Contemporary Art
Briefly defined, contemporary art is art that has been created and is currently being created by artists that are still alive. This art is oftentimes abstract and conceptual but still includes representative works of art. In this exhibit the term “contemporary art” is often used instead of “Chicano art” to represent the lessened importance of politics in the art created by Chicanx and Latinx artists during the 1970s and 80s. This likely occurred due to the lessened media attention towards the Chicano movement after the late 1970s. Chicanx and Latinx issues are still addressed in many of the works of art and many artists identify as Chicano or Chicana. The following artists subverted expectations of what an artist of Mexican descent should create and their use of mixed media, performance art, and music created a new space within the art community at large.
Contemporary Art at Trinity
The Trinity University Art Department in the 1970s and 80s provided a safe haven for Chicanx and Latinx artists in San Antonio who wished to develop their artistic practice and obtain a college degree. Bill Bristow served as chair of the department from 1963 to 1985 and fostered an environment where students could learn from renowned artists in the San Antonio community such as Robert (Bob) Tiemann, Jim Stoker, Phill Evett, and Elizabeth Ridenhower. Robert Tiemann is lauded by Chicano and Mexican American alumni as a tough critic, dynamic educator, and someone who pushed them to become better artists. Yet, Chicana alumna, Terry Ybañez, recalls Tiemann as having a male-centered view on the history of art, and an unwillingness to acknowledge that women could be great artists. All in all, Robert Tiemann was one of the most divisive and well remembered faculty during his time at Trinity and the San Antonio art community.
Many Chicanx and Latinx alumni spent their first two years at San Antonio College (SAC), then transferred to Trinity to complete their degrees as it was much easier to transfer during this time. Academic requirements were different compared to our present day and many Chicanx and Latinx artists took studio courses with one professor for their entire time at Trinity.
