Mexican artist Enrique Chagoya spoke to a packed audience on April 19 in the Fine Arts building.
Chagoya, whose work is drenched with political and social satire entwined with pop culture, described his work as “a conceptual fusion of opposite cultural realities that I have experienced in my life.”
Chagoya opened his presentation with a little background information into his life to let the audience understand some of the issues and focuses found in his work.
He was born and raised in Mexico City, to which he credits a lot of his inspirations, not only in his art but also in his decision to study economics.
“Mexico was going through a lot of political changes,” Chagoya recalled. “One thing that really shocked me was one day, my mom came home crying because she had just seen a cop shoot an 11-year-old boy. I was around the same age, and it truly impacted my life.”
Chagoya went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in political economics at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico in 1975. Chagoya and his wife at the time later immigrated to the United States after she became quite ill.
After becoming bored with economics, Chagoya took a chance and started doing something he loved.
“My dad taught me how to paint when I was 7 years old,” Chagoya said. “I never stopped painting the whole time, but I never imagined I could make a career out of it. My father was an artist, and I just thought, ‘If he can’t make it, than neither can I.’ ”
Chagoya continued the presentation with a slide show of his work. Some of his work included drawings of President Ronald Reagan, which Chagoya enjoyed focusing on.
One of the images portrayed Reagan as Pinocchio. Chagoya explained that the inspiration behind that one was when Reagan was accused of lying about selling guns to terrorist groups.
Another shows Reagan with Mickey Mouse ears, writing, “Russkies and Cubans out of Central America” in red.
Chagoya is currently a professor at Stanford University where he teaches printmaking.
Chagoya will also be having an exhibit in 2008.