“¡Printing the Revolution!” Virtual Conversation: Spirituality and Indigeneity within Chicanx Art
On April 15, 2021, the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) presented a virtual conversation featuring artists whose work is represented in the landmark exhibition “¡Printing the Revolution!: The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now.” https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/chicano-graphics
The conversation highlighted how the ancient world, specifically Mesoamerica, has been a source of inspiration for Chicanx and other artists of Mexican descent. It also explored how Chicanx artists incorporate ancient Mesoamerican iconography with contemporary political efforts as an act of honoring and reinforcing Indigenous histories.
Panelists include internationally renowned Mexican-born printmaker Enrique Chagoya, who creates prints conceptually fusing Mesoamerican mythology, western religious iconography, and American popular culture; currently, he is a professor in the department of art and art history at Stanford University. Chagoya is joined by Yreina D. Cervántez, a Xicana feminist artist based in Los Angeles. Her multimedia works incorporate ancient spirituality and feminist histories as a commentary on Chicana political consciousness. Cervántez is a professor emeritus in the department of Chicana/o studies at California State University at Northridge. This conversation is moderated by Claudia Zapata, curatorial assistant for Latinx art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Zapata is also a contributor to the “¡Printing the Revolution!” catalogue.
This program is part of an online conversation series that examines Chicanx graphics and how artists have used printmaking to debate larger social causes, reflect on issues of their time, and build community. Hear from artists, scholars, and activists about the Chicanx graphics movement, from civil rights–era prints to today’s digital landscape.
This program received generous support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.