Emigdio Vasquez
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Emigdio Vasquez | |
|---|---|
| Born | Emigdio Chavez-Vasquez May 29, 1939 Jerome, Arizona, United States |
| Died | August 9, 2014 (aged 75) Newport Beach, California, United States |
| Other names | "Godfather of Hispanic artists" |
| Education | Santa Ana College, California State University, Fullerton |
| Occupation(s) | Fine Artist, Muralist, Teacher |
| Style | Social Realism |
Emigdio Vasquez (1939–2014) was a Chicano-American artist, social realist muralist and educator, known as the "Godfather of Hispanic artists".[1] Most of his murals depict Chicano and Latin American history and feature a photorealistic style.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Emigdio Vasquez was born on May 25, 1939, in Jerome, Arizona.[3] His father worked for Phelps-Dodge Copper mines; and in the early 1940s his family moved to Orange, California.[citation needed] His interest in art was evident as early as grade school where he would replicate comic book styles to create his own comics based on stories his father told about the Mexican Revolution.[citation needed]
Emigdio earned an Associate of Arts degree from Santa Ana College; and he transferred to California State University, Fullerton, where he received his Bachelor of Arts and a Master's Degree in Fine Arts.[3] In 1979, for his Master's Degree thesis project, Emigdio painted an 85-foot long mural as a tribute to the Chicano working class - complete with figures modeled after his father as a miner and other relatives and friends as field workers and laborers.
Work
[edit]Vasquez painted over 30 public murals in central Orange County, California[4] and over 400 fine art paintings.[citation needed] The most recognized mural of Emigdio’s is the "Legacy of Cesar Chavez," which is located in the lobby of the Cesar Chavez Business and Computer Center in Santa Ana College. Some of Emigdio’s favorite subjects were the subculture of Chicanos and Mexican-Americans including zoot suits and Pachucos, as well as street people and day laborers that reflected a time in history presented in his narrative style. He also enjoyed still life and landscape painting, as well as portraits of historical figures. His diversity of subject matter and style place him in a select class of artists that transcends the traditional "pigeon hole" description that most artists are assigned.
Emigdio drew upon and transformed photographs and his plein air paintings into a body of work that documented and commented on the daily life of working people in the Barrio. With painstaking skills, he recorded the urban experience without sentimentality and with dignity, neither glorifying nor criticizing. His work is often recognized as a ‘super-realistic’ style, with historical transitions and themes.
In 1996, he received an artist fellowship from the Adolph and Ester Gottlieb Foundation in New York.[citation needed]
Teaching
[edit]Vasquez was an instructor in the art department at Santa Ana College, and managed major public arts programs for the Bowers Museum, California Arts Council, and the City of Santa Ana - including creating a 65-foot mural at the Orange County Transportation Center in Santa Ana.
Personal life
[edit]He was previously married to Rosie Lopez Schelerth.[5] Vasquez is the father of six children. His son, Emigdio "Higgy" Vasquez has apprenticed and assisted his father on many mural projects, including preservation, restoration, and new mural creation.[1] Vasquez's daughter, Rosemary Vasquez Tuthill is a fine art painter and muralist.[6]
Death and legacy
[edit]Vasquez died from pneumonia on August 9, 2014, in Newport Beach, California. He was 75 years old.[7][8]
Several groups recognized Emigdio for his contributions to art and culture. In 2004, Emigdio was inducted into Santa Ana College Alumni Hall of Fame; in 2007, Cal State Fullerton University recognized Emigdio as one of the 50 most influential Hispanic graduates from its 50 years of existence; and on May 25, 2013, his birthday, the city of Santa Ana Proclaimed that day as Emigdio Vasquez Day. [citation needed]
His ex-wife, Rosie Lopez Schelerth, had written about Vasquez's early life and their marriage in her self-published autobiography, Hi! My Name is Chicken (2008).[5]
The Cypress St. Mural Restoration: "El Proletariado de Atzlan" documentary about Emigdio Vasquez and son Higgy Vasquez,[9] was produced and directed by Katherine Bowers for Chapman University. It was selected for the Orange County Film Fiesta.[10] The documentary explains the restoration at the Cypress St. Mural by son Higgy. It includes the life and times of Emigdio Vasquez, his journey from his birthplace in Jerome, Arizona to Orange, California and where Vasquez's early interest in drawing led to a lifetime of fine art painting. The overall project was honored and selected as part of the Getty Center’s “Pacific Standard Time."
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Emigdio "Higgy" Vasquez Preserves Murals by Father and Legendary Chicano Artist Emigdio Vasquez". Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center. 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ "Operation Gatekeeper". OrangeCoast Magazine. 1 September 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ^ a b "Emigdio Vasquez Brochure". UCSB Library. The Regents of the University of California. 2011-08-19. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ "App helps art lovers find OC muralist Emigdio Vásquez's work". Southern California Public Radio. 2017-12-18. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ a b V., Mike (2009-04-14). "Book Review: Hi! My Name is Chicken". Fine Art at Home. Archived from the original on 2009-04-14. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ "Daughter of Orange County Chicano artist keeps family tradition alive in Eastvale". Press Enterprise. 2017-11-16. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ Rogers, John (August 13, 2014). "Pioneering Chicano artist Emigdio Vasquez dies". San Francisco Chronicle. AP.
- ^ Rogers, John (14 August 2014). "Emigdio Vasquez, pioneer in Chicano art movement, dies at 75". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ^ Katherine Bowers (2015-05-04), The Cypress Street Mural, "El Proletariado de Atzlan", retrieved 2018-09-13
- ^ Bowers, Katherine (18 August 2014). "Emigdio Vasquez's Orange County Gustavo Arellano on the passing of the legendary Chicano artist". KCRW. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
External links
[edit]- USCB Article
- Video: The Cypress St. Mural Restoration, "El Proletariado de Atzlan"
- Video: Preserving Anaheim's Citrus Park Murals by the City of Anaheim
- Video: [1] 'Emigdio Vasquez':Fred Ortiz Collection.
- 1939 births
- 2014 deaths
- 20th-century American painters
- American male painters
- 21st-century American painters
- American muralists
- American artists of Mexican descent
- Chicano art
- Deaths from pneumonia in California
- People from Orange, California
- People from Jerome, Arizona
- American social realist artists
- People from Orange County, California
- 20th-century American male artists