This portrait of poet, performer, cartoonist, writer, and activist Juan Felipe Herrera is part of Chicano artist Harry Gamboa Jr.’s series Chicano Male Unbonded, which challenges assumptions and stereotypes about Mexican immigrants. The documentary photograph captures Herrera as if we have stumbled upon him on an evening stroll along the streets of Los Angeles. His casual dress and relaxed pose belie his many accomplishments. In 1995, the year the portrait was taken, Herrera published Calling the Doves / El canto de las palomas, a bilingual children’s story shaped by his roots as a child of migrant farmers. He was later named Poet Laureate of the United States (2015–17).
Gamboa is a photographer, installation artist, and performance artist who cofounded the pioneering artists' group Asco. The self-described activist observes, “In these days, when political talk includes discussion about the mass deportation of Mexicans and Mexican males in particular, this work stands out.”
Nacido en Fowler, California
Este retrato del poeta, artista de performance, caricaturista, escritor y activista Juan Felipe Herrera pertenece a la serie Chicano Male Unbonded, en la que el artista chicano Harry Gamboa Jr. impugna los prejuicios y estereotipos en torno a los inmigrantes mexicanos. La foto documental capta a Herrera como si nos tropezáramos con él caminando una noche por Los Ángeles. Su ropa y su pose informales no delatan sus muchos logros. En 1995, cuando se tomó el retrato, Herrera publicó Calling the Doves/ El canto de las palomas, un libro bilingüe de cuentos infantiles influido por sus vivencias como hijo de campesinos migrantes. Más tarde se le designó Poeta Laureado de EE.UU. (2015–17).
Gamboa es fotógrafo, artista de instalaciones y performance y uno de los fundadores del revolucionario grupo artístico Asco. Comenta que “en estos días, cuando el diálogo político incluye debates sobre la deportación masiva de mexicanos, sobre todo hombres, esta obra es relevante”.
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquisition made possible through the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center
