Title
1936 Ford
Creator
Website
Description
Watercolor on paper, 34 in. x 45 in. "The automobile is an iconic symbol of American culture. Within the Chicano culture, old classic cars are not just instruments for mobility but are re-fashioned machines with sensory and aesthetic appeal and are objects of art. Both my grandfather and my father had a handsome old classic car. My son continues the tradition with his refurbished 1965 Mustang. I saw this 1936 Ford at a restaurant and fell in love with it and asked the owner permission to photograph it. I wondered about what travels this handsome car had taken and what stories it could tell. I wanted the painting to have a feeling of an endless clear sky on a warm summer day, like driving on a never-ending highway. This award-winning painting was on exhibition at the Americana Museum when Juan Sandoval first saw it. He immediately was attracted to it and decided to purchase it because it reminded him of his childhood. He never owned a car, preferring to use his money to purchase art; so he stated that this painting would be his car if anyone ever asked him if he owned one. My painting was reproduced in [the book] Hecho en Tejas. I am inspired by the rich Hispanic culture, and through it I hope to encourage a greater understanding and appreciation of the Hispanic culture. I was born and raised in El Paso, TX. After attending Modesto Junior College and The University of Arizona, I received my BA in Art Education from the University of Texas, El Paso. I have taught art in the public school system for 20 years. My artwork has been published in books, such as Triumph of Our Communities, Contemporary Chicana and Chicano Art, and Art of West Texas Women. My art has been included in numerous major art exhibitions and in public and private collections across the United States. Currently, I am an Artist-in-Residence for Chicano Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso." — Maria Almeida Natividad
Subject
Date
Contributor
Access Rights
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