The Masters of Chicano Art

My journey into the art world, in particular into the world of Chicano Art came to being in 1976. I had left my home in Ct. after a bitter breakup with my wife, and decided that things would be better for me out west. I was actually passing through Denver on my way to Las Vegas for a job offer from a family friend, when I became totally mesmerized by the incredible beauty of Colorado, and decided to stay for awhile.

I was very fortunate to have found a group of old, as well as make new friends in Colorado, so I decided to stay for awhile and see what it had to offer me, especially since I had enough money to take it easy for close to a year in 1976 $$$. It was during this time while searching for work and taking a temporary labor position that my life changed forever, I can still remember it as if it were yesterday. I was working at a paper company I believe called Herschfeld Press, when across the room I saw this short strange looking brown dude, who was dressed in army fatigues, with a strange army cap and Buddy Holly Glasses, this was the exact moment that launched my 35 year career in the Chicano Art World. I approached Stephen in a very shy but cool way, with the first words out of my mouth were that my wife left me four months earlier, Lucero's response was my wife left me 4 days ago, it was like Déjà Vu, as we shared such similar stories on our way to share some Mexican food for lunch. I will tell you that I was not prepared for what was to happen next, at the end of our shift my new friend and I said goodbye, until I realized that he was walking home, I pulled up next to him, and asked if he wanted a lift home, on our way we shared a joint, and Lucero told me that he was actually an artist, which was to my amazement since I knew very little about Art and Artists, of course I knew who Picasso and Dali, Matisse and the great masters of Impressionism and Surrealism Art were, but I came from a Jock background and baseball Royalty in my family, with my two Uncles Joe and Frank Torre having been MLB players, and my dad making major league baseball bats for close to 30 years.

I remember pulling up to Lucero's apt and getting ready to say goodbye, and hoping I would see him again, when he invited me up to his apartment which had an outside staircase that led up to his place, inside I had one of the most intense and life changing experiences at that time or ever since. Lucero had paintings everywhere, his rooms were hung salon style, which I didn't even know what the term meant, with paintings stacked maybe 6-12 deep all around his rooms, and with the Elvis Costello album "This Year's Model" blaring. Lucero started pulling out piece after piece, putting me on sensory overload which came to a head when I ran out of his apartment and down the stairs trying to digest what I had just been turned on to, I felt as if I had discovered the Beatles, and could not understand how he could be living like this or working this temporary job, it wasn't too long after our initial meeting that I actually started collecting his works, which I have been doing now for 35 years, with close to 60 originals in my personal collection.

Lucero and I became fast friends and we did a lot of things together over the years, I can remember checking out his shows at various restaurants around the Capitol Hill area of Denver, we shared pizza at Zach's, and even managed to do quite a few Midnight Madness shows of Rocky Horror Picture show, we had a blast over the years I lived In Denver, we became good friends even to this day, and not only is Lucero a great Artist, but also a cross between Cheech & Chong and Einstein, and by far the most knowledgeable and intense person I have ever met, and I am so grateful and proud not only to have so many of his pieces in my collection, but also to have him as a friend after all these years.

In 1979 I moved back to Ct, due to the imminent illness and death of my Uncle Jim. Lucero and I still spoke all the time, I guess not quite like keeping in touch today with all the major advances in technology, but we did share this dream of doing projects together, which first came to pass in Christmas of 1979 when I rented a hall, catered the event with my girlfriend and had our first Art and Rock n Roll show, which we invited close to 60 of our friends and had I believe 12 or 13 small paintings for sale in those days from $100-$250 apiece and completely sold out the show, and that is how the business aspect began in our relationship. I was amazed, our friends were blown away by his talent, and everything just felt right and we moved on to do more projects.

In 1981 I was able to put together an Ivy League mini Tour of The Art of Lucero, with Lucero also lecturing at Yale, Harvard, and Columbia Universities events that were sponsored by The M.E.A.C.H.a. chapters at each of the schools, this was a very exciting and rewarding time for all of us involved. Towards the end of 1981 another major event took place in my life when I decided to take the Art World by Storm and open my own gallery in Downtown New Haven, around the corner from Yale Art Museum. I had my gallery , which mostly promoted SouthWest Chicano Art & Artists in particular a group of young artists from Denver who I had met over the years on my frequent trips back to the Mile Hi City. I must also say that for the most part when I decided to enter into this adventure, my immediate family thought I had completely lost it, and probably should have been committed. I gradually was able to win them over and help them understand that even though this was not the best way of earning a living, I was providing a vital service not only to the Artists, but also to the community especially by sharing the Incredible Chicano Culture with people on the East Coast. I will list here some of the other Artists who had shows with me over the years they included The Great Painter & Muralist Carlos Sandoval, Ernie Gallegos, Jerry De la Cruz, Jerry Jaramillo to name a few, They were not only great Artist's but also tremendous Muralists in the vain of The Mexican Master Muralists Diego Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros, it was a great and also eye opening experience in learning just how the Art World functioned especially being so close to New York. In addition to opening my Gallery

In 1981 I did my next project with Lucero, I produced a Limited Ed. print of one of his pieces called "RainBow Boy" who was a character out of one of Tony Shearers books "Kingdom of the Sun", the piece dealt with the end of the Aztec Calendar which was first proclaimed by his good friend Tony Shearer as August 16, 1987, this was the culmination of 30 years of Tony researching this Mythological and Sacred way that was used to keep time for over 5000 years. Rainbow Boy will always have a special place in my heart, as well as the incredible message of out of the cold grey void Rainbow Boy will return to the planet and bring Music, and Art, and Culture back to the people.

I believe it was near the end of 1982 another Life Changing Experience happened , it was through Lucero and after the Big Chicano Arts and Music Festival in 1982 called Festival of the Winds that Lucero met the dynamic Artist El Zarco Guerrero, Lucero said I had to get in contact with him, and that I would be blown away by Zarco, and his lovely wife Carmen and his incredible Masks. It was the end of 1982 on the way back from a trip to California, that I met Zarco and Carmen at his studio in Mesa Az, I must tell you that Lucero was completely right, his Nagual Masks, were large and colorful and decorated in the most Sacred of ways that was able to give me another insight into both the Chicano and Mexican Cultures. I must also confess that once again after smoking a couple of joints with Zarco and Carmen, and after finally getting up enough nerve to ask if we could crash at their place, did I really find out how people are brought together in many different ways, but this was special, and in an instant a lifelong connection, one where it felt as if we had known each other our entire lives came to be. Zarco, not only was a great Artist but also had the most popular Salsa Band in the Phoenix valley called Zum Zum Zum. It was only later in the evening as we were all preparing to go to the gig, did I find out how special and strong our bond was. Zarco's babysitter cancelled at the last moment and they were on the verge of canceling their gig, when after only knowing them for a couple of hours, and yet a lifetime, that I suggested that we would watch their infant son Quetzal, who is now a Violin Virtuoso in his own right. That was the beginning of a beautiful relationship where we are like family, not just business contacts. We left Phoenix with a new found Friend and Great Artist El Zarco Guerrero, the premier MaskMaker in the World today.

My gallery was open until the spring of 1984 when I decided to close it and relocate with my family and new born son Michael to St Pete, Fl. It was during the spring of 1984 that I had the most important impact on my life as an Art Collector. I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to meet and spend the parts of two evenings with Eleanor and Reynolds Morse, for those of you who don't know who they are, they are the people who donated 93 Original Dali' Paintings to form the Dali Museum in St. Pete Fl. The Morse's were kind and generous enough to share with me how their Collection came to be. I will tell you at one point they had all the sheik Artists of the day in their collection including Picasso's, Matisse's, Miro's and other great Artists of that generation. Reynolds shared with me that one day his wife and he looked at each other and decided they wanted something more and different for their collection, it was at that point that they began to sell all the other artists works, while deciding only to Collect the Great Dali's work. The Morse's also believe that was the turning point in their lives of Collecting Art. I will tell you those two nights were so life impacting on my own collecting, we shared a lot of ideas, and even Lucero's work, and they told me to follow my heart, which I have. even though I never sold any of the other Artists works like the Morse's. Over the past 20 years or so I have basically collected only the works of Lucero and El Zarco, which has been an awesome experience in defining what my collection stands for .

Over the years I have worn many hats I have produced Lucero's RainBow Boy Ltd. Ed. Print, I have produced three of Zarcos wood carvings into Bronzes, as well as Produce Zarco's highly acclaimed one man show Face 2 Face in a Frenzy a unique Character Ed. Dramedy that combines universal storytelling techniques, with home grown old-school street theater that was written and directed by Zarco, as well as featuring all original music from his son Quetzal. Face 2 Face tackles hard core subjects that plague our society today and spins them with positive messages through Poetry and Music. The subject of the performances' includes non-violence, substance abuse, prejudice, self-esteem, as well as the importance of staying in school and getting an education. I have been fortunate to have watched and shared as each of these Great Artists, Lucero and El Zarco have risen to take their place as two of the leaders of this incredible Chicano Art Movement. I would also like to say both of these artists are both Politically and Socially Correct having been there in the beginning of the original Chicano Movement, under the late Caesar Chavez, with Zarco marching right under him, and Lucero knowing and gaining knowledge from Corky Gonzalez in the Denver area. Lucero was also one of the founding members of C.H.A.C the Chicano Arts organization in Denver, with Zarco being the founder of Xicandio Artes, now Xico in the Phoenix area, and with both organizations still in place today. Zarco also is the driving force behind Dia de los Muertos Festival in the Valley of the Sun, having been responsible for putting it on for the past 30 years. I am also excited to have been involved long enough to see both of these Original and Prolific Artists have their own One man Museum Retrospective shows. Lucero was the first when in 1996 he had his One Man show at Museo de las Americas in Colorado featuring 58 Original Oil paintings and entitled Lucero's Metarealism. In 1992 he also received critical acclaim for His Diorama Mural The "Tlateco Market" at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science called "AZTEC" The world of Montezuma.

El Zarco, in 1984 was The Feature Artist in a one hour National PBS Documentary "The Masks of El Zarco" a very provocative and wonderful documentary that traced his MaskMaking back to Mexico and the beautiful Culture and Traditions of Mexico. Zarco had his One Man Retrospective in 2004-05 at The Museum of Northern Arizona which featured approx 250 works by the Zarco which not only included a great deal of his unique Masks, but also included Sculpture, Wood Carvings and even some Triptych Murals, that showcased the immense Diversity and Talent of the Artist. Zarco has also been fortunate to win many Awards for his Carvings at The prestigious Heard Museum in Phoenix, in fact winning again this year for his carving. Lastly Zarco was also one of the featured Chicano Artists in the 2010 PBS special "Visions of Aztlan" a film by Jesus Trevino.

In closing I am very proud to be associated with these two incredible Artists, and Humanitarians, and to have accomplished all that we have together over the past 35 years. I will tell you though the thing that I am the Proudest of is the fact that we have this incredible Bond not only of Work, but most important of Friendship even going so far to consider them a part of my family, it doesn't get any better than that. I am not sure what the future holds for any of us, the one thing I do know is both of these incredible Artists will continue to create Art that will continue to inspire the masses, as well as the next generation of Young and upcoming Artists. I hope to continue supporting both Lucero and Zarco through my collecting, promoting and even producing other works in the future. I would say though my Ultimate goal would to be able to curate a Traveling show of who I feel are the True Masters of the Chicano Art Movement, which would start with Lucero and Zarco and take in some of the real talents around the country, I think for the most part this has really not been accomplished even though there have been many attempts, from The ASU shows to Cheech's Chicano Vision Collection on tour. For my final thoughts I would like to quote a Lyric from one of favorite all-time bands The Grateful Dead and that is "What a Long Strange Trip it's been", but I wouldn't change a thing and I am so grateful for all we have accomplished together. If people are interested in more info on the Art of Lucero and El Zarco or interested in purchasing any of their works they can contact me at the info below.

Tony Amendola

Amendola Publishing Co.

TonyA4@q.com