Pre-Hispanic revivals—from the Aztec, Maya, and other civilizations—were popular in California during the 1920s and 1930s in the design of theaters, hotels, furnishings, and jewelry, but such engagements with the Mesoamerican past had other fascinating manifestations from the 1950s to the 1970s.
This panel will explore the new ways artists used pre-Hispanic imagery to mark regional and cultural identity, whether as emblems of defiance by the Chicano civil rights movement or symbols of timeless craft traditions. Moderated by LACMA associate curator Megan E. O’Neil, the panel includes University of Pittsburgh assistant professor Jennifer Josten, UCLA Fowler Museum chief curator Matthew Robb, and artist Judithe Hernández.