César A. Martínez American, b. 1944
Ofelia (16 V 23), 2023
Graphite and chalk on Stonehenge paper
15 x 11 in
38.1 x 27.9 cm
38.1 x 27.9 cm
Despite Martínez’s familiarity with pachuco and bato portraiture, the artist was challenged when it came to representing women, stating: “I’m not even sure there was such a thing as a...
Despite Martínez’s familiarity with pachuco and bato portraiture, the artist was challenged when it came to representing women, stating: “I’m not even sure there was such a thing as a pachuca though I remember the young women hanging out in that milieu being referred to as “pachucas” if only for lack of a better word and I don’t remember them wearing anything distinctively pachuca; they wore what was popular with girls in general. My search for visual material to base women characters has drawn me into a more “period” tangent, an interest in the 1930s and 40s.”
Exhibitions
Cesar A. Martinez: Smoke and Mirrors, Ruiz-Healy Art, San Antonio, TX, 2024 (catalogue)Literature
César A. Martínez: Smoke and Mirrors, Ruiz-Healy Art, San Antonio, TX, 2024 (illustrated)Romo, Ricardo. “César Martinez’s Retrospective Show: A Tribute To A Maestro Of Chicano Art,” Substack, November 6, 2024. (illustrated)
