Hierarchy of Artists Influence from Courbet to Saenz

Courbet (1819-1877)



Monet (1840-1926)



Renoir (1841-1919)



Cezanne (1839-1906)



Gauguin (1848-1903)



Matisse (1869-1954)



Marc (1880-1916)



Gris (1887-1927)



Picasso (1881-1973)



Braque (1882-1963)



Zorthian (1911-2004)



Saenz (1952- )





The works above illustrate the progression of influences from Coubert to Saenz via direct contact of the artists listed.

Saenz served as the Director of Art for Zorthian's Ranch for Children in the early 1980's. At the age of 13, Saenz met Col. Jirayr H. Zorthian in the mid-sixties at the Pasadena Art Museum. Saenz was the museums's newspaper delivery boy. Saenz studied with Zorthian and other acclaimed artists through his association with the Pasadena Art Museum.

Saenz is recognized as the creator of Chicano Minimalism. A credit given to him by Gregg Stone, Curator of the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art.

Zarco Guerrero, the Man behind the Masks

Zarco, "What kind of a name is that?" was the first thought that came into my head upon hearing that name for the first time. I contemplated the letters and saw that rearranging them spelled Ozcar, could this be it? I googled the name and found out that Zarco is the Portugese surname of Cristobal Colon, the European attributed with discovering the new world and its millions of inhabitants. I could never understand the concept of claiming to be the first to discover something when hundreds of millions of people already knew about before you did. I guess it’s like buying a used car and calling it new, because it is new to you.

Well, we have the same situation here with the artist known as Zarco; Zarco Guerrero to be exact. He has discovered a new world in one that has been known to many and has existed for millenniums - the mask.

Zarco takes the mask as it had been used in primitive times, and in the present he gives new life to the mask to convey knowledge and wisdom through emotions and convictions. Indeed, Zarco has bridged over obstacles of communication with his masks; which seem to possess the actor and immediately transform him into another being with its own dimensions and complexities that make up the human character we call attitude.

In Zarco’s latest work, a DVD entitled, "Face 2 Face - In a Frenzy" his talent shines through not only as a brilliant actor, but gifted writer and artist extraordinaire. His masks are more than just mantle pieces of art to display and admire; they are images of strong emotions capable of capturing your attention and taking you down newly discovered political and social territories.

Some of the characters in Zarco’s Face 2 Face are El Bato Poeta, who is a well known character in every barrio and immediately engages the viewer with his whimsical mannerisms, which later reveal a person of deep thought and lover of life - he is the embodiment of the Pachuco. Then there is El Narizon, that little voice inside all of us that tells us to love and respect ourselves. And La Comadre, who portrays the women in our lives that know who they are and what they are worth - la mujer that demands respect and gets it. The other characters I will leave for you to meet when you view Face 2 Face.

Zarco’s Face 2 Face is a worthwhile experience. What I admire most about this work, second only to creativity, is the absence of profanity, vulgarity and chauvinism, which seems to have permeated much of the art world today. It is refreshing to find an artist that doesn’t need to use the "F" word to get attention. Face 2 Face crosses gender, age and ethnic boundaries, yet remains very Chicano!

Visit Zarco Guerrero

Ernest M. Saenz
Literary Agent
Ollin Press
C/S

La Cucaracha Axed by LA Times

La Cucaracha comic strip by Lalo Alcaraz has been cancelled by the Los Angeles Times!

The Art of Exclusion

This is another event in a long list of measurers to exclude Latinos from the mainstream media and, in fact, exclude Latinos from history itself - we don’t exist in the eyes of many.

Spanish language TV and Radio News programs have been cancelled nationwide.

PBS aired a 14 hour show on World War II and completely omitted the military contributions that thousands of Latinos made during that war.

PBS aired a show on music of the Civil Rights Movement and completely omitted the musical contributions that Latinos made during that movement.

Latinos funded 80% of the American Revolution, supplied George Washington with food, weapons and clothing (the Colonists uniforms were hecho en Mexico and Aztlan). Latinos served as troops in the American Revolution. The city of Galveston was named after Galvez, one of the generals of the American Revolution and in my book a founding father of this US country - but you won't find that in any history books - the art of exclusion.

Please take action and write the Los Angeles Times demanding that La Cucaracha comic strip be reinstated!

Please send emails to: sherry.stern@latimes.com and/or david.hiller@latimes.com and cc laloalcaraz@ yahoo.com

Or call the Times at (877) 554-4000

Gracias!