Gilbert “Magu” Luján – Artist from Pedro Pablo Celedón on Vimeo.
Pioneering Chicano artist Gilbert “Magu” Luján, who died Sunday at 70, had a style that was instantly recognizable. While I have yet to make it to the Hollywood and Vine Metro station he helped design, his warm, whimsical style always brought a smile to my face whenever I caught sight of one of his familiar images. Here’s how my colleague Adolfo Guzman-Lopez described his paintings in an obituary today on KPCC’s website:
A typical Gilbert Lujan painting includes bright, chubby cars with lowrider paint jobs driven by Aztec warriors – or, sometimes, by dogs behind dark shades.
His art was at once political and endearing. In this relatively recent video, the painter, sculptor and muralist talked about his work, his inspiration, his self-identification as a Chicano and his love of “carritos.”
Lujan, who lived and worked in Pomona, had been battling cancer. A “Cruisin’ Magulandia” benefit art exhibit to help his family cover his medical costs will take place August 13 at the dA Center for the Arts in Pomona; details are on his website, magulandia.com.
