Gregorio Escalante Gallery, La Bodega Gallery & Zack de la Rocha Gallery present:
Los Four Meets Los 40
group exhibition
curated by Abel Alejandre
Gregorio Escalante Gallery & La Bodega Gallery
San Diego, CA
April 1—11, 2017
Los Four Meets Los 40 is a group exhibition of contemporary Chicano influenced artists who continue to pave their independent paths while also honoring a legacy spearheaded by Los Four.
In 1969, a group of Mexican-American artists – Frank Romero, Carlos Almaraz, Roberto de la Rocha and Gilbert “Magu” Lujan – became the art collective known as Los Four. They went on to participate in a ground-breaking LACMA exhibition in 1974. (Immediately after the LACMA exhibition, Judithe Hernández joined and made the collective a party of five.) The dedication of Los Four ushered in a new era for Mexican-American artists as they raised an intellectual vanguard and furthered the visibility of the Chicano community.
This exhibition aims to pay tribute to the original four while featuring forty additional artists working in a similar vein. We invite you to witness today’s dynamic, contemporary and stimulating art, inspired by the direction of Los Four. Today’s artists utilize the same vibrant and passionate color pallet to depict the old neighborhoods and faces of the community. The aerosol, which was utilized in the 1974 LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) exhibition, remains part of the Chicano aesthetic; yet, spray painting has matured in scope and breadth. New narratives are executed with (and without) the rattle of the spray can. Others continue to fill the many nuances of the Chicano identity with purpose. The story only grows, from national and cultural amalgamation to LGBT voices. Present-day Chicano artists advance a conversation with imagery analogous to the work of Los Four.
Artists included:
-Los Four: Carlos Almaraz, Roberto de la Rocha, Gilbert “Magú” Luján, Frank Romero
-Los 40: Abel Alejandre, Antonio Pelayo, Barbara Carrasco, Block, Bonnie Lambert, Brian M Viveros, Chaz Bojorquez, Checho Perez, CiCi Segura Gonzalez, CR Stecyk, Daniel Gonzalez, Eriberto Oriol, Eric Almanza, Gregg Stone, Gustavo Rimada, Jaime Guerrero, Jose Lozano, Leigh Salgado, Libre, Linda Arreola, Linda Vallejo, Man One, Margaret Garcia, Mario Ybarra Jr., Nacho Chincoya, Oscar Castillo, Pavel Acevedo, Rafael Cardenas, Richard Salcido, Robert Palacios, Roy Gonzalez, Ruben Esparza, Sandy Rodriguez, Saner, Shizu Saldomando, Sonia Romero, Surge, The Beast Brothers, Victoria Delgadillo and Yreina D. Cervantez
LOS FOUR Meets LOS 40 at La Bodega Gallery, Yew! Online, by Chris Cantore
La Bodega Gallery website Facebook event