0 thoughts on “Images tagged "figure"

  1. I had Eduardo has an art professsor in the late 70s, while I was a Biology major at UCSC. I took several classes from him and remember the time spent in studio with him clearly and wiht great inspiration. What I remember best,however, was traipsing around campus, being led by Eduardo beating a drum, all our hearts set on asking Mother Earth to give us the right clay for our ceramics class. Then we had these big firings in the quarry. It was amazing!

    1. Dear Jane,
      Thank you for adding this lovely recollection. I would enjoy hearing more!
      Warmly,
      Betsy

  2. An online museum… what a great idea, with tons of potential. Howard’s work is wonderful, compelling and lyrical, and pulls you in, like a dream. The text suits the images so well too. Congrats, I look forward to what will follow!

  3. Thank you for this opportunity to explore the transformative beauty, poetry and peace of Howard Kaneg’s work.

  4. Thank you to Susan Heinz for her amazingly beautiful, insightful and poetic writing about Howard’s work. Also many thanks to Betsy Anderson and Allison Carrillo for believing in Howard’s art and including him in this very special honor. Also, thank you David Reese for his expert professional photography.
    With Gratitude,
    Nancy Kaneg

  5. I feel Howard Kaneg is the master at transferring intricate feelings into his art. I love every brush stroke.

  6. Betsy ,so fantastic of you and your efforts to help Howard recieve the recognition he deserves as a artist……I have been watching Howards work evolve since we were kids,,,,,,from Murph the surf,,,,,to the fantastic work of today……….
    Congrats for this fantastic site. aloha to all !

  7. Howard Kaneg’s paintings are a pleasure. Dreamy, full of organic line and delicate tendrils, they have a cloisonne like appearance. And Susan Heinz so graciously ushers us into the experience of them.
    Thank you , janet trenchard

  8. What a wonderful “exhibit”! Tom Madera’s essay enhanced it considerably for me, too. I don’t know who Claire Thorson is, and it would serve me for you to include some basic information like where she lives, the dates of her work, where her work can be seen or is published, something of her life. Regardless, I’m grateful for this glimpse of her art. I agree with Tom that it’s more than 3-D, and I’d love to have it hanging on my walls! Imagine. Thanks, Jane

  9. Amazing. I have been working with water color pencils, oil and chalk pastels. Some of my work in in a similar vein.

    I would like to see these paintings in person. I think that they are great.

  10. A timely and well considered collection of work.
    Ms Thorson is a very thoughtfull artist and teacher.
    It is exciting to see her recent work put together in one
    place.
    I feel her work is pertinent to our time.
    Have not yet seen the show, am looking forward to it.

    For more about Claire Thorson and her work,
    A podcast (recent interview) will soon be available from UCSC

    For more about Claire Thorson and her work….
    A podcast (recent interview) will soon be available from UCSC

  11. Thank you, Claire, for sharing your beautiful work with us all, and thank you, Tom, for sharing your wisdom and insights. Gorgeous exhibit!

  12. Congratulations Claire, painter’s painter, the urgency and emphatic color and marking is strong and genuine. So great to see your paintings here Claire.

  13. Claire, I would so love to be able to see your whole catalogue of works from over the years… so many treasures. Thank you for sharing your work with us. I look forward to more shows in the future.

  14. It’s wonderful to see your process from blank canvas to finished piece. Powerful artwork, Claire.

  15. I admire Claire Thorson as an artist as well as an art instructor. To me, her work is dynamic and truly inspiring. It is great to be able to take a glimpse of how she creates her work. And, I would love to see more of it.

  16. Powerful, elemental work, Claire. Congratulations! I loved seeing the time-lapse video and your virtuoso use of contour and gestural line with the figure.

  17. Thank you for the images of Claire’s paintings and the video–it’s an interesting way to see the work unfolding.

  18. Hi
    Claire – I’m not going to comment on the art because I don’t know enough but it is wonderful to see it and you in the video. It has been too many years since Escondido! Take care!

  19. Jose, I love to hear you speak! Always love your humor and “slice of life” observations-including your version of “Housewives from Orange County” doing their MFA. I learned alot-nicely done, Abel. Thank you.

  20. Fascinating! The essay helps me to think about the images, but the images on their own reach me quite directly.

  21. One of the most striking images from this collection is the painting titled “Make ‘Em All Mexican, Salome”, by Linda Vallejo, from 2013. This portrait of an exotic women reclining on a Roman chaise is evocative of the ways that Chicana art has incorporated and then transcended many other styles in fashioning this painting. The red contrast is at once reminiscent of different skin colors as well as hearkening to Rita Hayworth, an early Hollywood sex symbol, who was also Mexican. Her languorous pose and seductive clothing remind us of Salome, she of the seven veils, who asked for the head of John the Baptist. This title is not only an evocation, but a warning. She is a femme fatale, as Salome was, but her embrace is deadly. Yet the seductiveness of the pose, along with the box of jewelry carelessly open at her side, make this woman very hard to resist. By titling it “Make ‘Em All Mexican, Salome” Ms. Vallejo is sending a clear message that to accept a single form of identity is to miss the dangers that this implies. In order to understand the modern world it is necessary to avoid a mistake in identification. Chicanos are not Mexicans, per se, but people of Mexican descent. Salome, in the painting, is a potential colonizer. She wants everyone to be Mexican. But this is just as destructive as everyone believing that, despite their Mexican heritage, that they are Americans. This strong, yet ambiguous painting, is a powerful acknowledgment of history, of the history of the art, and of the many ways that it is possible to incorporate many different trends and styles into a contemporary painting.
    Another powerful painting from the Duron Collection is by Gronk, titled “Transient”. This very crowded, very abstract study in yellows, browns, blues, and ochers evokes a poor man and a poor woman. Their bodies are sketched in skeletally, while they are surrounded by messy, seemingly dirty, smudges, swirls, and loops of various kinds. There are no clearly defined, recognizable images, and the artist seems to expect the viewer to fill in a lot of the blanks. His subtle introduction of two human figures here seems to indicate the equally ambiguous role actual humans have in a world that is messy, trashy, and confused. The painting is reminiscent of Picasso, as the Collection describes, especially his painting “Guernica”, which was also seemingly-confused, though it was about a real event. This painting’s evocation of that one is, I suspect, no accident. “Guernica” was about a town bombed from the air, and these “transients” look like refugees from a war.
    In “Love Fires” (2003), under the category of Chicana self-portraiture, Linda Carrasco has painted a couple embracing and kissing over the map of the world. There are fires highlighted in different parts of the world, perhaps symbolizing the wars and disasters in those places. They include Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as parts of eastern Africa. The painting is perhaps evoking the wars in those places that began in 2003. In any event the fires on the map match the fiery red hair of the woman who is kissing the man in the foreground. Though the two human figures seem cartoonish, they also seem to be responding to reports of wars and their attendant destruction around the world with the opposite of war: love. This is a powerful image on its own, but juxtaposed against the wars of the world it is very forceful. By posing these contrasting figures against each other – the couple kissing while the world is at war – Carrasco has made a subtly powerful statement about eternal human needs (love) and eternal human folly (war).
    In his painting “by Deborah Caldwell”, Lorenzo Hurtado Segovia manages to make a childhood painting of his wife’s a symbol of all the small things that are sucked into the net of the media (the words ‘The Opra Will Start In 15 Minutos’) and re-packaged for re-sale. But the things themselves, reminiscent of Spongebob Squarepants, look frantically around trying to avoid the net. They seem to be named Romlo and Juliet, and they are moving towards each other as the net is being raised under them. Their romance is doomed to become another re-packaged story, inhaled by the modern media machine that grinds everything into dust for re-assembly at the convenience of the media masters.
    These powerful, evocative, and sharp paintings all suggest that there are ways that the individual has of escaping this corporate media/art machine, which reduces art to easily-swallowed bite-sized bits out of all their original context. Through originality, invention, and a shrewd understanding of the messages inherent in art, the artists have all staged their own rebellions against the powers that be in these works, and done so successfully.

  22. BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL!
    Are you the Sara Friedlander I knew when i was growing up on Long Island?
    I think you (if you are you) were related to my grandmother, Margaret Meyer
    from Hanover. Or you knew (if you are you) my mother, Edith Levine of Cologne?
    Or it’s another Sara Friedlander!!!
    Love your work.

    1. Hi Joan, So glad you like my work. I’m not the Sara Friedlander you’re thinking of from Long Island, instead I’m from Rhode Island and now Santa Cruz. I’m in my mid-sixties, but I know of a Sara Friedlander who’s about 30, who is also in the art world. You can google her online.
      Good luck. Sara

  23. A big thank you to all involved in bringing these important images and ideas to a large audience.

    Art with essential, timely content is especially needed now. It helps to counter balance art that is narrowly conceived and merely self serving.

  24. Comments from our email box:

    “What a great project to involve young minds in the rich world of the arts, congratulations!”
    – Isabel Rojas Williams

    “¡Amazing! Congratulations.” -Juan Manuel Carrillo

    “Wonderful working with art and students!! Would love that – Susan Chadney

  25. September 16, 2016

    You each have created profoundly beautiful, important and socially responsible work which lightens my heavy heart – what times we live in……thank you very much.

    Phyllis Peet, Ph.D.

    1. My family had dinner one evening at ceeje’s upstairs. The meal was memorable, especially the baked Alaska.

  26. “Central Park, 1965.” Magical, ethereal; made me think of Klimt a little; deep, exotic, evocative.
    Thank you Eduardo Carrillo gallery and Betsy Anderson for making this day extra special. My dad would have been 91 today and he would have loved this work, and especially this painting. He was an artist.

  27. The Central Paradise
    Once upon a place in the beginning there was light, water, air and fire.
    Invitation to mystery, to presence, to finding what is other than a field
    pushing up through the vibrant earth of memory. There are voices colliding,
    humming, whispering….stop here. stop here. Dip your cup into this spring,
    this day-bright light.

  28. Illusive illumination, magic both light and dark – iconic images and a journey both interior and exterior — all of these things highlight Frank Galuszka’s work! – Wonderful!

  29. Fantastic work. Beautiful and captivating. Loved it. Glimpses into another world. No wonder why your shoulder and arm are tender.

  30. Dear Alison,
    Thank you for writing this. I was widowed suddenly 3 years ago and am with you as your grieve for your beloved. The hardest thing for me is that my husband isn’t coming back. After he died, I somehow knew he would be here in spirit and in my heart — and he is — but that’s not the same as having him here in the flesh.

    My husband Jim Compton was an old friend of Frank’s, and Frank and I became friends (although we’ve never met in person) after Jim’s death.

    My condolences to you on the loss of your husband,
    Carol Arnold

  31. These paintings are fearless, creative, original, sublime. Taking the fork of a road never taken. So unfamiliar, like still images from a fast moving dream. Pure genius.

  32. “Advice” (2011) in relation to “Advice” (2016) , I think, speaks volumes to the psychic nature of children — and the child’s voice which remains inside us to offer advice should we stay keen and gentle enough to listen. Exquisite works I discover something new in every viewing.

  33. Ed was a wonderful human being and friend. I am grateful to live with some of his art. Mr. Green wood’s description of Ed’s character is spot on. I will add that Ed Carrillo was an exceptionally humble man. I miss him.

  34. It’s a fabulous show. I’d recommend it to anyone wanting to see a wide variety of compelling art.

    1. Dear Peter,
      I am glad you saw our film. I think knowing how artist’s discuss their process is so fascinating. AS a film maker you probably can appreciate the editing and the Unseen portions that have not made it into the final piece.
      Thank you again,
      Betsy

    2. Dear Peter,
      I am glad you saw our film. I think knowing how artist’s discuss their process is so fascinating. AS a film maker you probably can appreciate the editing and the Unseen portions that have not made it into the final piece.
      Thank you again,
      Betsy

  35. Hello, My name is Roberto Chavez, and I was one of the four painters that were exhibited at the Ceeje Gallery at the beginning of the gallery’s time on La Cienega. I had the first one-person show at Ceeje and was with the gallery for several years. I made a large life-size portrait of Jerry and Cecil which was exhibited at the gallery in 1964 and at the “Ceeje Revisited” exhibit in 1984. After that exhibit Jerry asked to borrow the portrait as he could not afford to buy it. I agreed to the loan but did not keep up contact with them.
    Some years later I heard through friends that Jerry had died. When I next saw Cecil at Louis Lunetta’s, I asked about the painting and he told me it was still in his possession. We agreed to exchange a portrait I made, at the Ceeje, of Rip Torn for the double portrait as a way of compensating him for caring for the painting. Unfortunately my situation, extreme poverty, and the fact that I was barely surviving in Northern California prevented me from following up on Cecil’s idea.
    I am writing all this in hopes that you can help me track down the painting of Jerry and Cecil. Any chance of that? I am afraid that Cecil may also be dead as a woman, Tere Romo, tried a couple of years ago to find records of the gallery. Please let me know if you get this

  36. This film does a great job showing the different ways artist portray people in their art. They use different mediums to showcase humanity and their role in society. Also, the artists talk about how their art can be interpreted differently by different viewers, proving that not everyone thinks alike.

    In addition, this video made me see that the at process can be strange. For instance, many artists start with a vision, but at the end of the day, they end up with something way different. Just how Claire Thorson said, “what happens is unknown until it starts happening in a piece of paper in a canvas… that’s the adventure.”

    In my perspective, it is good to look at art becuase art allows artists to show different cultures and different people; most importantly by adding meaning to it. They take current events and situations and put it in art in order to portray a message for others to see, hence getting an insight of what’s going on.

  37. This film does a great job showing the different ways artist portray people in their art. They use different mediums to showcase humanity and their role in society. Also, the artists talk about how their art can be interpreted differently by different viewers, proving that not everyone thinks alike.

    In addition, this video made me see that the at process can be strange. For instance, many artists start with a vision, but at the end of the day, they end up with something way different. Just how Claire Thorson said, “what happens is unknown until it starts happening in a piece of paper in a canvas… that’s the adventure.”

    In my perspective, it is good to look at art becuase art allows artists to show different cultures and different people; most importantly by adding meaning to it. They take current events and situations and put it in art in order to portray a message for others to see, hence getting an insight of what’s going on.

    Noelli

  38. This film made good points on how people look at art. The idea that people who look at a painting or something else for a few seconds compared to at least ten or fifteen minutes is an activity that I think people should consider. If one views the work for a few seconds then they will only absorb basic information from it, while taking the time to analyze the work for even a few minutes can help bring in even more attention to finer details within the work. It can help art viewers improve their perception on what ideas are trying to be said from what is made on the canvas, even if one person may get a different idea or message from the work compared to the other.

    And the photographer is also interesting, because he is serious about sticking to his ethics on how he approaches his subject in his photography. He is someone who wants to know people at a certain level by spending some personal time, so he could show the true form of other people at their discretion. This is one of the ways he uses to tell stories of subjects in his photos to his audience.

    Art overall can be expressed in different ways. No matter how similar or different the artist sees things compared to the viewer, we can say that the world and experiences we perceive through art has a certain uniqueness to it as it tells a story of what we hear, feel and see.

  39. The film does a great job portraying the approach two different artists take towards the same subject matter – people. Through oil paint, the figure and form of the human figure are shown, while through photography the political and societal aspects of human life are portrayed. An overall beautiful job on both parts!

  40. I resonate deeply with views of the artists. Perspective when making a piece versus when it is done can be very different for the artist. Seeing a finished product can bring through the emotion of a piece, but it does not truly capture the journey of making it. Art is a process that can take a very long time, and the artist may see a product of a marathon of work, but viewers may only see the surface. So what a work means and what is seen can vary greatly between artist and outside observer because they each carry their own experiences and feelings that can impact what they see.

  41. This film was great at portraying how the artist can see their art differently than the viewer. I think it was interesting to see that the art made can have a totally different meaning to the viewer than it gave the artist. What this mean is that art is based on perspective and cannot be put into a specific category. It was also very interesting to see how the art is made and how it differs from the starting idea of the product to the actual final product.

  42. This video gives an incredible peak into the mind of an artist and why they do art. Each artist begins the process of making art with a simple vision in mind that goes through a whirlwind of adjustments, cover-ups and additions. The final product, once completed, may or may not be what they had originally intended. Also, what they created may not be what you see. Interpretations of art can be varied depending on the individual. The maker may create something completely different than what the viewer perceives. Although miscommunications are inevitable, the maker and the viewer interact through the artwork. Whether it was intended or not, the maker portrayed something to the viewer that the viewer then interprets into their own meanings. This is why art is important; it causes people to sit back and open up their minds.

  43. This video gives an incredible peak into the mind of an artist and why they do art. Each artist begins the process of making art with a simple vision in mind that goes through a whirlwind of adjustments, cover-ups and additions. The final product, once completed, may or may not be what they had originally intended. Also, what they created may not be what you see. Interpretations of art can be varied depending on the individual. The maker may create something completely different than what the viewer perceives. Although miscommunications are inevitable, the maker and the viewer interact through the artwork. Whether it was intended or not, the maker portrayed something to the viewer that the viewer then interprets into their own meanings. This is why art is important; it causes people to sit back and open up their minds.

  44. After watching this short film, I appreciate more not only the artists’ aesthetic skills but also their creative sparks with cultural, intellectual, and emotional characteristics. I like the title of the film “Seen and Unseen.” The title itself helps me to know more about the process of art. I also like each artist talking about the process of how art opens the world to something bigger than themselves or the viewers. I am grateful for the opportunity to see this film and recommend it to anyone who begins to study art like me.

  45. I have an original Max Hendler 1979 watercolor on paper 81/8 x 71/2″:
    MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT, 1979
    AF 941 Patricia Faure Gallery and Asher/Faure Gallery

    I am interested in selling this painting. Can you advise?

  46. In the mid 70’s when at SJCC I was recruited to UCSC by Tino Esparza to be Eduardo’s student I had been doing artwork and murals in San Jose as a self trained “artist”. I grew up in a very poor neighborhood and went to schools with no formal or elective art education. I had no training except for helping my father, a craftsman capable of building most anything. When I got to UCSC, and sitting in my 1st watercolour class with Eduardo I had no idea what he was talking about or understood the list of materials needed for the class. Also, I was dirt poor. I didn’t have the money for supplies-no room in my budget. Ed must have seen something in my face as I read the list and walked out the Oakes studio. He asked me what was going on, and embarrassed, I told him that I had no idea how to use these materials, what type I was looking for and anyway “i can’t afford the materials”. Immediately, Eduardo said “let’s go downtown”. And, there in the middle of the afternoon, in the middle of the Palace Arts store, Eduardo gave me the only formal art lessons I ever had in my life as he explained the different brushes, mediums, papers, and how to use them. Then, he said the most important thing-he said, you can always experiment bc sometimes your mistakes lead to new things. Eduardo filled a basket for me of the brand materials that he liked and paid for them. That was the best day of my life and I learned more in that one afternoon than any time I ever spent in a classroom after that day. Rip Eduardo, truly The Master of Light….

  47. I chose Ysabel Martinez’s work of art because it reminded me of the dreams I had as a child not exactly but just how my dreams never have color. The piece that caught my attention the most is the one with a smile. It all seems like a quick dream that’ll vanish within five minutes but she had captured it. I like how only one is colorful like a mural on Mission in San Francisco. I even like the shading on the first one looks like it brings out what’s happening like something running.

    1. Hi Fernando, this is Ysabel the artist! I appreciate your translation of this piece as a moment, the brevity of the moment before waking from a bad dream. Bright color encapsulates the mania and anxiety of displacement, the constant cultural purging taking place both locally and globally.
      Dreams are both familiar and foreign; a smile, a personified non-human object, driving moccasins. One’s nightmare can easily be another’s dream, I am a witness to both

  48. I chose “Valiente”, watercolor and woodblock print, 22*30, 2018 because it reminded me of Mexican rancheros in a typical day. What attracted me about the art was the cactus in front of the woodblock. It also reminded me where I live there’s a few cactus in the area. The distance between the woman and men on the background brings the focus on them. The few colors used in the woodblock makes the colors pop and the title Valiente goes with the art because it means brave.

    1. Hello Maria! 🙂
      This is Karina, the artist of the piece. Thank you for choosing my work. One thing I’d like mention is to give a double take on the play of viewer distance vs. the theme of the piece “Valente” – Brave. Here, most of the figures are placed in the back, scaled rather small but positioned as getting ready for their next battle. Even though the letters of “Valente” are big, some of the letters blend in with the cactus, in relation to the roles of the figures you see on top.
      Thanks again!

  49. The art piece I chose that really caught my attention was Jennifer Ortiz’s “Recuerda tus Raices.” The piece is embroiled inject print on 100% Belgian linen. I selected this work because I was drawn to the way the woman is holding her dress, and how it’s a dark figure like her own shadow. It seems as if this woman is about to dance to a traditional Mexican dance. The translation of the title is, “remember your roots.” In our present day, especially Latinos, are constantly being attacked for looking a certain way and being who they are. This art piece showed that you should remember where you come from and be proud of those roots. Ancestors before you sacrificed a lot for all of us to be where we are today. It’s time to celebrate cultural diversity and individuality.

  50. The art piece that I chose for Slow Art Day was “Sunday Morning” by Narsiso Martinez. Before reading the description on the bottom I tried to focus on what it was made of and what story it’s telling. I appreciated the details throughout the whole piece. I saw a hard working man out on the fields on a hot day. He looked exhausted but thats how he makes his living. I really like how this piece not only tells a story through the acrylic, gouache, and charcoal used but how its made on an actual asparagus box. I feel that makes it very authentic, real, and tells the story of field workers while showing the harsh reality and appreciation of the field workers. The colors used in this art piece too shows its a hot day but the farm workers are still working hard. The subject of the artwork is an embracement and reminder of where many of the food we ate comes from. It comes from hard working people who work long hours and get paid so little just to get food that we take for granted on to the table.I identify with this piece in particular because I took it as a learning experience. I think this is a reminder of how we need to be more appreciative of the food we eat and how it gets to our table.

    1. Hey Allyssa.
      Thanks for sharing your reaction to the piece. Asparagus picking is indeed a back braking job under harsh weather conditions. Your analogy of the piece helps in continuing shining a light to the plight of not only the asparagus pickers, but also to the farm workers in general. I believe their contribution to the nation’s economy is of great importance, and it needs to be recognized.

      Again, thank you.

      Narsiso Martinez

  51. The piece I chose for Slow Art Day was “Yo Soy Amanda Miguel” inkjet print, 44” x 70 by Jorge Gonzalez. This piece first stood out to me because of the look on the face of the person and how emotional the photo looked. Later i read in his interview that emotion is a huge part of his photography as he grew up feeling isolated, and misunderstood, being gay in his Mexican culture. He said that his intent of his work is to “create more representation for the brown queer population
    which I feel is lacking in our society, especially in the arts.” It seems that Jorge mainly uses photography as his medium for art and tends to involve makeup, costume, and dramatic set design. I can identify with this piece because i am also apart of the LGBTQ community and am inspired to hear and see other stories and walks of life.

    1. Hello Arianna,

      Thank you so much for choosing my work to write about. I really appreciate what you had to say and taking time to read my interview. It makes me so happy and excited, especially that people from the LGBTQ+ community are able to see my work. If you more comments or any questions feel free to reach out.

      Again thank you so much for choosing my work, it means so much!

      Gracias,
      Jorge

  52. I chose the art piece “Soy maz de lo que vez” by Jennifer Ortiz because this art piece to me shows strength. This art piece name translated in English is “I am more than what you see”. Showing that she has a lot more to her than what catches the eye. This painting shows that she is strong and she stands tall for what she believes in and for what she believes is right. One thing that really attracted me was the red lipstick, it sticks out to me. I identify with this because the girl in the art piece is a Latina who stands with pride and who is happy with who she is and is happy with where she comes from.

  53. I chose the art piece from the “Unnumbered Portrait” series by Narsiso Martinez. I chose this particular piece of art work because it thought it was something different. it is all based on the cardboard and its in the shape of a box. The person also really caught my attention. It seems to be a person covered by some material, mainly covering the face and head. All three of the people on it seem to be covered by the same material. It attracted my attention because of the way it is hung. I really like the box shape. it makes the people feel more in depth. Its got some depth to it. it really draws me because it looks like a box they put fruit or vegetables in. I was really drawn to the people because it may get hot outside or dusty and they want to stay un sunburnt when they are out tending to the field or garden. I really like this drawing on the cardboard. especially because its a box and you don’t see it being portrayed a lot of the times like this.

    1. Lawson Sims.
      It’s great to hear your description of the piece. The cardboard boxes helped me start up a conversation within my work, the subject matter and the medium. The masked and or hooded individuals, besides protecting themselves from the dust and the hot sun, are also protecting themselves from various chemical residues applied to the trees. I feel the produce boxes bring the farmworkers, the produce, and the companies into one piece, allowing conversions like the one you are starting, thank you.

      Sincerely,

      Narsiso Martinez

  54. From the selection of uniquely made and portrayed art pieces, the one that stood out the most was “Sunday Morning” by Narsiso Martinez. The acrylic, gouache, and charcoal piece that was all made on recycled asparagus boxes caught my attention the most because of the portrayal of field workers picking asparagus for a living. Someone like me who comes from a rural town that most of the population has to pick vegetables to make a living really does hit home when seeing this piece. By having the piece made in an actual asparagus box makes it even more meaningful and can portray a suffering man under the bright sun, which can be very impactful. I identify with this piece in a way that I can say that I’ve been in his shoes, and it isn’t a fun experience.

    1. Hey Williams.
      Yes, working in the fields is rally hard, and not fun. I worked in the fields for many years. That’s why I decided to work really hard at school too and have a college degree. Life is better for sure. Through art, I not only highlight the farm worker’s contribution to the nation, but also try to speak about the importance of education. I hope for the next generations in the farm working communities to be educated and have better lives. Education can lead to desired jobs and give the confidence to demand better payments and or better working conditions.
      Thank you for you thoughts on this piece, it’s appreciated.

      Narsiso Martinez

  55. The piece of art I chose Hellbilly #3 by Ysabal Marine, the reason I chose it was because of the bold black and white contrast along with the amount of detail and position there is within the image. The image was made with pen+ink,gouache & pen on bristol board. I find the artist’s ability to move to fluidly with ink on bristol board astonishing. I also found it interesting how the longer you look at the image the more things you can see.

    1. Hi Terreana, thank you for your feedback. This was a style/creative process I employed for years. Neither underpainting nor drawing were used beforehand, any uncertainties were resolved within the piece. This made for a lot of detail!

  56. The piece I choose was “El Lucharfor” by Jorge Gomez Gonzalez because it represents gender barriers being broken down. In my eyes the mask represent the masculine persona that society forces onto men but the makeup expresses the breakthrough of femininity within that. The image was done with inkjet print which was done so vividly. Overall this artist is consistently trying to charge the gender norms and I enjoy it.

    1. Hola Raul,

      What you had to say about my work was put so beautifully. Thank you for taking time to look at my work, I appreciate it a lot. El Luchador is so special to me because its a reflection on what barriers I have to work on to make sure they are broken and never built back, especially since it is true that society forces onto us.

      I am so glad you enjoyed it and if you have more comments or questions feel free to reach out.

      Gracias,
      Jorge

  57. Hi Fernando, this is Ysabel the artist! I appreciate your translation of this piece as a moment, the brevity of the moment before waking from a bad dream. Bright color encapsulates the mania and anxiety of displacement, the constant cultural purging taking place both locally and globally.
    Dreams are both familiar and foreign; a smile, a personified non-human object, driving moccasins. One’s nightmare can easily be another’s dream, I am a witness to both

  58. Dear Allison

    This is powerful….and such bold faced TRUTH.
    I loved reading this. ha some tears.
    Grateful for truth tellers like you an also of such deep raw honest heart

    This is such an important piece that you wrote.
    I thank you
    I bow to you
    I love you
    Bless youDear Allison
    Marilyn Madden

  59. So good to see Ralph D’Oliveira speaking of his experience in the early days of the Chicano Movement. He and the area artists of the Tortuga Patrol worked in synch with the goals and values of artists from the Royal Chicano Air Force, Galeria de La Raza, Self Help Graphics, Centro Cultural de La Raza, Centro de La Gente, La Brocha del Valle, Casa de La Raza and others in cities and towns across California. These artists along with teatros, poets, filmmakers, photographers, musicians and dancers lifted our communities to incorporate a new vision of ourselves. We of the RCAF salute Ralph and the artists of the coastal region of Santa Cruz and Watsonville.

  60. I was in Teatros Chicanos, from Sonoma CSU in early 70’s, to San Diego’s Centro Cultural de la Raza. We were a part of the artists doing their painting or building. In San Jose, in early 80’s, I was a part of the women’s teatro Teatro Huipil, all beautiful experiences in Chicano/a theatre. We taughts the youth and community about positive roles for Chicanas. Thank you Juan. You were in California Arts, since Juan Felipe Herrera was the Director of Centro Cultural, those many years ago. It was all good

  61. Hello senor Jackson, I was a student at UCSC and took courses from Eduardo Carrillo back in the 70s. I too would like to show my work at his place.

  62. I enjoyed very much this amazing video about Eduardo! He was a friend to my father John Faulkner a British Artist who taught art at UCSC in the 70’s and 80’s. I remember Eduardo well his warm and friendly character at many gathering in Santa Cruz during the time my father was active.

  63. Hi contacting you regarding the legacy progect. I was a member of “La Brocha Del Valle, along with Ernesto Palomino, Sal Garcia, John Sierra, Fernando Fernandez, Lee Orona, John Ibarra, and others…..

  64. Cecil moved back home some time ago, maybe 6 years ago or even longer to live with a relative, and suffered with dementia. I lived with them for a short time and helped to cook in their restaurant. I knew them before they opened their gallery and kept our friendship for many years.

    1. Please call me. I am Annita Delano’s neice and we are working on her life story. I knew Cecil and Jerome well and loved them.

  65. Hello Allison,
    I remember Tino Esparza also. He recruited me out of SJCC in 1978. I did a search, hoping to see a picture of Tino, and the closest I got was your article on “Los Bucaneros”. I used to get the yearly Alumni magazine. And there I read that Tino had passed away. He had moved to the east coast and started a travel agency. Something like that. And passed away. Nevertheless, I tried to see an old picture of him. Oh well, nice article!

  66. Congratulations Carmen !
    My name is Sergio Carabarín and I wanted to let you know that the mural still lives on at the Mona Lisa I am restoring the inside of the building and Vicki Petrovich might send me a photo of you and the other muralistas that painted the mural in the early seventies
    That photo will go inside along with some of Alex’s original water colors
    Again Congrats!

  67. I miss him too Alison. Such a haunting suite of words. I can taste your tears.
    Ed loved you and was like a kid so happy that you chose him.
    Abrazos….Christina

    1. Thanks, Christina. You have always been so generous with me in print. You have always gotten Ed, and I love you for it.

  68. Mi tio, how I miss him. I see him all over my house in his amazing paintings. He left so much love in our hearts.

  69. Congratulations to the gallery and these three artists on a very beautiful and meaningful exhibition of gorgeous, heartfelt work!

    1. Thank you for your comment Poli. It is strong work addressing subject matter we should all look at.
      You are an artist yourself, are you not?

  70. Is Mary Holmes’ son, Michael living? Many years ago I visited the Agora castle with her son Michael (then a student at Cal Tech). What a memorable evening complete with tarantellas climbing up the sides of her paintings. She, or Michael, or one of the grandparents would scoop up those creatures by adroitly covering them with an empty cottage cheese container sliding the top under it, saunter outside and fling into the brush, then Michael and I gin & tonic in hand climbed up the turret to watch the sun set and listen to Gregorian chants echoing from somewhere

  71. Hi hopefully if there is an exhibit related to a future Califas Exhibit, I would like to be part of it. I was a former student of Eduardo Carillo during the 70’s.
    My name is Vincent Mendez from Madera Califas Aztlan.
    Sincerely,
    Vincent Mendez

  72. I have original oil painting that I believe is from this artist, if I sent you a picture could you take a look at it just to let me know what you think

  73. Alison, read your lovely poem.. I cannot believe it either. 24 years.
    Will always have the memories of knowing you and Ed. Those times staying with you are unforgettable. His work continues to amaze me. Your brood is hatched, no?
    there were so many little ones scurrying about last time i saw you.

  74. We are contacting with an interest in the publication Eduardo Carrillo Testament of the Spirit, which includes a work of art from our collection in it. Is this catalogue available?

    Thank you,
    Deborah Fullerton, Curator, Art Museum of South Texas