Magu Lujan and Art Communication

Magu Lujan is one of the founder's of the Chicano Art Movement. I grew up not have much resources to gain knowledge about art history and current movements. Magu says that art is a communication, something you need to learn and that is mandatory as an artist. Because it helps make good decisions towards created art, it helps put a story line to your art. At the beginning of the video he responds that "they" didn't consider "us" as a movement or culture. I wonder if that is towards an argument towards Chicano art. He goes on to say that "we", and I'm guessing Chicanos, can tel stories with their art if given the chance. I think that they already do. He says that artists as students have to reach, read, and go out to gain knowledge about the communication that is art. To learn its vocabulary. He points out to his painting how he mixes the vocabulary of abstract, even tho he is not an abstract painter, he uses it in in his representational artwork. Not learning and applying these things results in what he calls neanderthal art and results in your work not being displayed in museums and such. Although he offers few words, they did open my eyes to the responsibility I had and have in order to expand my art communication with or without resources offered to me.

Agustin Castillo: Abstract Artist

This is nothing like my style of painting but I am impressed at how fast he can work. I should start trying to keep my style ongoing and quick instead of being held behind by the details. I like how even the drips left behind he works around, he makes mistakes and keeps them. That would frustrate me. Although I am no abstract artist, I like how free this style of painting is. I probably won't make any drastic move towards going this abstract, I probably will try to be more free and accept mistakes with my painting.

Cheech Marin's Chicano Art Collection

i came across this page, about Cheech Marin's collection of Chicano art whose showcase was rejected at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It hints that it was originally turned down, giving the possibility that it was later accepted. I'm still yet to come across that information. But I found this topic interesting since it seems that Chicano art seem somewhat neglected by the mainstreams of art establishments. Even in my art history classes I do not recall covering much of Chicano art. I'm interested to see what Cheech Marin's collection looks like since I never took him for much of an art collector. I only new him for some of his acting roles, especially the Cheech and Chong movie collection.

http://bullfighterscafe.blogspot.com/2008/06/cheech-marins-chicano-art-at-lacma.html

Lowrider/Graffiti Art

This Hispanic Artist calls himself Rask Opticon. I love the expressive work he does with grafitti like art. Like Rask this is the kind of art that I grew up looking at. Lowrider art was a theme that was everywhere around predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods. Rask soon turned his grafitti art towards canvases using airbrushing techniques giving his art a more surreal look. He has even come to make his own clothing line. Airbrushing is something i might want to get into. St. Ed's should make a class that offers airbrushing on canvas.


http://www.lowriderarte.com/featuredartists/1101_lras_rask_opticon_jack_of_all_trades/index.html

Chicano Artist Mike Roman

Mike Roman likes to use some Mexican icons and Mexican artist Frida in his work. He uses her in a form of a mermaid playing a guitar. He also uses religious icons like the Milagros. More than anything Mike Roman says his work is not about the subject but how to use colors and and mediums to make the art pop out. He prefers his art to look rough and rugged.

Watching his different pieces of work, I can see how unafraid he is to use any kind of colors to make the composition pop. I was trying to use this same kind of attitude towards my last painting, to try and use pattern and color to make my subject stand out.

5 Year Plan

Graduate from St. Edward’s University with a Bachelors in Art

Enter works into Senior Exhibition and apply for others

Get a full-time job

                Interview for jobs that apply to my Major

                                Advertising Agency (Creative Department)

Apprenticeship at a Tattoo Parlor

be a tattoo parlor as a fulltime artist

                Save towards own parlor and pay school loans

or

Apply to graduate school directly (or join the peace core to pay off loans first)

                Look for an assistantship

                Receive my masters in fine arts

Artist Bio

Lucio Manzano was born premature at 6 months and 4 weeks in Brownsville, Texas in the United States into a Mexican migrant family. His parents are Maria Martha Ramos and Fidel B. Manzano, who are separated at present day. At infancy Lucio was not able to travel with his parents and was left in the care of his Aunt Flora, who was a working nurse in “La Cruz Roja” (The Red Cross Hospital). As soon as his parents were able to find a steady pattern of traveling to follow different crop seasons and made enough to support a traveling migrant family, they did so. Lucio has three older siblings and two younger ones. From oldest to youngest there was Orquidea, Rocio, Fidel, Lucio, Martha, and his younger brother Diego. The constant moving proved tough especially for the education for Lucio and his brothers. They usually had to leave the school year early to move to another state where they would register late. Lucio had to adjust to the different education systems and learning rates to be able to keep up with school and not be left behind a grade. Although Lucio and his siblings took a hit to their education, his parents always stressed the importance of getting a good education. Through the constant traveling Lucio found a past time in drawing animal figures during the 36 to 48 hour drives to their next temporary relocation. He drew in cheap lined paper notebooks just about the entire road trip when he was awake. He usually lost the notebook when packing and unpacking the huge red Ford Econoline van they travel in. Lucio Manzano has lived in six different states which include Texas, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Indiana, and Minnesota. His home still would be his birthplace, Brownsville, Texas, where they would spend the offseason getting by through recycling cardboard and metal and selling miscellaneous items in their local flea market and through garage sells. Lucio Manzano’s interest in drawing grew from simple animal figures to dinosaurs and eventually any 50 cent design he could afford at a local store. He would constantly check out “How to Draw Books” of more animals to draw on his downtime. Since Lucio usually attended low budget and underfunded schools, his education about art and art history was very limited. Still he was content on drawing his favorite cartoons, more intricate temporary tattoo designs, and at times tried to figure out the formal elements to draw some of his family members through photographs. Lucio’s family were well aware of his acquired talent but saw it more as a hobby than anything else so he would be in constant struggle to get an approval of what he was doing was not just good, but right. He had some contact with art classes in his hometown during his middle school and high school period. The classes were still limited on the mediums used and artists covered. He won several art awards for art competitions within his schools and another award of recognition from Simon Rivera High School for the art he contributed to his school. Lucio had to start working at the age of 13 by taking care or his younger brothers, cousins, and even children of his parent’s coworkers and friends. A couple years later he had to contribute to his family by working in crop factories and slaughterhouses. Lucio’s entire paychecks of 60 plus hour weeks went directly to his older sisters’ college education because they were not eligible for financial aid.  After Lucio graduated high school he moved to Austin with his sister where he made a last desperate attempt at getting a higher education. He already had his mind set that the Armed Forces would ultimately be the path he would take. After applying for St. Edward’s University, an Admission counselor by the name of Maribel Robles noticed that Lucio was a migrant student and worker and suggested he apply through the College Assistance Migrant Program (C.A.M.P.).  He went on to apply through CAMP and a month later received a letter of acceptance to St. Edward’s University. Just as important was another letter he received from his father of a letter that Lucio had sent to his grandfather, whom he is named after as a thank you for paying Lucio’s hospital bills at birth, when he was barely 4 or 5 years old from Michigan of his favorite animals. Receiving that letter and becoming aware that St. Edward;s University offered an Art degree led him to choose Art as his academic and career path. Lucio Manzano pursuing art was not the career his parents wanted him to go after but eventually respected his decision and now

Artist Statement

Growing up in a struggling yet strong migrant family has given me the opportunity to attend St. Edward’s University where I have been able to expand my use of mediums beyond a pen and pencil. Although my lifestyle has been adverse and residences many and diverse, my family remained determined and united. My work reflects the importance of family in its subject, and work ethic  in the meticulous process of my work . My work is slowly building up to reflect another big impact other than family and that is the migrant lifestyle itself.  My story is just one of many and it will be a goal of mine to bring out to the light the real emotions, conditions, and struggles of the migrant worker through figurative and literal images composed through mix media.

Unknown Artist

I found this painting in a rooms to go department store. Although my technique is a meticulous and traditional one. I've been looking forward to do some work outside of my element. I really liked the brush stroke, the simplistic steer, and the heavy brushstrokes of full paint around this painting. I don't know who the artist is and neither did their staff but I thought I'd share it.

Marcia Baldwin

After Laurie Pace I came across Marcia Baldwin whose work is amazing. Her colors, her brushwork, and her technique. Marcia also does Equine art and uses horses in her work. Each of her horse paintings is very romanticized and uses a very traditional and abstract technique, sometimes in the same painting.
http://www.blogger.com/profile/05839867565320169693

Laurie Pace

Laurie Pace is another artist I found that paints in a very abstract and painterly technique. Her colors are very bright and intense. She is a Equine fine artist who celebrates painting in the spirit of the horse which is a reoccurring subject in her paintings.
I'll be trying to go out of my element and see if I can create something like the work of Laurie Pace and Marcia Baldwin.

http://lauriepace.blogspot.com/

Rafael Sanchez de Icaza

Rafael Sanchez de Icaza process of work involves his faith, his roots, and music. Much of his artwork involves Spanish and Hispanic traditions. His work interests me very much because of how finished his artwork looks despite it being abstract. The movement in his work is very fluid yet geometric. http://rafaelsanchezdeicaza.blogspot.com/