Interveiw with Jose Lozano from Atelier Visit on Vimeo.
Jose Lozano is an artist and published author based in Fullerton, California, whose works include public projects, paintings, murals and serigraphs. He received his MFA from Cal State Fullerton. His drawings and paintings have been exhibited widely at venues which include the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, UCLA Armand Hammer Museum, Orange County Museum of Contemporary Art, Patricia Correia Gallery, Self Help Graphics, and Avenue 50 Studio. He has received many awards, including a J. Paul Getty Mid-Career Grant in Painting and a California Arts Council Grant for Drawing and Painting. Lozano prefers to work in a series and focuses on particular themes and topics, such as Mexican wrestlers, paper dolls, Mexican movie imagery, clowns and loteria playing cards. Lozano was also granted and completed his own Metro train station located at La Brea’s Expo line.
Summary
Jose Lozano discusses his upbringing and cultural identity, noting he was born in LA but spent his early childhood in Chihuahua, Mexico, until he was seven or eight years old (0:24-0:53). He shares how his mother moved them to Fullerton, California, seeking a better future (1:14-1:38).
Lozano reflects on his Mexican roots, having learned to read in Spanish and attending school in Mexico until third grade, which shaped his early identity (1:59-2:06). He contrasts his rural upbringing in Mexico, where they lacked running water, electricity, and even knowledge of phones or television (2:27-2:36), with the more urban environment his interviewer experienced (2:40-2:48).
He touches on the cultural divide between city and country folks, and later, the concept of being “chúntaro” – someone who doesn’t fit in, isn’t stylish, or doesn’t know the language (3:35-4:22). Lozano discusses how people become Americanized but never fully lose their original identity, influencing their values and speech (4:40-5:17). He asserts that his territory and associations influence his identity and that he still feels like a “chúntaro” despite being influenced by Chicano politics, art, and literature (5:28-5:50). He notes that when he visits Mexico, he immediately reconnects with his Mexican identity (6:01-6:03).
Lozano explains that he deliberately uses stereotypes in his artwork, presenting “Mexicano” in a direct, in-your-face manner, which contrasts with other Chicano and Mexican artists who depict more “Anglo-sized” subjects (6:31-7:29). He also mentions a critique he received about not depicting “pretty” women in his art, stating that his version of “pretty” differs from others (7:31-7:51). He believes that art can be about beauty, but he dislikes when beauty overpowers the message of a piece, turning it into a “cosmetic” advertisement (7:55-8:49).
He also shares his unconventional approach to color, never formally learning it and regretting not sticking with Art Center longer to gain a more “polished” technique (9:05-9:42). Lozano aimed to be an illustrator but found himself doing personal, story-driven drawings that resonated with his professors, giving him the confidence to pursue a Master’s program (10:34-12:59). He recounts an experience in his Master’s program where a fellow student criticized his portrayal of his heritage as negative, leading him to reflect on whether he harbored self-hate (13:14-14:18).