factions taking control of the township and the immortalization of military generals to documenting the lesser known sides of the rebellion - female participants, war effects on children, and the precious moments of life before execution.

To close our PST: LA/LA trip to the Inland Empire, we departed the Claremont Colleges and drove to downtown Pomona, just a few miles away. The third and final location was the dA Center for the Artswith“d’Aztlán: A Sense of Place”an exhibit that explored “the Chicano/a art movement and the vast influences that Chicano/a culture has had on the southwestern United States and beyond.” Some of the participating artists were: David Botello, Richard Haro, Frank Romero, Margaret Garcia, and various members of the Gilbert “Magu” Lujan family. The dA Center for the Arts provided a communal space for Chicano/a artists to share their work as well as to be added to a public or private collection.

(Detailed view of Emigdio Vasquez’s piece from “My Barrio” exhibit at Chapman University.)

On a Saturday afternoon in December 2017, Robert and I traveled to survey the numerous components of “My Barrio: Emigdio Vasquez and Chicana/o Identity in Orange County” displayed at Chapman University, a small private liberal arts college located in Orange, California. Our first stop on campus was the Guggenheim Gallery that contained Vasquez’s original paintings that portrayed the daily activities of Chicanos and Chicanas living in Orange County. This gallery exhibit also had contemporary artists such as Ana Serrano and Shizu Saldmando amongst other participating artist.

The second portion of the Vasquez legacy was found outside the doors of the Guggenhiem Gallery. Within the Moulton Hall Courtyard of the university was a mural in progress by Higgy Vasquez, son to the celebrated Emigdio Vasquez. Higgy’s mural about the history of Chapman University once completed will also leave a mark within county’s narrative.  

From the informational brochures provided by the institution, we walked over to the third location of the Argyros Forum Henley Galleria, within the student union, to learned more about the life of Emigdio himself through a timeline perspective. Through a historical lense, we saw family artifacts and heirlooms to examples of important events within Orange County that impacted Emigdio Vasquez’s development of consciousness which later expanded further during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and beyond.

The last and fourth location of the “My Barrio” exhibition was located a few blocks away from the main campus in the Cypress Street barrio of the city of Orange. Emigdio Vasquez’s mural “El Proletariado de Aztlán” (1979) contained symbolism relating to different aspects of the Chicano/a history: from the Aztec warrior and their society’s pyramids to the brothers & sisters fighting for labor and civil rights for the current and future generation of la Raza. In addition, this mural was recently restored by Higgy Vasquez, son of the artist, in 2014 due to the funding provided by Chapman University. Overall, “My Barrio: Emigdio Vasquez and Chicana/o Identity in Orange County” was a collective experience that brought together the history of this county and the impact it had in the artwork by the late Emigdio Vasquez as well as those who continue to be inspired by his various murals found throughout Orange County, California.

(Collection of “Undocumented Interventions” series by artist Julio César Morales at CAFAM.)

Our PST: LA/LA programming for December 2017 was “The U.S.-Mexico Border: Place of Imagination, and  Possibility” at the Craft & Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) located in Los Angeles, California. The installations presented the “work of contemporary artists who explore[d] the border as a physical reality (place), as a subject (imagination), and as a site for production and solution (possibility).” This goal of exploration and explanation of border issues stayed true to its field: the analyzation of the unique relationship, history, and dynamics of the United States of America and Mexico border that expands across 1,954 miles and its impact on the millions of documented and undocumented people living on both sides of the border wall.  

After taking in the introductory information, Robert and I began our journey through the various rooms and floors that manifested the impact of the border on the Chicano/Latino communities. We surveyed the works of various artists, such as Eduardo Sarabia and Betsabee Romero, who used reclaimed materials to demonstrated the power of globalization, commercialism, consumerism, and transnationalism.

On the first floor of CAFAM and adjacent to the introductory wall of exhibition title was the work by the Mexicana, Elizabeth Rustrian Ortega. The artwork entitled “Cruce de Armas” (2013) was a mixed medium piece in the form a fashionable women’s chunky necklace that consisted of synthetic materials shaped into smaller versions of fully automatic weapons in which a small female figure with no face sat atop of and was strung across a 14K gold-plated sterling silver barbed wire necklace. This distinctive necklace by Rustrian Ortega inspired me to think of this piece within the context of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) of 1994 and its effects of globalization and consumerism via the U.S.-Mexico border. Rustrian Ortega’s “Cruce de Armas” intentional shape of a necklace can also be interpreted to be the continuous and never-ending pattern of globalization and consumerism that produce amazing results for the people in power but come at a great cost to the people, their families, and communities.

After a small flight of stairs, we made to the third floor that contained part of the expansive exhibition “The U.S.-Mexico Border: Place of Imagination, and  Possibility.” While taking in the artwork, I was surprised to see a statue of Chalino Sánchez, famous Mexican corrido singer, constructed out of cardboard and wood by artist Ana Serrano. Within the context of the exhibition, I connected Serrano’s manifestation of Chalino Sánchez in cardboard to the themes of commercialism and transnationalism. The subject matter of Chalino Sánchez (birth name: Rosalino Sánchez Felix) reflected his story as an immigrant from Sinaloa, México who during the during the late 1980s and early 1990s rose in popularity due to his unique interpretations of corridos y narcocorridos and his loyal fanbase who due to transnationalism knew and connected to the themes in his songs that included Mexican classics such as: “Nieves de enero,” “Tengo el alma enaorada,” y “Baraja de oro.” The use of cardboard as a medium by Ana Serrano can be connected to commercialism since cardboard boxes are used to move goods and items from one place to another; for example: from Mexico to the United States or del sur para el norte which can include music, personal items, family heirlooms, and cultural goods. To this day, commercialism and transnationalism keeps Chalino’s music alive since he was infused within the lives of Mexicanos, Mexican-Americans, Chicanos, and other Latinos who have heard, connected, and listened to his music for the past three decades.  

We proceeded to the second floor and in a subsequent room, the works by Julio César Morales left a profound feeling due to my personal connection to the subject matter. “Undocumented Interventions #17, #1, and #16” illustrations depicted creative methods in which people, including children, risked their lives in order to cross the U.S.-México border through concealment. “Undocumented Interventions” showed the viewer how children and adults hid in everyday items to leave their native homeland in order to join the millions of people who work in  U.S. to provide for their families. I connected to Morales’ series of works to my own family’s stories of migration through concealment and the greater risk that women and children/youth take to reach the United States in attempt to reach the “American Dream.” With his artwork, I took a moment of silence to remember my family trauma: stuffed into a car trunk with five unknown men and remain silent for countless hours; cross the U.S. border and the various checkpoints before reaching the final location; or, the desperation of wandering the Arizona desert for days while hiding from la migra to come back to one’s family after deportation.

In conclusion, this exhibition highlighted the truth, pain, resiliency, and tenacity of immigrants who cross through the U.S.-Mexico and all the communities who continue to work together to find solutions to border issues.

(Detail photo of Rafa Esparza’s ‘cumbre’ performance area at MOCA)

The final Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA event we attended landed us in January of the next calendar year, 2018, which also was towards the end of the overall PST: LA/LA event programming run. The showcase attended was Rafa Esparza’s performance of “cumbre” look as far as you can see in every direction - north and south, east and west”  in Los Angeles, California at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCAgalleries.

We learned the basis of the performance would be that “this newly commissioned work by Rafa Esparza is an ambitious, three-part performance at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. Esparza’s point of departure is a meditation on bridges and bodies of water as sites of connection and healing, division and risk. The artist’s performance responds to personal, familial histories of immigration into the United States and the deeply complex history of downtown Los Angeles. Esparza will be joined by artist Sebastian Hernandez for a special collaboration in the final segment of the afternoon’s performance.”

Early arrival to the museum was necessary knowing there would be a line awaiting us to enter the venue. Once doors opened to the public, we were directed into the galleries transformed into am open concept performance area and guided over to a tall erected adobe edifice, part of which was a bridge the artist had laid under while performance goers crossed over to enter inside. Across from the bridge was a prominent sliver shiny wall which reflected opaque images of passers by. 

With the audience situated Rafa slowly came from under the structure. Dressed in what appeared to be a burlap modesty cloth wrapped around the waist. Adorning the artist’s neck were long braids of hair that wrapped around like a necklace. The artist later uncoiled the braids which reached to the floor. Esparza then proceeded to dress himself. Brown pants, white sneakers and a red button up long sleeve shirt. Once fully clothed, Rafa then focused on a intermediate wooden structure that had a small stage with a frame built on to it, all located near the center of the gallery. Water was activated and poured from the top of the structure cascading on to the fully clothed artist. The creative let it be known with grunts and other unpleasant sounds that the water was not to temperature and overwhelming. All the while a super imposed image of a river scene was displayed on one end of the gallery walls through out the performance.

After the artist had come down from the wooden structure drenched, I noticed multiple puddles of water dyed red on the gallery floor due to Rafa’s shirt bleeding pigment. Esparza then made a path to a clear acrylic podium located off to the side that had a backdrop of living succulent plants and adobe bricks. That is where Rafa started the construction of his spoken word part of the performance. The speech focused on personal stories of family, migration and life in L.A. The artist even transcribed the challenging negotiations with the museum for the commission. Amidst the speech, artist Sebastian Hernandez walked in to the gallery on all fours in a primal fashion. Dressed in only brown linen pants and his head covered in one inch squared mirrors adhered to his scalp. Sebastian performed an interpretive dance utilizing all the space in gallery while Rafa concluded his address. In silence, Hernandez discarded his pants only to be left in underwear. A pair of clear acrylic heels were put on and the waterfall was once more activated. The virtuoso climbed up as the water came down. Then sounds of a hard hitting bass line started to pump through the space. The composition Sebastian Hernandez performed to was Kelman Duran’s “1984, Primero, Ultimo” as the water rained down. Once the production concluded the artist got down from the wooden structure and stopped the water. That is when Rafa Esparza and Sebastian Hernandez came together to exit through double doors for the grand exit. 

Read our full write up on this event as: CHICANO ART MOVEMENT attends: Rafa Esparza: cumbre: look as far as you can see in every direction – north and south, east and west (2018)

(Collection of PST: LA/LA branded items)

In conclusion, the programming of Pacific Standard Time: Latin American and Latino Art in Los Angeles 2017 was an extensive cross-cultural effort by the Getty Foundation alongside the collaboration of artists, galleries, institutions, and countless people who created art spaces that facilitated dialogues between Los Angeles and Latin America at a pivotal moment in time. CHICANO ART MOVEMENT and its staff provided media coverage and comments on the different aspects and facets of PST: LA/LA 2017. In total, CHICANO ART MOVEMENT attended 18 programming events, drove 704 miles across Southern California, networked with numerous artists and colleagues, read museum exhibition catalogues & supplemental materials to provide original and exclusive content during the run of PST: LA/LA from our independent outlet - the CHICANO ART MOVEMENT perspective. Through our coverage of Pacific Standard Time: Latin American and Latino Art in Los Angeles (2017) on CHICANO ART MOVEMENT’s various social media sites, we brought insightful commentary from the ground floor as an active audience participant of this grand artistic initiative.

CAM decided to become engaged with 2017′s Pacific Standard Time was due to: (1) the increased amount of Latin American art exhibitions and participants; (2) the immediate art availability to us in Southern California; (3) the engagement invitations from listed institutions and FINN Partners to see and live through the PST: LA/LA 2017 experience; and (4) our previous immersion with 2011’s Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945 - 1980. CHICANO ART MOVEMENT focused time and effort to appreciate, take in, and to preserve the artwork, perspective, supporting information, and visions that brought each specific agenda to life and fruition. Overall, CHICANO ART MOVEMENT took each program as an opportunity to: (1) learn about Chicana/Chicano contributions within the arts here in Los Angeles; (2) be informed by Latin American art; and (3) most importantly, to digitally curate these artistic contributions to be viewed.

With the new year of 2017, we received an invitation to our first interaction of Pacific Standard Time and attended the PST: LA/LA Countdown Celebration at the NeueHollywood in January 2017. This launch party was filled with announcements, musical acts, and opportunities to mingle with different supporters of the arts. The night’s festivities reflected the growth from its previous entry of 2011 since the 2017 edition now contained more exhibitions, genres, mediums, and artists including musicians & performance artists, from both local and international levels.

(Detailed view of “Over the Edge” an oil on canvas by Carlos Almaraz.)

Months later in August 2017 with the official launch of PST:LA/LA  programming, CHICANO ART MOVEMENT reserved tickets for a late night press opportunity with Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)Muse ‘til Midnight event that drew inspiration from PST: LA/LA which transformed open museums spaces to include musical elements via DJ sets of various genres of the 1990s. The first exhibit titled “Home — So Different, So Appealing” contained different interpretations of the place of home with the added layer of migration. The listed artists provided a true reality of homes which led me to think of the concept of “staying in one place” can produce a sense of home and how countless Chicanas/Chicanos & Latin Americans are still working towards that goal. Moving to another area on the LACMA grounds, CAM staff saw the long awaited, life collection exhibition titled “Playing with Fire: Paintings by Carlos Almaraz.” Almaraz’s vibrant color usage provided clarity and beauty in his captivating car crashes and Echo Park scenes that enticed viewers to connect & get lost within the subject matter. The final exhibit on this LACMA trip was the exhibition “A Universal History of Infamy” with various participating artists. A specific piece that I gravitated towards was the installation by Vincent Ramos: an ephemeral collection of those “infamous” people in the Chicana and Chicano community. Ramos included books, magazines, pictures, tidbits, and historical information of infamous Raza members such as: Reies Lopez Tijerina, Freddy Fender, Ruben Salazar, and Lynda Carter. These three PST: LA/LA exhibits in conjunction with LACMA’s Muse ‘til Midnight provided a different vibe for patrons to enjoy the artwork with lively ambiance, promoted cultural expansion, and deconstructed the relationship between art institutions and its community members through a synchronization of art & music.

In the following month of September 2017, CHICANO ART MOVEMENT traveled to Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim to conduct a walk through of “Deconstructing Liberty: A Destiny Manifested.” Various Latin American artists shared their works and distinct interpretations of liberty as both a concept and a reality. In addition, the audience saw pieces that contained various themes of “post-liberty” such as: erasure, deletion, and insensitivity towards the people and their cultures of said Latin American countries.

In September 2017 and in conjunction with the Independence Day celebrations of various Latin American countries, the PST: LA/LA Concert was held at the historic Hollywood Bowl with the star studded lineup & in order of appearance: Mon Laferte (Chile), La Santa Cecilia (Los Angeles, CA), and Café Tacvba (México). From the concert, I most enjoyed that musical acts were included as an art form and that we had prime, front row seats to the whole performance during our first attending concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

(Concert lineup at the Hollywood Bowl, from left to right: Mon Laferte, La Santa Cecilia, and Café Tacvba.)

In October 2017, CAM returned to LACMA to survey another two entries of the PST: LA/LA itinerary. The first item of the day was “Found in Translation: Design in California and Mexico, 1915 - 1985”  that created a visual, historical walkthrough of different examples of cultural exchange between the United States of America and Mexico. The focus was specifically the period between 1915 through 1985 in which over its 70 year span, each Mexico and the United States endured many transformations as countries with its peoples, respectively. From a historical point of view, the exhibit and accompanying catalogue shared accomplishments between the nations that highlighted artistic contributions and different interpretations within the four sectors of: Spanish Colonial Inspiration, Pre-Hispanic Revivals, Folk Art & Craft Traditions, and Modernism. Of all the items in this expansive exhibition, I gravitated towards the mid-century modern pieces as well as those related to Chicana and Chicano artists such as: Judithe Hernández, Yolanda M. Lopez, and David Botello. The last activity at LACMA for the day was an intimate tour of the Nuevo Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, or NuMu for short. This egg-shaped structure in a previous life actually sold eggs and, now in its current life, was transformed by Guatemalan artists Jessica Kairé and Stefan Benchoam into a traveling museum. The museum does grab one’s attention since it perpetuates that art can be containable, mobile, and connects with the audience on a micro level.

By late October 2017, CAM traveled to the Orange County shoreline of Laguna Beach, California to see three installments of PST: LA/LA. First, we saw saltfineart gallery’s exposition of “Descendants and Dissonance: Cultural Iconography in Contemporary Los Angeles” that featured Chicana/Chicano artists: Oscar Magallanes, Linda Vallejo, and Sonia Romero. Overall as an exhibit, Magallanes and Vallejo provided a critical point of view about the corporate imagery that is found in pop and personal cultures. In regards to the works by Sonia Romero, CAM was informed by gallery staff that her contributions were not viewable since the artist had already collected her pieces.  After the art gallery, CAM walked a short distance to the Laguna Art Museum & its two entries in the PST 2017 programming. On the museum’s main floor, it housed the “California Mexicana: Missions to Murals, 1820 - 1930” exhibition containing paintings and artworks that provided a historical perspective of California as a Mexican territory to its growth as an incorporated state of the USA. On the Laguna Art Museum’s lower level, the works of “Dan McCleary: Prints from Oaxaca” provided an inside view to his thought & physical processes of printmaking working with copper plate etchings,  techniques McClearly learned from Oaxaca.

In mid November 2017, CAM stepped onto the University of California, Irvine campus to view the “Aztlán to Magulandia: The Journey of Chicano Artist Gilbert ‘Magu’ Luján” retrospective organized by its University Art Galleries. This exhibition of the artist Gilbert “Magu” Luján reflected his interesting themes of love, mythic creatures, and migration. His vivid ceramic examples made one wonder about Luján’s academic graduate studies at UC Irvine during his MFA Sculpture program (1970 - 1973) and his pivotal role in organizing the first institutional exhibit of “Los Four: Almaraz/de la Rocha/Lujan/Romero” debuting at UC Irvine’s Art Gallery in 1973 before moving to LACMA in 1974.

(View of fine art print titled “Ford Enchilada being followed by un pan chicano” by Gilbert “Magu” Luján.)

The next of Pacific Standard Time programming took us to the eastern edge of Los Angeles County on a Saturday in late November 2017 to see a few entries. At the Claremont Colleges grounds, we traveled to the first location of the Pomona College Museum of Art to see the exhibit “Prometheus 2017: Four Artists from Mexico Revisit Orozco’’ (as of summer 2020, it is now known as the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College). This programming of 4 artists – Isa Carrillo, Adela Goldbard, Rita Ponce de León, and Naomi Rincón-Gallardo – drew inspiration from the original Prometheus artwork by José Clemente Orozco (located in the college’s dining hall) and surrounded the viewer with contemporary examples, interpretations, and inspiration projected by the Orozco piece. Overall, Pomona College Museum of Art presented a very pleasing historical foundation with its permanent collection of how influential Orozco’s Prometheus fresco is on students and visitors as well as with artists. On the other side of the Claremont Colleges, we entered the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery at Scripps Collegefor“Revolution and Ritual: The Photographs of Sara Castrejón, Graciela Iturbide, and Tatiana Parcero.” All three artistas Mexicanas provided snapshots of the historical and contemporary impacts of Mexico on its people during a specific moment of time. As a photographer and digital curator, I connected to Castrejón, Iturbide, & Parcero and their usage of cameras, modern techniques, and subject matter since it conveyed the intimate thought behind the framed shot. Our last destination was away from the Claremont Colleges and five miles later, we were at the dA Center for the Arts located in Pomona’s Downtown. The dA Center’s PST: LA/LA exhibition was entitled “d’Aztlán: A Sense of Place” that included a collection of different Chicana & Chicano artists and their personal interpretations of Aztlán.

In early December 2017, CAM traveled to Chapman University to survey the Chicano muralist of Orange County, Emigdio Vasquez. The expansive endeavor of “My Barrio: Emigdio Vasquez and Chicana/o Identity in Orange County” was divided into four parts with three on campus locations & the other a few streets away, all properties belonging to the university. At the Guggenheim Gallery at Chapman, as a space it displayed Vasquez’s works that highlighted the urban perspective of Orange County barrios alongside other contemporary artists: Shizu Saldamando, Ana Serrano, and Ken Gonzales-Day. After exiting and directly across the gallery, we were in the Moulton Hall Courtyard and saw the new mural & its in-progress state. According to the accompany “My Barrio” exhibition map & guide: this “new mural […] will celebrate Chapman University’s history and identity” and “the mural is generously funded by the Ellingson family and is to be executed by Higgy Vasquez, who apprenticed under his father for many years, and is assisted by his sister, Rosemary Vasquez.” We then walked to the university’s Argyros Forum Henely Galleria area for Vasquez’s artistic outline of “critical events and movements of Mexican and Chicana/o history.” This included the agricultural aspect del barrio since Chicanas/Chicanos and Mexicanas/Mexicanos provided the needed human labor to work the orange groves that primarily covered the county between the 1940s through the 1960s. Away from campus and located within the community was the fourth Vasquez component, his “El Proletariado de Aztlán” mural that was originally painted in 1979 and was mostly restored by his son Higgy Vadquez in 2014. “El Proletariado de Aztlán” contained elements of the Chicana/Chicano consciousness and enlightenment since he displayed themes of huelga of political & agricultural topics, cultural resistance against Yankee assimilation & hegemony, and flourishing communities of color living in postwar America.

The day after Xmas 2017, we traveled back to Los Angeles’ Wilshire Boulevard to take in PST: LA/LA participating exhibition titled “The US-Mexico Border: Place, Immigration, and Possibility” at CAFAM (the Craft And Folk Art Museum was renamed to Craft Contemporary in 2019). The participating artists provided various examples of the hyper commercialization of goods, ideas, labor between the United States of America and Mexico. The various contributions in “The US-Mexico Border” exhibit illuminated the misconception of the American Dream and its unattainability by countless people on both sides of the USA/Mexico border since 1848 to the present day.

(Guillermo Bert [b. 1959, Santiago, Chile] and his 2016 cotton, woven textile piece titled “La Bestia/The Beast”)

A late entry within the PST: LA/LA programming came in mid-January 2018 with the performance artist of Rafa Esparza with “cumbre: look as far as you can see in every direction – north and south, east and west” at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, California. With tickets, we joined patrons for the performance of Rafa Esparza and special guest Sebastian Hernandez who engaged the audience from the moment one walked into the space. Through artistic expressions, they gave life to Esparza’s powerful written and spoken narration of life testimony that gave examples of inner dialogue when contesting boundaries.

To close, 2017’s Pacific Standard Time: Latin America and Latino Art in Los Angeles had lots to offer in the artworld. PST’s participating institutions and artists filled Southern California with meaningful art of different mediums which inspired, connected, and resonated with us. From my point of view, it was historic & empowering to see Chicanas and Chicanos being invited to contribute their artwork and have it hung on institutional walls but was the attending audience from the Chicana/Chicano community? There was a somewhat disconnection between the art and getting the audience to the artwork for illumination & resonation to occur. From personal recollection of what we attended, most venues only had a handful of attendees and I was left to ponder if PST 2017 met its numerical goal of people in attendance, particularly the number of people for whom this endeavour is named after.

Out of the list of CAM attended events, there were some highlights. My favorite was the PST: LA/LA Concert at the Hollywood Bowl since a great rockero band like Café Tacvba was the headliner and with our seating, lived the “front row life” & experienced their musical catalogue in a historical venue of Los Angeles. Robert gained the most knowledge from “Revolution and Ritual: The Photographs of Sara Castrejón, Graciela Iturbide, and Tatiana Parcero” at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery of Scripps College. From attending and reading the accompanying catalogue, Robert learned a different perspective of Mexico as a nation including real life, gruesome historical details and events of the Mexican Revolutionary War. Of this exhibition and its participating female artists, Robert gravitated towards Graciela Iturbide’s famous surrealist works & was intrigued by Taitana Parcero’s contemporary twist of overlapping imagery on photographs.

(CAM’s catalogue collection of PST: LA/LA 2017 attended exhibitions.)

CAM would like to recognize and give thanks to those who provided support, materials, and information about PST: LA/LA which helped with our commitment in supplying commentary & curation of the Chicano Art Movement experience. Our appreciations go out to:

• Maura Klosterman-Vu, Senior Account Supervisor at Polskin Arts & Communications Counselors – A Division of FINN Partners
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art 
• Laguna Art Museum
• The University Art Gallery and the Contemporary Arts Center Gallery at University of California, Irvine
• The Ruth Chandler William Gallery at Scripps College

Stay tuned here and our other social media sites for the final installation of a three part series by CHICANO ART MOVEMENT blog’s coverage of the review of PST: LA/LA Attended Programming.

chicanoartmovement:

viaPacific Standard Time

Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA is a far-reaching exploration of Latin American and Latino art in dialogue with Los Angeles. Led by The Getty, it involves more than 70 arts and cultural institutions across Southern California, from Los Angeles to Palm Springs, and from San Diego to Santa Barbara, and runs from September 2017 through January 2018. 

The thematically linked exhibitions and programs of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA highlight different aspects of Latin American and Latino art from the ancient world to the present day. With topics as varied as luxury arts in the pre-Columbian Americas, 20th-century Afro-Brazilian art, alternative spaces in Mexico City, the mural tradition, and the boundary-crossing practices of Latino artists, exhibitions range from monographic studies of individual artists to broad surveys involving countries throughout Latin America. 

Pacific Standard Time: Latin American & Latino Art in LA (PST: LA/LA)

CAM:

Our introduction to the Pacific Standard Time initiative was in 2011 when we attended Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980 and its functions. At that time we mainly focused on the L.A. Xicano segment between Pacific Standard Time and the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center that brought “forward an astounding array of little seen works that broaden the historical record, but it also places these works into a dynamic dialogue with artistic practice today.” After contemplating over events and exhibitions pertaining to American artwork from the iconic years of the Chicano Art Movement, the PST experience had us intrigued for what was to come in the next series of occurrences.

With time to reflect on our initial observations of the Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980 and events before the next initiative. CHICANO ART MOVEMENT blog prepared to share our perspectives and closer examine the drive when the succeeding “ambitious exploration of Latin American and Latino art” affair would return in 2017, this time titled Pacific Standard Time: Latin American & Latino Art in LA (PST: LA/LA). This measure was proposed to showcase a broader perspective, including pre-Colombian era, 20th century to Afro-Brazilian art; modern, contemporary to ancient world, pre-modern era, “and boundary-crossing practices of Latino artists.” We were also motivated to gather specific knowledge for exploration in our studies from this creative effort. 

With over 150+ PST: LA/LA exhibitions and planned events to choose from, we had the opportunity to visit 18 in total, mainly located in Southern California. During this series we will explore our perspectives on the artists, artwork and programming for this “far-reaching exploration of Latin American and Latino art dialogue with Los Angeles” we considered during the enterprises run.

(Detail of: art catalogs displayed behind bar at Neue house for the Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA Countdown Celebration 2017)

The initial PST: LA/LA related event we attended was an invitation to the Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA Countdown Celebration in January of 2017 at the NeueHouse in Hollywood, California. This event was highlighted as “a cocktail reception and special performance by Ceci Bastida to celebrate the countdown.” During the evenings reception Pacific Standard Time affiliated speakers took the podium to inform celebration guests on what had been planned for PST: LA/LA. Visuals broadcasted on different screens throughout the expansive venue offering information with images and video. This is how we became more informed on the associated artists and upcoming program scheduling. Along with the array of visual and sonic mediums that would be showcased in a multitude of venues across California. Attending also allowed us insight on the amplitude of Pacific Standard Time: Latin American & Latino Art in LA and the support there was for the large scale attempt to educate on the many different cultures of Latin American & Latino Art in LA to the masses for an enriching learning experience.

A few of my personal highlights from the night’s celebration included talking with artists and curators we recognized in attendance and, with the odds in our favor, it earned us an amusing offhand conversation with a notable Chicano scholar. Another was the interactive PST: LA/LA photo booth where we took Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA Countdown Celebration 2017 themed photos. And not to forget the reveling over the bite sized Latin American cuisine classics along with complimentary cocktails for the night.

Read our full write up on this event as: CHICANO ART MOVEMENT attends: Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA Countdown Celebration 2017.

(Banner for Carlos Almaraz “Playing with Fire” exhibition at LACMA)

Starting off our first visual art experience related to PST: LA/LA occurred during our visit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s (LACMA) long running “Muse ‘til Midnight” function. The August 2017 gathering explored the 90′s backyard party theme but with an adult twist. DJs spun tunes on different floors of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) and at the entrance to the party through out the night. The gathering included the after hours viewing of “Chagall: Fantasies for the Stage,” and three Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA Latin American & Latino Art in LA exhibits in a festive nocturnal atmosphere.

Once on the LACMA campus we first decided to view what was a visually  romantic curated exhibition which highlighted “the principal role that music and dance played in Chagall’s artistic practice.” After immersing ourselves in the ocular beauty that was “Chagall: Fantasies for the Stage,” we exited the Resnick Pavillion and walked across to BCAM and up to the third floor to view “Home—So Different, So Appealing.” Which was the beginning of our PST: LA/LA survey trifecta at the museum. Anita and I absorbed the melding of visual art and music in the galleries while we moved through different floors in the building.

As we did our walk through of “Home—So Different, So Appealing” I contemplated over the abstract familiarity of artworks included in the exhibition. The mission of the show was to “explore one of the most basic social concepts by which individuals, families, nations, and regions understand themselves in relation to others— the idea of home.” Large scale artworks like artist Daniel Joseph Martinez’s “The House America Built” took center real estate in the galleries. While impressive artworks like Mexican born artist Solomon Huerta’s large prismatic paintings adorned the gallery walls. Along with many other artists and mediums included from around the world. The piece I studied most in detail was Carmen Argote’s “720 Sq. Ft. Household Mutations, Part B, 2010.” The work was “carpet, paint, and velcro (carpet from the artist’s childhood home).” I was unexpectedly lured in by the contours in the massive hanging and mostly rolled up rug for closer inspection. Contemplating on Argote’s piece, I pondered on the ideas Carmen wanted to leave the viewer. This one left me with the essence of familiarity that is home.

After moving on from our observation of “Home—So Different, So Appealing,” we then took the elevator to the second floor of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) to experience the story of “Playing with Fire” Paintings by Carlos Almaraz would further tell us about the Chicano creative. This was a highly anticipated PST: LA/LA exhibition for us to attend during the run of the initiative. We had learned of this display coming to fruition years before when a call through the Chicano networks was put out in search of forgotten and rarely seen artworks by the Chicano master in private collections. Works were being sought for a large scale retrospective which aim was “to reconsider the artistic achievements of Carlos Almaraz in a broader context than was generally accorded in his lifetime.” And with backing of Chicano notables like actors Richard “Cheech” Marin, Richard Montoya and UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center’s Dr. Chon Noriega, many pieces came out the woodworks for the bravado display from the artist oeuvre. This exhibition along with the catalogue narrated the thought provoking triumphs and tragedies of an artist who left his brilliant brush mark on this earth.

The third and final stop at BCAM and our the last PST: LA/LA associated observation for the night was a walk across the gallery where “Playing with Fire” was exhibited and into “A Universal History of Infamy.” This complex exhibit featured “new works from boundary-defying artists who adopt methods from anthropology, theater, and linguistics.” A visually strong piece was Vincent Ramos’ “Ruins Over Visions or Searchin’ For My Lost Shaker of Salt [Ante Drawing room].” Mr. Ramos had created what appeared to be a wooden shack like structure that inside housed what looked like a showing of ephemeral American, Chicano and Mexican images under plexiglass, like magazines, photos and music in a clubhouse type manner. I experienced the progression and flow walking in and around it locating bits and pieces that would trigger a reminiscent provocation of thought. The work had recalled memories of constructing fort-like structures from reclaimed backyard items with my friends as a kid.

Read our full write up on this event as: CHICANO ART MOVEMENT attends: Muse ‘til Midnight at LACMA - 2017.

(View of Reynier Leyva Nova’s “S.O.U.P” installation.) 

In mid September 2017, we traveled to PST’s exhibit entitled “Deconstructing Liberty: A Destiny Manifested”atMuzeo in Anaheim, California. From the Promenade Street museum entrance, we were first greeted by the staff and then by exhibit’s introduction written by curator Marisa Caichiolo. It explained that this was a collection of fourteen artists from eight countries of the western hemisphere. The first of the artists that we came to focus upon was Chicana Linda Vallejo. Her work “The Brown Dot Project” was inclusive of previously collected data about Latinos that was reformatted into familiar figures and symbols reaffirming the Latino presence is found in every sector: from health and employment to populations statistics and economic impact within the United States. Vallejo accomplished her vision by using geometric abstraction giving two distinct versions of each piece: up close and at a distance.

As we progressed and opposite to Vallejo were the works by Cuban artist Reynier Leyva Nova. His installation piece entitled “S.O.U.P. (Survival Object Under Pressure)” consisted of 272 engraved spoons with words from various political activists. While reading, I understood the creative’s point that these words continue to be revered, repeated, and remised. 

Proceeding further into the exhibit, we heard ocean wave sounds and I focused in on the two miniature docks opposite from one another but tethered together via a white rope. This installation piece was “[Status] Quo” by Ricardo Rodriguez, an artist from Puerto Rico. From the museum label, it stated that this was a metaphor for the continuous complicated relationship between Puerto Rico and United States. This challenge me to think critically about the plight of los puertorriqueños to liberate la isla del encanto once more. 

Continuing through exhibit, I analyzed the respective pieces by artists Leonardo González (Hondureño) and Angel Delgado (Cuban) which then evoked me to think about the gravity of capitalism within Latin American markets. These same ideas came to mind when I stood in front of Mexicana Betsabeé Romero who used reclaimed items in her work titled “Exodus” that was comprised of recycled automobile rubber tires embellished with a gold colored octagonal pattern. On the adjacent gallery wall was her artistic photograph of six Volkswagen Beetles, with personal items on the car rooftops, all stuck in an eerie automotive caravan which I perceived it being as an exodus without destination. With Romero’s use of VW Beetles, I correlated this to the social, political, economic, and environmental impacts of this vehicle production and use within Mexico since the 1960s. 

As we finished our walk through of “Deconstructing Liberty: A Destiny Manifested,” the participating artists presented different outcomes of liberty and the cost of modernity for Latinoamericanos and I concluded this was ironic due to the location of the hosting institution. Muzeo is located a few blocks away from Disneyland and on the corner of Anaheim Blouevard that continues to grow and change for better or worse. 

(Café Tacvba performing at Hollywood Bowl for PST: LA/LA 2017)

This September 2017 PST: LA/LA outing landed us at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California to enjoy the live musical performances by Mon LaFerte, La Santa Cecilia and Café Tacvba. For one dynamic evening in the “Film • Music • Dance Series” that featured “music from across the Americas.” 

With supreme seating provided by Anita to watch all three bands was a special experience for us at the Hollywood Bowl concert venue. Kicking off the event was the country of Chile’s own Mon LaFerte. The songstress along with her large musical ensemble played uptempo dance songs throughout their set. We had an impressive introduction to the radiant sound from South America in open air Southern California. Next up was Los Angeles’ own La Santa Cecilia, a band we have become familiar with through the years exploring regional music. Along with playing numbers from their catalog they also covered some songs during their jam at the Hollywood Bowl. A couple of those included a special appearance by well known Chicano art collector and comedian Richard “Cheech” Marin. “Cheech” was brought up to sing a couple well known Cheech & Chong comedy tunes with lead singer La Marisoul for a very entertaining selection. Closing out the night was the sonic and visual performance that is the México’s Café Tacuva band. La chilanga banda had quickly elevated the art of perfromance for the night. Entering the stage under the cloak of darkness Rubén Albarrán (vocals/guitar) appeared mysteriously masked and dressed in a black cape right before the large light show exploded with bright beams into the  universe that started the enthusiastic hour and a half production by the alternative rock band playing classic and recent compositions in the grandiose fashion that is Café Tacvba.

Read our full write up here: CHICANO ART MOVEMENT attends: PST: LA/LA Café Tacvba • La Santa Cecilia • Mon Laferte 2017

(View of dress and cape designed by Julia Johnson-Marshall for the 1968 Mexico Olympics.)

In mid-October 2017, we returned to Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) to enjoy the entirety of “Found in Translation: Design in California and Mexico 1915 - 1985,” another exhibition in the PST: LA/LA 2017 programming. We proceeded to main destination, the Resnick Pavilion, with tickets in hand. From the introduction, it communicated to patrons that Found in Translation was comprised of four sectors: Spanish Colonial Inspiration, Pre-Hispanic Revivals, Folk Art & Craft Traditions, and Modernism. In the accompanying catalogue, Wendy Kaplan (LACMA’s Department Head and Curator) explained in the introduction that this grand effort was the first its kind to analyze the exchange of ideas between California and Mexico & their respective manifestations in design and architecture between the years of 1915 to 1985. Kaplan further explained due to Mexico’s Revolution of 1910, it was crucial for Mexico to solidify their new identity and be on cusp of modernity in 20th century.

The first era of design that we ventured through was of Spanish Colonial Inspiration that contained various examples of how Spanish architecture dominated the landscape of Mexico and how it influenced the new image of the state of California. Post revolution, Mexico took a different approach to Spanish Colonial design that resulted in neocolonial style for art and architecture that combined Spanish colonial with indigenous iconography and elements.

For California, the translation of Spanish Colonial style was distinct in comparison. Spanish Colonial style was preferred due to its incorporation of Spanish and Mediterranean elements that were easily adaptable to the California landscape and, most importantly, it established a clear association to classic European civilizations and created distance from Mexico and its revolution of 1910. Spanish Colonial style in California was of having red-tile roofs, white stucco walls, and other Spanish & European elements; this was the standard until the 1930s. It dominated the blueprints of countless buildings: from personal homes to governmental structures such as: police stations, schools, and courthouses. One particular case study that I focused on was the city of Santa Barbara, California that after an earthquake decided to rebuild with Spanish Colonial design at the center; this resulted in many structures to be this style with the city’s courthouse being the most lavish example of Spanish Colonial style due to handcraft furniture done in Spanish Renaissance opulence, meticulous murals, and extravagant iron and woodwork. 

We continued through the exhibition to the next period of design entitled Pre-Hispanic Revivals. As explained Pre-Hispanic Revivals flourished greatly due to the ease of international travel for both people and curated exhibits between 1910 - 1930 and continued as a source of inspiration in modern times. During this period, Mexico had two approaches: (1) applying Pre-Hispanic design elements from its various indigenous communities to modern items, and (2) organizing international exhibits of Mexico’s ancient indigenous artifacts to highlight the rich history of the Mesoamerican period.

For Californians, we learned it was an exportation and an unique interpretation of Pre-Hispanic designs. For some, it was the mixture of Aztec, Mayan, and other indigenous communities with home design. This was the approach that architect Frank Lloyd Wright used when creating the Hollyhock House and Ennis House, respectively. For other residents of California, the Pre-Hispanic revival was more personal particularly for Chicano and Chicana artists. Reading from the catalogue, we learned that after an inspirational trip to Mexico in 1970, David Botello applied indigenous elements of pyramids, temples, and other ancient structures to the Los Angeles landscape. Alongside Johnny D. González, they produced concept designs that reflected “Chicano urban planning” in East Los Angeles. One design was for the Tlalocán Commercial Center and another was for a Monumento de la Raza.

The third period of design we examined were of Folk Art & Craft Traditions. It was inclusive of ceramics, textiles, jewelry, and home items, wishing they were part of my collection. This section’s common denominator was of hecho en México (made in Mexico) and was a direct counter response to the industrialization movement of the 1940s & 1950s.

The catalogue stated the majority of artistic endeavors of this time was of exporting goods made in Mexico to the California market which was the case of Mexican silver from Taxco, Guerrero. During the 1950s, this small pueblo exploded to have 150 silver shops with the shop of U.S. born designer and businessman William Spratling at the forefront with international acclaim who sold items to Hollywood’s rich and famous, such as Marilyn Monroe and the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo. The Mexican American sculpture artist Dora De Larios (1933 - 2018) took a different approach in the area of folk art and craft traditions and within this exhibit, two of her works were included: Warrior (1960) and Blue Dog (1979). These pieces were mesmerizing examples of how the craft traditions from the indigenous communities of Nayarit and Colima were creatively interpreted by the artist. From our Pacific Standard Time (PST) research archives, we learned De Larios’ connection to this ancestral art form was due to a trip to el Museo Nacional de Antropología en la Cuidad de México with her family at the age of eight; it explained that the famous Aztec Sun Stone took Dora’s breath away and had a lasting impact on her. 

The last section of “Found in Translation” was the phase of Modernism. After World War II, the rise of modern design impacted both sides of the U.S./Mexico border particularly in the sector of home design that invited clean lines, elements of nature, and bold, solid colors into the family’s daily visual topography. In California, the city of Palms Springs was a hub of mid-century modern homes and provided an oasis retreat in the middle of the desert. Throughout Southern California, mid-century homes were owned by working middle-class families who enjoyed a comfortable space that welcomed nature and simplicity in every way, shape, and form.  In comparison, the modern homes of Mexico City’s neighborhood Jardines del Pedregal were of exclusive and attainable by the country’s elite class. We read from the exhibit publication that the Jardines del Pedregal homes were indeed inspired by California’s modern design architecture but with two distinct features: location was in an urban setting compared to the desert landscape and the homes were walled off from public view by request of the owners.

Modernism design was also applied to other areas particularly to the Olympic Games hosted by Mexico in 1968. El Comité Organizador de los Juegos del la XIX Olimpiada (COJO) included designers and architects that were entrusted with the large task of incorporating art in and around the area to welcome the thousands of people in town for this special occasion. The logo for the Olympic Games of Mexico 1968 was of great triumph. Created by U.S. born graphic designer Lance Wyman, he used the Olympic rings to recreate the numerical silhouettes of the six and eight in a repeated psychedelic zebra pattern. This design was also applied to the clothing worn by the countless female hostesses of the city as a method to provide uniformity and visibility within Mexico City during this time.

Overall “Found in Translation: Design in California and Mexico 1915 - 1985″ was an extensive exhibit that we perused one more time before leaving the Resnick Building. To close our trip to LACMA, we also toured PST: LA/LA’s “NuMu” (Nuevo Mueso de Arte Contemporáneo) by Guatemalan artists Jessica Kairé and Stefan Benchoam: a mobile museum contained in an egg-shape structure that in a previous life was a business stand that sold eggs. 

(Lithography entitled “Mexico” by Maxine Albro from the “California Mexicana” exhibit.)

In late October 2017, Robert and I traveled to the coastal city of Laguna Beach, California to visit three PST: LA/LA exhibits. The first was “Descendants & Dissonance: Cultural Iconography in Contemporary L.A.” at the Salt Fine Art Gallery that exhibited artists Oscar Magallanes and Linda Vallejo. As I viewed the works by Oscar Magallanes of mixed media, I perceived the images as a reflection of the harsh realities of corporatism and its negative effects on people through familiar iconography. Linda Vallejo and her pieces were another installation of her series Datos Sagrados that incorporated Chicano/Latino recorded data into mandalas, geometric shapes and figures, that reflected the growing impact of the Chicano/Latino population within the United States. From PST: LA/LA literature, Sonia Romero was included in this exhibit. We inquired with gallery staff for the location of Romero’s work only to find out that, unfortunately, they were no longer on displayed due to the artist requesting their return before the closing date of the exhibition. 

After the gallery, we walked to the second destination of the Laguna Art Museum on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Cliff Drive to see “California Mexicana: Missions to Murals, 1820 to 1930.” From the catalogue’s introduction written by Katherine Manthorne (guest curator of the exhibit), this collection of works was to display in chronological order the change of California from its Mexican inception to its incorporation to the United States in 1850 and its early decades as a young state located on the Pacific Ocean. From my point of view, I took this exhibit to learn more about the state’s history as well as the see other examples of the complex relationship between the distinct populations of our state: indigenous peoples, Mexicanos, Mexican Americans, and European immigrants. I also focused on the ranchero and vaquero lifestyles depicted by artists James Walker, William Han, and Henri Joseph Penelon, respectively. In addition, I concentrated on the works by William Joseph McCloskey, Norman Rockwell, and Maxine Albro that displayed the abundance of agricultural fertility in California that allowed the state to grow and create a strong economy during the early part of the 20th century.

After surveying the last room of “California Mexicana,” Robert and I walked down to the lower level of the Laguna Art Museum to see “Dan McCleary: Prints from Oaxaca.” The American artist McCleary displayed the different stages of the printmaking processes that he learned from various artists while working in Oaxaca. This included the original copper plate etchings and in their different stage variations as well as original works on canvas and prints on paper. 

Stay tuned here and our other social media sites for the second installation of a three part series by CHICANO ART MOVEMENT blog’s coverage of the review of PST: LA/LA Attended Programming. 

CAM:

As we prep to post part 2 of our Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA write up. Read our previous writings on the The Getty sponsored event programming.