The Chicano art movement in American art history : post-1970s evolutions in the Los Angeles context

The history of the Mexican American population of the United States has involved a succession of socio-political phases since the beginning of the twentieth-century. One phase termed the 'Chicano era' emerged in mid-century culminating in the 1960s period of civil-rights activism. In this unified social movement acting for change of the historical situation of oppression, the crucial role of the arts contributed to the formation of the Chicane art movement. This thesis concerns developments in Chicano art production following the civil rights era from the 1970s to the present day. Through its examination of the complexities of the strategic purpose of Chicano cultural production this thesis critiques established narratives of the genealogy of art history. It addresses how the Chicano art movement has contributed to a dismantling of late twentieth-century rigid paradigmatic art-historical structuring and has continued to generate a critique of the social system of the United States. This central premise draws on formative theoretical and ideological perspectives in the fields of Chicano Studies, Border Studies, postcolonial theory and cultural theory. Focusing on the California region and the urban centre of Los Angeles, it selectively examines the philosophical approaches and methodologies of individual artists and collaborative groups relative to transitional social processes and ongoing cultural evolutions in this growing heterogeneous community. This examination of the trajectory of the Chicano art movement into the twenty-first century indicates its significance for a future generation of artists.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo