Existing comment:
Rodolfo O. Cuellar
born Auburn, California 1950
Humor in Xhicano Arte 200 Years of Oppression 1776–1976
1976
screenprint on paper
Some civil rights–era activists and artists used their artwork to express skepticism at the 1976 Bicentennial, feeling its celebrations of liberty at odds with the historical experiences of many U.S. citizens. Cuellar, a member of the Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF) art collective, shows a young man gagged by a padlock that reads "Made in USA." His central image is taken from a 1954/68 print by Adolfo Mexiac, who created his print to protest U.S. intervention in Guatemala and Mexican state violence. Surprisingly, Cuellar's print also announces an art exhibition, showing how the RCAF wryly integrated their critical statements into their work.
Museum purchase through the Julia D. Strong Endowment, 2020.36.7 |