<span style="font-family: Calibri;font-size: small">Sam Coronado - A Retrospective<a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mexic-artemuseum.org/images-splashpage/quad1-sam11-over.jpg&amp;imgrefurl=http://weareaustin.com/community/calendar/icalrepeat.detail/2011/05/17/55416/-/ZmRiODE3OTE2ZWYxZWRhMTk2NjBlZjc0ODU5OWMyYTg%3D&amp;usg=__siMvZI-OgdYy_Hr3vwihdAqQ-wE=&amp;h=450&amp;w=520&amp;sz=45&amp;hl=en&amp;start=0&amp;zoom=1&amp;tbnid=YP5cLaC4A9KeuM:&amp;tbnh=129&amp;tbnw=149&amp;ei=fPTKTbTCEoi6tgeKn8X5Bw&amp;prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsam%2Bcoronado%2Ba%2Bretrospective%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1467%26bih%3D704%26tbm%3Disch&amp;um=1&amp;itbs=1&amp;iact=hc&amp;vpx=486&amp;vpy=222&amp;dur=4489&amp;hovh=209&amp;hovw=241&amp;tx=143&amp;ty=109&amp;page=1&amp;ndsp=34&amp;ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1340" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sam.jpg" alt="" width="173" height="150" /></a></span>

<span style="font-family: Calibri;font-size: small">Exhibit at Mexic-Arte</span>

<span style="font-family: Calibri;font-size: small">Kris Cooley</span>

<span style="font-family: Calibri;font-size: small">Spring 2011-Extra Credit</span>

<span style="font-family: Calibri;font-size: small">Recently, I found an opportunity to  visit Austin's Mexic-Arte museum to view Sam Coronado - A Retrospective. Sam Coronado has been  a great influence on my experience at Austin Community College. I had the honor  of being a student of his in basic graphic design and color theory. I gained knowledge that will  be invaluable to my career as an interactive designer. I was excited to see his life's work and  how it progressed throughout his career as a graphic artist.</span>

<span style="font-family: Calibri;font-size: small">As i began my walk through the exhibit,  i noticed his explicit eye for detail in his early technical drawing and promotional posters. Coronado's  perception of space and color were obvious in the political campaign advertisement  and promotional works. I could almost feel his passion for organized detail that he would later  use to teach students about the importance of being accountable and presenting quality  presentations.</span>

<span style="font-family: Calibri;font-size: small">Coronado's artistic expression shows  in the dexterity of his skills. He is an accomplished painter, graphic artist, teacher, mentor and  continues to be an inspiration to local artists. He opened Coronado Studio in 1991, which spawn  the Serie Project in 1993. This has encouraged multi-racial participation and marketed works  by over 250 artists. Because of Coronado's contributions, this helped to promote  the careers of many Austin's up and coming artists.</span>

<span style="font-family: Calibri;font-size: small">Coronado's Studio is one of the few  studios specializing in fine art screen printing, otherwise known as serigraph.  I had the  chance to sit down with Sam and have him explain this process. Basically, it is a silk screen printing  process. A stencil is created in the form of the layer of color needed to be applied. It is placed  upon the print and ink is rolled through the open parts. </span>

<span style="font-family: Calibri;font-size: small">Coronado would have several reoccurring  themes in his works. The heart, El Corazon was a persistent symbol. He used multiple  definitions, including Eros Carnal aspect of love and the agape affection found within friendships.  The bull would be another. Sam is quoted saying "bulls, much like humans, are ritualistically  born and bred to die." Sam's work portray this unconscious psyche that perhaps he  is destined to share the same fate as the bull. So he has strived to exist successfully while  leaving behind a legacy of his own within the Chicano art world.</span>

<span style="font-family: Calibri;font-size: small">My favorite works I found within the  exhibit were the series with the same theme that Sam was trying to portray. The Hearts in the  Arts is one that stood out to me. His idea was to connect the passion of art with different sections  of the artistic world. There were five in this series, including one where musical notes wafted  through the heart, signifying the musician. A simple paintbrush being dipped brought upon  attention to the painter. All these prints included a basic idea of cohesive definition.</span>

<span style="font-family: Calibri;font-size: small">Coronado's Guerilla series, I thought,  was excellent. He integrated the serigraph process for this series. It was made upon handmade paper.  This series was based upon a photograph of a revolutionary woman holding a gun taken  by Armando Villareal. This series won an award from the Chapultepec Peace Accords. Coronado  was able to express a visual social commentary on the woman's role during a time of government  violence and convey a sense of female empowerment.</span>

<span style="font-family: Calibri;font-size: small">Overall, the experience was refreshing,  I learned that though life and the artist will change, the basic principles of design will  always apply. Sam Coronado took these ideas and incorporated them in a way that suited  his culture and background. He is a well respected graphic artist and continues to inspire  new artists and students to use design as a way to express their own artistic license.</span>