Object Record
Images
Metadata
Artist |
Luis Jiménez |
Title |
Air, Earth, Fire, Water |
Date |
1989 |
Medium |
Color lithograph |
Dimensions |
H-42 W-57.25 inches |
Dimensions |
42" x 57.25" |
Description |
Luis Jiménez Air, Earth, Fire, Water, 1989 Color lithograph on paper, 42" x 57.25" Mexic-Arte Museum Collection 2020.2.156.24 Gift of Juan Antonio Sandoval Jr. Well known Chicano artist Luis Jiménez interpreted the Aztec legend of the two lovers Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl. The warrior Popocatépetl was sent to battle by his king, who wanted to discourage the romance between his daughter Princess Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl. Although the king had promised Popo his daughter’s hand in marriage, he hoped that Popo would die in battle, so he lied to his daughter that her lover was dead. Izta died of a broken heart. When Popo returned to find her dead, he knelt down to hold her lifeless body. The gods took pity on the two lovers and covered them with snow. The story describes the origin of the volcanoes Popocatépetl ("the Smoking Mountain") and Iztaccíhuatl ("White Woman" in Nahuatl, sometimes called the "Mujer Dormida’’ or "Sleeping Woman" in Spanish). Volcanoes are the home of the gods and considered sacred in Mexico. In the title of the print, air, earth, fire, and water reference the original elements in nature. These popular Aztec lovers decorate calendars, murals, T-shirts, and automobiles. Proud of his Chicano roots, Luis Jiménez (1940-2006) was an El Paso, Texas native, best known for his large-scale, brightly colored sculptures immersed in the Chicano iconography of Texas and New Mexico. Jiménez studied art and architecture at The University of Texas in Austin and El Paso. He eventually traveled to Mexico to study the famous Mexican muralists Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, and was also influenced by regionalists Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood. After completing school, he went to work for his father making neon signs and car decals. In 1966 Jiménez moved to New York and joined the Pop Art scene, making painted fiberglass figurative works inspired by the everyday lives of Latinos living in the Southwest. His work shows his concern for working-class people and those who have suffered from discrimination. Jimenez was and remains respected in Latino communities for his perspective and narrative of the culture of Mexico and the Southwest. His artwork emulates popular Cholo car culture, demonstrated in his use of fiberglass, spray paint, and imagery consisting of Aztec emperors, border crossing, and vaqueros riding wild broncos. His works are in the collections of the Albuquerque Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., the El Paso Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, among others. |
Object Name |
|
Search Terms |
Border Aztec Legend Volcano Love Elements Nature Luis Jimenez |
Object Number |
2020.2.156.24 |
Collection |
Juan Antonio Sandoval Jr. Collection |