CAT

By glizbobb78
  • Period: to

    Chicano Art

    Chicano artworks by Baca, Hernández, López, Valdez, and Luján focus on cultural pride, social justice, and community. Using bright colors, symbols, murals, posters, and prints, they address issues like labor rights, racism, gender, and history. From Baca’s huge mural to Hernández’s political satire, these works mix storytelling, activism, and celebration, showing how Chicano art reclaims identity and honors Mexican American experiences.
  • López, Yolanda M. Free Los Siete. 1969. Offset lithograph on paper, sheet & image: 22 ¼ × 14 ¼ in (56.5 × 36.2 cm). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Gilberto Cárdenas and Dolores García.

    López, Yolanda M. Free Los Siete. 1969. Offset lithograph on paper, sheet & image: 22 ¼ × 14 ¼ in (56.5 × 36.2 cm). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Gilberto Cárdenas and Dolores García.

    This poster was made to support Los Siete, a group of young Latinos facing unfair charges in the late ’60s. López turns the American flag into prison bars to show how the justice system can trap people of color. It’s a strong reminder of how Chicano artists used prints and posters to protest, organize, and push for justice in their communities.
  • Baca, Judith F. The Great Wall of Los Angeles. 1978–1984. Acrylic on concrete mural, approx. 13 ft × 2,754 ft. Social & Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) / Tujunga Wash, Los Angeles.

    Baca, Judith F. The Great Wall of Los Angeles. 1978–1984. Acrylic on concrete mural, approx. 13 ft × 2,754 ft. Social & Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) / Tujunga Wash, Los Angeles.

    This mural is huge, but it’s also a huge deal for Chicano art. Baca brought together young people from the community to paint stories that rarely show up in textbooks, especially those about Mexican American history. The piece really shows how murals can be activism, teaching, empowering, and giving a voice to people who usually get ignored.
  • Hernández, Ester. Sun Mad. 1982. Screenprint on paper, image 20 × 15 in (50.7 × 38.1 cm); sheet 22 × 17 in (55.9 × 43.2 cm). Smithsonian American Art Museum.

    Hernández, Ester. Sun Mad. 1982. Screenprint on paper, image 20 × 15 in (50.7 × 38.1 cm); sheet 22 × 17 in (55.9 × 43.2 cm). Smithsonian American Art Museum.

    Hernández flips the famous Sun Maid logo to call out how harmful pesticides and working conditions affect farmworkers, especially in Latino communities. It looks bright and funny at first, but the skeleton drives the message home. The piece is a perfect example of Chicana artists using humor and pop culture to expose real issues and fight for worker rights.
  • Luján, Gilbert “Magú.” El Fireboy y El Mingo. 1988. Color lithograph on paper, 30 × 44 in (76.2 × 111.8 cm). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Professor Monroe Price and Aimee Brown.

    Luján, Gilbert “Magú.” El Fireboy y El Mingo. 1988. Color lithograph on paper, 30 × 44 in (76.2 × 111.8 cm). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Professor Monroe Price and Aimee Brown.

    Luján’s work is full of bright colors, wild characters, and cultural mashups, and this piece is a perfect example. He mixes Chicano symbols with fantasy and humor to celebrate identity and community pride. As one of the founders of Los Four, his style helped bring Chicano art into big museums and showed that cultural heritage could be playful and modern at the same time.
  • Valdez, Patssi. Forbidden Fruit. 1991. Screenprint on paper, sheet & image: 38 ¼ × 26 ¼ in (97.2 × 66.7 cm). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Ricardo and Harriett Romo

    Valdez, Patssi. Forbidden Fruit. 1991. Screenprint on paper, sheet & image: 38 ¼ × 26 ¼ in (97.2 × 66.7 cm). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Ricardo and Harriett Romo

    Valdez uses bold colors and dramatic poses to talk about identity, desire, and the pressure Chicana women face. Her style mixes glamour with symbolism, turning everyday emotions into something powerful. The piece shows how Chicana artists expanded the movement by focusing on personal stories and challenges, not just politics or history.