Wikipedia

Enrique Chagoya

Enrique Chagoya (born 1953)[2] is a Mexican-born American painter, printmaker, and educator. The subject of his artwork is the changing nature of culture. He frequently uses shocking imagery, irony, and Mesoamerican icons to convey his point in his artwork. Chagoya teaches at Stanford University in the department of Art and Art History.[3][4] He lives in San Francisco.

Enrique Chagoya
Enrique Chagoya (2008)
Born1953 (age 70–71)
Mexico City, Mexico
EducationNational Autonomous University of Mexico
Alma materSan Francisco Art Institute, University of California at Berkeley
EmployerStanford University
Spouse(s)Jeanine Kramer,[1]
Kara Maria[1]

Biography

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Enrique Chagoya was born in Mexico City in 1953.[5] His father, who was a bank employee, was also an artist. This influence from a young age was instrumental in Chagoya's interest in pursuing art. [6] He was partly raised by an Amerindian nurse who helped him to respect the indigenous people of his country and their history. He studied economics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City from 1971 to 1974.[5] As a student, he was sent to work on rural development projects with a focus on economics, an experience that strengthened his interest in political and social activism. While attending a rural development program he married an American sociologist working on the same program, Jeanine Kramer.[1]

In 1977, Chagoya and his first wife Jeanine Kramer visited McAllen, Texas.[1] In 1979, Chagoya immigrated to the United States to Berkeley,[1] where he worked as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer. In 1984, he earned a BFA degree at the San Francisco Art Institute;[5] and in 1987 a MFA degree at the University of California at Berkeley.[5]

He received the Stanford University's the Dean's Award in the Humanities in 1998. In 2000, Chagoya became a citizen of the United States.[7] As of 2016, he was a full time professor in the department of Art and Art History at Stanford University. [7]

Artwork

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His controversial artwork "The Misadventures of the Romantic Cannibals", which portrays Jesus, and possibly other religious figures, in a context of ambiguous sexual content, is part of a ten-artist exhibit called "The Legend of Bud Shark and His Indelible Ink" which is on display in a city-run art museum in Loveland, Colorado.[8] The copy on exhibit in Loveland, one of a limited edition of 30 lithographs, was destroyed by a woman wielding a crowbar on October 6, 2010. According to the artist the work is a commentary on the Catholic sex abuse cases. The woman is set to go to court on October 15, 2010.[9][3]

 
'Liberty Club in the Sky', (2005) hard ground and spit bite aquatint and etching with drypoint by Chagoya

Another controversial artwork includes "The Enlightened Savage Guide to Economic Theory" (2009–10). This artwork includes imagery of murdered children, suspended from meat hooks, in a scene reminiscent of a butcher shop. [10] In addition, this work includes two monstrous figures fighting, one with the head of George Washington and the other with the head of Saddam Hussein, referencing Middle Eastern conflicts over oil. [11] This codex-inspired work is done on handmade amate paper. The use of cannibalism is shocking, but draw attention to present-day social issues such as cultural appropriation and the barbarism that often accompanies. [10]

 
'Against the Common Good II' (1983), etching and aquatint by Chagoya

He is well known for his codices, which draw inspiration from traditional Aztec/Mexica/Mayan codices from the precolonial era. Over the course of his career, he has created over 40 different codices. [7] One example of his codices includes "El Popol Vuh de la Abuelita del Ahuizote" (The Community Book of King Ahuizote’s Granny), which was created in 2021. This work is inspired by the Popol Vuh, which has Mayan origins. [10] Another example of his codex work includes "The New Codex Ytrebil", created in 2023. This version of the codex is inspired by the Aztec culture, specifically from 16th century books created under the direction of Catholic conquistadors. [10]

His work often includes political themes that are developed using subversion and wit to convey the message. One work that exemplifies this political leaning is “Detention at the Border of Language” (2023). This painting utilizes various effects, such as a visual glitch, pop culture figures, and historical abstract elements. [11] The larger than life Mayan mask dominates the focal point of the piece, leading to a sense of dominance by indigenous culture over the painting. This painting depicts three Native Americans, who are in the process of abducting a feminine Donald Duck character. Donald Duck likely serves as an allusion to former President Donald Trump. The Native Americans are in a canoe named "Border Patrol". This is an inversion of the traditional understanding of Border Patrol and immigration, and creates a political statement. [10]

Awards

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In 2021, Chagoya was awarded the Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship.[4]

In 2021, Chagoya was entered into the National Academy of Design, NYC. [6]

He is the recipient of a Tiffany Fellowship. [6]

Exhibitions

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2019

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  • Everyone is an Alienígeno at Florida Gulf Coast University Art Gallery, Fort Meyers, FL. Solo exhibition. [6]
  • Detention at the Border of Language at the Coulter Gallery, Department of Art and Art History, Stanford University, Stanford, CA. Solo exhibition. [6]
  • Eye to I: Selfportraits From 1900 to Today at Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Group exhibition. [6]

2020

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  • Detention at the Border of Language at the Triton Museum in Santa Clara, CA. Solo exhibition [6]
  • The Seven Deadly Sins/Utopías Coloniales at Anglimh/Trimble Gallery in San Francisco, CA. Solo exhibition. [6]
  • (Re)Print: Five Print Projects at the International Print Center in New York, NY. Group virtual exhibition. [6]

2021

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2022

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  • Detention at the Border of Language at Edgewood College Gallery in Madison, WI. [6]

2024

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Collections

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Oral history interview with Enrique Chagoya, 2001 July 25-August 6". Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. August 6, 2001.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Hallie Ford Museum of Art: Enrique Chagoya". Willamette University. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  3. ^ a b Frosch, Dan (2010-10-11). "Provocative Image of Christ Sets Off a Debate Punctuated With a Crowbar". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  4. ^ a b "Enrique Chagoya". John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  5. ^ a b c d "Enrique Chagoya". Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Enrique Chagoya | Department of Art & Art History". art.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  7. ^ a b c Samet, Jennifer (2016-08-20). "Beer with a Painter: Enrique Chagoya". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  8. ^ "Colorado town upset over artistic depiction of Jesus Christ" post in the blog "Culture Monster" on the website of the Los Angeles Times October 1, 2010, accessed October 7, 2010
  9. ^ "Mont. woman takes crowbar to disputed artwork in Loveland" article by Monte Whaley in The Denver Post 10/06/2010, accessed October 7, 2010
  10. ^ a b c d e Pardee, Hearne (2023-05-04). "Enrique Chagoya: Borderless". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  11. ^ a b Schwendener, Martha; Diehl, Travis; Heinrich, Will; Lakin, Max; Gopnik, Blake (2023-05-03). "What to See in N.Y.C. Galleries in May". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  12. ^ "Xican-a.o.x. Body • Pérez Art Museum Miami". Pérez Art Museum Miami. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  13. ^ "Hand of Power 1997". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  14. ^ "The Collection". diRosaart.org. 16 June 2010. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  15. ^ "Enrique Chagoya". The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  16. ^ "Chagoya, Enrique". SFMOMA. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  17. ^ "[Untitled] From the Set, Return to Goya's Caprichos". Brooklyn Museum. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  18. ^ "Search Collection". The Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  19. ^ "Enrique Chagoya". Whitney Museum of American Art. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  20. ^ "Organic Cannibal". Crocker Art Museum. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  21. ^ "Search Results". FAMSF Explore the Art. Retrieved 2016-03-16.

Further reading

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  • Chagoya, Enrique, Enrique Chagoya, Locked in Paradise, Reno, Nevada, Nevada Museum of Art, 2000.
  • Hickson, Patricia et al., Enrique Chagoya, Borderlandia, Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines Art Center, 2007.
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