César A. Martínez American, b. 1944

Inspired by traditional Saltillo Serapes (blanket/cloak), which dates back to Pre-Columbian Mexico, as an exploration of the Mexican American cultural experience. “Way back, in the sixties, when I was in college, I would sneak into a prof’s office and sit there rapt, looking through his art magazines. I came across the work of Gene Davis, known as the “stripe” painter. For the first time in my life, before any cultural notions of “Chicano” were on the horizon, I reacted to works of contemporary art from a cultural standpoint. ‘These are like serapes!’ I said to myself...Eventually, during my last year in college, I began creating some hard-edge “masking tape” paintings that were distinct from serapes or the Davis “stripe paintings.” However, that technique did inform what I was trying to do, and years later, the technique led me to my own Serape series.” – César A. Martínez.

The artist’s work in his Serape series is inspired by traditional Saltillo Serapes (blanket/cloak), which date back to pre-Columbian Mexico. While not indigenous to Mexico, serapes —a distinctly colorful clothing item mainly worn by men —have been an integral part of Mexico’s textile tradition. The weaving practice specifically flourished in the city of Saltillo, state of Coahuila, Mexico. “Serapes, highly prized prestige items of clothing in Mexican society because of their fine weave, striking colors, and harmony of design, were very popular among riders of horses because of the suitability for life on horseback.” - The Metropolitan Museum of Art