El Paso Museum of Art
left: El Paso Museum of Art, exterior view of entrance and reflecting pool, photo by Christian Chapman
915-532-1707
http://www.elpasoartmuseum.org
Gaspar Enriquez: Elegy on the Death of César Chávez
September 1 - November 25, 2001
Painter
Gaspar Enriquez is well known for his airbrushed, ultra-realistic imagery
that portrays the people of El Paso's barrios. The El Paso Museum of Art
presents Gaspar Enriquez: Elegy on the Death of César Chávez
from September 1 - November 25, 2001. This exhibition features Enriquez's
series of 12 paintings illustrating Rudolfo Anaya's poem Elegy on the
Death of César Chávez, a tribute to the life and work
of the late Chicano activist César Chávez. (left: Untitled
from the series Elegy on the Death of César Chávez, 2000)
A native El Pasoan, Gaspar Enriquez obtained a fine arts
degree from the University of Texas at El Paso and a master's degree from
New Mexico State University. Enriquez explores the subjects of family and
relationships as they extend beyond one's own generation. Much of his subject
matter is personal and 
takes
form in small constructions, paintings, and monumental installations. Enriquez's
images are visual and emotional statements that explore the history and
continuity of a street-wise lifestyle of Mexican-American culture that relates
to his experience of living on the US/Mexico Border. (right: Untitled
from the series Elegy on the Death of César Chávez, 2000)
César Chávez (1927 - 1993) was a civil rights activist who formed the United Farm Workers' Union. Chávez led this union in non-violent protests seeking to alleviate the unfair treatment of farm workers and to bring attention to the dangers of pesticides in the fields. The late Senator Robert F. Kennedy referred to Chávez as "one of the heroic figures of our times."
A 32-page illustrated book, Elegy on the Death of César Chávez by Rudolfo Anaya, and published by Cinco Puntos Press, accompanies the exhibition and is available in the Museum Store.
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