Collidoscope: de la Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective | Resource Guide

The History of Mexican American Art

The history of Mexican American Art is grounded in activism and socio-political engagement. 

The Chicano art movement began in the late 1960s and early 1970s, alongside the growth of the Chicano movement, or El Movimiento, and was created and defined by Mexican people, or people of Mexican descent living in the United States. The term “Chicano” is used interchangeably with “Mexican-American”, emerging from the youth who rejected assimilation to the Euro-Centric American culture. The term was widely used in the 1960s and 1970s and became associated with indigenous pride, culture affirmation, ethnic solidarity, and political empowerment.

Contemporary Mexican American Art

Many contemporary works of art by Mexican American artists create works that are still routed in activism and politics. However, contemporary Mexican American and Latino/a art has expanded beyond the confines of the Chicano movement. 

Many artists and artworks deal with intersectionality and the complexity of identity.