The historical roots of Los Angeles are based in Latin American culture. We are constantly reminded of the influence on our daily commute as street names throughout the Westside and Downtown identify Los Angeles’ relationship with the past. The names of familiar streets such as La Brea named for the nearby tar pits, or La Cienega, which translates as “swamp”- named for the swamp land that once occupied West Los Angeles- and La Tijera, named for the criss-crossing streets reminiscent of “scissors.” Even the name of our city originated in the 18th Century when the Spanish Governor of California established a settlement along the Los Angeles River named “El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles,” or the “Town of the Queen of the Angels.” Latin American culture remains a prominent fixture in the City of Angels, and the Museum of Latin American Art insures that the tradition continues.
Founded in 1996, the Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA) is the only institution in the country committed to supporting Modern and Contemporary Latin American artists. On Saturday, June 8, MoLAA celebrated its 10th annual Art Auction and Gala themed Cabaret Latino. Artworks were donated by the artists and patrons to benefit the museum’s curatorial programming for the year.
Curator Iduree Alonso shares the works of 27 artists featured in this year’s Auction- a combination of modern masters as well as established and emerging artists working in various mediums, including drawing, prints, sculpture, painting and photography. While the aesthetic ranges from Traditional to Conceptual, the collection celebrates the achievement and vitality of the arts in the Latin American community.
Daniel Ruanova, Sitio Seguro (Study Drawing), graphite, ink and Chinese ink on paper, 29” x 41”, 2010
Carlos Carulo, Untitled (Sin Título), mixed media on paper, 14” x 20”, 2012
Miguel Fernández, Línea Continua (Continuous Line), chromogenic print, ed. 2/5, 19 ½” x 29 ½”, 2010
Lucio Kansuet, Descanso (Rest), oil and acrylic on canvas, 55” x 59”, 2012
Kelvin López, La Controversia (The Controversy), acrylic on canvas, 55” x 42 ½”, 2001
Marco Mójica, Manimal, charcoal on paper, 47” x 58 ¾”, 2005
Pablo Picasso, Portrait of a Girl (Retrato de una Niña), offset lithograph, ed. 31/200, 28 ½” x 21”, 1965
José Antonio Hechavarría, Surfin, charcoal on paper, 31 ¼” x 29 ½”, 2012
Mely Barragán, You Must, ink on paper, 42” x 20”, 2012
Felipe Castañeda, Mujer con Guitarra (Woman with Guitar), handmade paper embossed relief, ed. 16/50, 9 7.16” x 14 15.16”, 1983
Josephina “Pepita” Rubinstein, Techos de la Ciudad (City Roofs), oil on canvas, 23 ¼” x 31”, 1961
Máximo Caminero, Desprendimiento (Detachment), oil and mixed media on canvas, 55” x 55”, 2006
Camilo Ontiveros, A & C Appliances, inkjet print on paper, ed. 1/3, 32” x 40”, 2009Nicolás Radic, El Jardin (The Garden), acrylic on canvas, 40” x 40”, 2009Ana Mercedes Hoyos, Orika, pencil on vellum, 14” x 9 ¼”, 1995
Miguel Fernández, Vacío y Posibilidad (Void and Possibility), chromogenic print, ed. 2/5, 19 ½” x 29 ½”, 2010
Becky Guttin, Rosa (Pink), Korean ink and acrylic on handmade paper, 25” x 39”, 2006
Esterio Segura, La Historia se Muerde la Cola (History Chases its Tail), white pencil and acrylic on black paper, 42” x 22”, 2012-13
William Pérez, Ombligo del Mundo (Navel of the World), incised plexiglass, wood and fiber optics, 59” diameter, 2011-12
