Patssi Valdez and the Chicano Art Movement

Patssi Valdez is a Hispanic artist who received a Bachelor in Fine Arts from Otis Art Institute in 1985 (PatssiValdez.com). She has received multiple honors since her graduation including one of her highest awards, being deemed the “Latina of Excellence in the Cultural Arts” by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in 1995 (PatssiValdez.com). Valdez has been featured at the Latin American Grammies and in multiple group and solo exhibitions throughout the United States (PatssiValdez.com). Patssi Valdez has made a name for herself in the Los Angeles art community as an artist who has fought for equality for females and Latin Americans alike through her involvement in the Feminist and Chicano art movements. She has had and continues to have a blooming career as a fine artist, an increasingly difficult task in today's society.

Valdez's art career launched with the “Chicano/ Chicana” Political Art Movements of the 1970's and 1980's, the same time period that the Feminist Art Movement made its debut (Welles). Valdez's involvement in the movements began when she was a student at Garrett High School. Valdez was the only female working beside three other Latin American artists in the avant-garde activist group, ASCO, which translates to “It (your art) disgusts me” in Spanish (Noriego). The other members of the group included Harry Gamboa, Gronk, and Willie Herron (Welles). Gamboa was a well-known photographer while Gronk and Herron were moderately well known visual artists in Los Angeles (Noriego). ASCO worked together from 1972 until 1987 to speak out against racism and violence through different art forms (Rodriguez). The group experimented with multiple mediums including performance art, photography, installations, conceptual art, and graphic arts in an attempt to shatter the mold that Hispanic artists were labeled under before the Chicano movement. “Their sense of art was defined not by genre per se, but by its ability to intervene productively within a contested social space.” (Noreiga). ASCO’s strategy may have seemed unorganized at times, but every performance they put on or photograph they took had a significant political meaning in regards to how Latin Americans were perceived by the general public. It was a common misconception that Spanish artists strictly made murals and posters and that the Hispanic community's only sense of art was through graffiti done by gang members. ASCO attempted to bring attention to the mistreatment of Latin American culture in both the art world and in the group members' communities . In the beginning of the movement, 1972, the group dressed in extremely over-the top depictions of traditional Christmas figures for a performance piece called “Walking Mural” (Noriego). Valdez created a costume portraying herself as the Virgin Mary with a modern Latina twist on the symbolic Christian figure for the performance. ASCO's “Walking Mural” was a parody of the East Los Angeles Christmas parade, a parade that was cancelled in 1972 because of police violence against Latin Americans (Noriego). ASCO attempted to bring attention to the violence through their performance, a common characteristic of their work. Activism became the group members' only way to speak out and make themselves heard in the Los Angeles area.

Asco, Walking Mural, 1972. Colour photograph. Photograph: Harry Gamboa, Jr, showing Patssi Valdez, Willie Herrón III and Gronk.

Valdez was a key figure in ASCO. Her creative approach to challenging the sexist and racist stereotypes that were most meaningful to her created a series of artworks that became quintessential in shaping the history of art in Los Angeles. Her photographic work of the 1980's showcased her as the cinematic Latina star that was absent from actual Hollywood productions of the time period (Rodriguez). Her self-portraits from the time showcased her multi-dimensional artistic talents. Valdez created everything on her own for the photographs. She used her own self image as a symbol for Latin American beauty (Rodriguez). Valdez created the costumes that she wore, set up the scenes, and took the photographs on her own (Rodriguez). If there was a message that Valdez wanted to get across to the Los Angeles community, she found a way to promote it with or without help from the other three ASCO members. Valdez’s involvement with ASCO was important for her personal growth as an artist but it was also important for addressing the mixture of impoverished educational environment, police violence, and biased media in the Latin American community, issues that continue to be problematic in the Los Angeles area today.

As Valdez matured, so did her artwork. Her involvement with ASCO, with their eccentricity in dress and street performance was a big part of launching her career, yet she certainly found a new outlet for her creativity that reflected her personal growth and brought a sense of identity to her work independent from ASCO. Valdez's first painting was created in 1976 but she did not pursue the medium further until 1988 (Rodriguez). Although Valdez has played around with multiple mediums such as prints, ceramics, and the less traditional forms of set and costume design, her true persona is most accurately portrayed through her paintings and gouaches. As Valdez explained, “Through my work I hope to offer a glimpse into my personal and cultural experiences, as seen through the eyes of a Latina artist.” (Valdez). Valdez uses exuberantly overdramatized colors and tilted perspectives to portray everyday scenes and textures within her paintings. “I depict through my work the traditional, spiritual, and mythological contexts of my life, as well as the collective space of my culture and community.” (PatssiValdez.com). Her work portrays everyday scenes that are typically prominent in Latin American culture but are also personal to her sense of being. Her work redefines concepts and symbolism in relation to Chicano art. “My paintings portray an actual and or imagined place that depict an inspirational or emotionally charged feeling or experience. They are snippets of environments that I consider meaningful and symbolic of my individual as well as collective Chicano experience” (PatssiValdez.com) Valdez's Woman in Red Dress accurately showcases her artistic style and her desire to depict Latin American culture through a historical and respectable context.

Patssi Valdez, Woman in Red Dress, 2002, acrylic on canvas, 40”x32”, found on PatssiValdez.com

Valdez has had a long career as a fine artist, a very difficult task in today's economic downfall. She has earned her space as one of Otis's “Outstanding Alumni” (to name one of many awards she has earned) through her drive and determination to uphold a standard for both Latin American and female artists (PatssiValdez.com). Her work has been showcased in group and solo exhibitions throughout the country since the 1970's. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles and continues to inspire artists to step outside of their comfort zone and think outside of the box while remaining true to who they are.

Works Cited 

Noriego, Chon. "Your Art Disgusts Me: Early Asco 1971-1975." EastofBorneo.org. November 18th, 2010.         November 10th, 2011. <http://www.eastofborneo.org/articles/your-art-disgusts-me-early-asco-1971-75>.

Rodriguez, Rene. "Patssi Valdez and Louis Jacinto." ReneE.Rodriguez.com.September 17th, 2011. November 10th, 2011. <http://www.rene-e-rodriguez.com/patssi_valdez_and_louis_jacinto>.

"Patssi Valdez." PatssiValdez.com. 2010. November 18th, 2011. < http://www.patssivaldez.com/>.

Welles, Elenore. "Patssi Valdez." ArtsCentral.com. 2000. November 18th, 2011. <http://www.artscenecal.com/ArticlesFile/Archive/Articles2000/Articles1200/PValdezA.html>.