Chicanitas: Small Paintings from the Cheech Marin Collection

Marin's most recent passion is collecting small paintings averaging 16 inches square and smaller in size. In contrast to other works in his collection representing and promoting the Chicano art movement of the mid-60s and 70s, the content of many of these small paintings leans more towards the artist's internal or personal statement rather than as a response to political, social or cultural situations. The paintings, which range from photo-realism to abstractions to portraits to landscapes, offer a window into the lives of the artists. Whether showing us a glimpse of their neighborhood as Margaret Garcia does in her expressive paintings of a car wash, hair salon, grocery store and taco shop; or personal interests such as graffiti art, street fashion and underground music that influence the works of Carlos Donjuan or peppered with mystery and a bit of humor as in Ricardo Ruiz's four Masotas portraits based on family members; or making a statement about the double standards imposed on Mexican women as Ana Teresa Fernandez does in To Press I and &To Press II or John Valadez's underwater figure studies painted on ceramic tiles, each artist draws on his or her own upbringing, cultural heritage, education and life experiences for inspiration.