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Art community recalls Luis Jimenez

Friends and admirers of artist Luis Jimenez were stunned by word of his tragic death June 13 at his studio in Hondo, N.M.

Friends and admirers of artist Luis Jimenez were stunned by word of his tragic death June 13 at his studio in Hondo, N.M. Known for his monumental public sculptures, he was in the process of working on the 32-foot-high Mustang, a piece destined to stand at the Denver International Airport, when part of the statuary came loose from rigging and struck Jimenez, pinning him against a steel support.

Denver’s Office of Cultural Affairs and the airport hope to work with the local community to determine how Mustang can be finished.

Jimenez, 65, was featured in a Latino Perspectives Vibe story late in 2005 when Mesa Arts Center hosted a retrospective exhibition of the artist’s works. His influence extended to those he taught at the University of Arizona, and included colleagues like UA art professor Alfred Quiroz.

"He was my inspiration when I was in art school back in 1968," Quiroz says. "I didn’t know of any Mexican Americans or Chicanos who were making art. And here I found this Luis Jimenez in a Pop art book I was required to read for our history class. When I saw that he was born in El Paso, I immediately knew that he wasn’t a Puerto Rican guy, this was a Chicano. I made it a point to try to find out more about him. I finally got to meet him in 1985."

The two hit it off and became lifelong friends. Jimenez often showed throughout Arizona, notably at the Lisa Sette Gallery in Scottsdale.

"To me, he was like an older brother I never had," Quiroz says.

"Luis was not only one of the best artists that emerged in his generation, but he was probably the most important Latino artist of his generation," ASU Art Museum Director Marilyn Zeitlen observed, upon learning of Jimenez’s death.

"My own favorite work is his drawings, because he documented in a very rich way, and with his characteristic compassion, the lives of everyday people – mostly Latino workers," she adds.

ASU has a number of Jimenez drawings, but one of its prize sculptures is the artist’s La Pieta, located just behind the museum on an elevated plaza.

"You know, people still leave offerings at the base of it," Zeitlin says. "We’re going to do a tribute to him and put some offerings out there and also post some of his prints from our collection."

Zeitlin also cited the artist’s work as a printmaker and for his public work, which often drew controversy.

"He was uncompromising in that way," she says. "His Latino women were tough. He never prettied them up. They were beautiful, they were statuesque. They were powerful figures. They were never pinups."

"He was very humble. He was a very famous individual, but he never really acted like it," Quiroz adds. "He was a very straightforward guy from El Paso. He was always saying, ‘Put the truchas!’ "

-- Anita Mabante Leach