Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Luis C. Gonzalez papers
- Dates:
- 1980-2003
- Creators:
- Gonzalez, Luis C.
- Abstract:
- This collection contains graphic art posters printed by Louie "the Foot" Gonzalez, a prolific Sacramento, California based artist. He is a member of the renowned Royal Chicano Air Force, a collective of activist Chicano artists and actively supported the United Farm Workers of America and its leader Cesar Chavez for whom he produced posters. The posters, flags, and papers are 3 linear feet.
- Extent:
- 3.0 linear feet (34 posters, 3 UFW flags, and 1 half-size document box)
- Language:
- and The collection is in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of Item], Luis C. Gonzalez Papers, CEMA 74. Department of Special Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection contains 41 silkscreen prints and various news clippings and paper ephemera concerning Luis C. Gonzalez's life and work. Thirty six of the prints are on poster paper, three are on cloth flags, one is on a paper bag, and another is on foam core.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Luis C. Gonzalez (aka Louie-the-foot) is a prolific Sacramento, California based artist whose paintings and poster art have been exhibited widely in this country and abroad. Born in Mexico City, Gonzalez settled with his family in Sacramento where he completed high school and attended Sacramento State University. His creative work as an artist began in the 1960's. Gonzalez is a member of the renowned Royal Chicano Air Force, a collective of activist Chicano artists with whom he became associated as a youth; he also became involved with the United Farm Workers of America and its leader Cesar Chavez for whom he produced posters. His concern and support for the farm workers is a recurring theme in much of Gonzalez' work.
He acquired his nickname "Louie-the-foot" by arriving on foot at demonstrations and marches. He continues that tradition through his day job as a rural postal carrier. Gonzalez' aim is to foment pride in Chicano culture and history. He also is well known for his use of concrete poetry in his artwork. His combination of colorful graphic patterns and words in his many poem-paintings as well as posters reflect his bilingual cultural heritage as well as his sense of humor. Gonzalez comments, "my goal was to become a writer of Chicano stories. I had a fascination with words and the fact that I was bilingual only added fuel to the fire."
Gonzalez' silk screen print Just Another Poster? was selected as the thematic icon for the national touring exhibition on Chicano graphic art "Just Another Poster?", organized by the UCSB University Art Museum in collaboration with the California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives and the Center for the Study of Political Graphics.
- Acquisition information:
- Donated by Luis C. Gonzalez, August 29, 2002.
- Processing information:
-
Callie Bowdish and Lauren Cain, 2014.
- Physical location:
- Del Norte Map Case
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Prepared:
- 2014; Revised 2015 July 6
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2015-07-09T14:38-0700
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
-
Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of Item], Luis C. Gonzalez Papers, CEMA 74. Department of Special Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.
- Location of this collection:
-
UC Santa Barbara LibrarySanta Barbara, CA 93106-9010, US
- Contact:
- (805) 893-3062