Guerra, from Méchicano 1977 Calendario

Leonard Castellanos, Guerra, from Méchicano 1977 Calendario, 1977, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2012.53.4, © 1977, Leonard Castellanos
Copied Leonard Castellanos, Guerra, from Méchicano 1977 Calendario, 1977, screenprint on paper, sheet and image: 22 x 28 in. (55.9 x 71.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2012.53.4, © 1977, Leonard Castellanos

Artwork Details

Title
Guerra, from Méchicano 1977 Calendario
Artist
Date
1977
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet and image: 22 x 28 in. (55.9 x 71.1 cm)
Copyright
© 1977, Leonard Castellanos
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums Description
screenprint on paper
Classifications
Object Number
2012.53.4
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2012.53.4

Artwork Description

Calendarios, or calendars, are a popular art form found in homes on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. They captured the attention of many Chicano artists who saw them as rich repositories of Mexican imagery such as legendary Aztec gods and historic heroes. The artists involved in Méchicano 1977 Calendario transformed this tradition into activist and contemporary terms. The calendar page for May celebrated the ancient springtime festivals later linked to May Day. September, when Americans observe Labor Day, features a raised arm demanding social justice. October conflates the symbols for peace, the United Farm Workers, and revolutionary victory. A threatening tank dominated the landscape in March, perhaps alluding to rising military dictatorships in Latin America during that time.

Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art, 2013
Description in Spanish

Los calendarios son una forma de arte popular común en los hogares en los dos lados de la frontera entre México y los Estados Unidos. Captaron la atención de muchos artistas chicanos que los vieron como valiosos repertorios de imágenes mexicanas, como los dioses aztecas legendarios y los héroes históricos. Los artistas que participaron en el Méchicano 1977 Calendario transformaron esta tradición en términos del arte comprometido. La página del calendario correspondiente a mayo celebra los antiguos festivales de primavera que luego se relacionarían con el Primero de Mayo. Septiembre, cuando los estadounidenses celebran el Día del Trabajo, presenta un brazo alzado demandando la justicia social. Octubre fusiona los símbolos de la paz, de la Unión de Campesinos y de la victoria revolucionaria. Un tanque amenazante domina el paisaje en marzo, quizás aludiendo a las dictaduras militares en ascenso en América Latina durante esos años.

Nuestra América: la presencia latina en el arte estadounidense, 2013 
 

Exhibitions

Media - 2011.12 - SAAM-2011.12_1 - 77591
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art
October 24, 2013–March 2, 2014
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-twentieth century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge.