So apparently this guy has been outside the Portrait Gallery for 20 years and I've never seen him. I was reading his placard, and the artist made him as a symbol of the enduring legacy of Hispanic-Americans in American culture. Apparently the image of the vaquero predated that of the cowboy, and although it's obviously a Spanish word, and many vaqueros were Mexican, any cowhand was called a vaquero regardless of race. Using the language predominate in the area to describe an occupation, what a novel concept. The vaquero sculpture is made out of fiberglass as a nod to lowrider culture and continuing influence. Anyway I don't know the first thing about sculpture, I just thought that was one hell of a way to tell a story.
#vaquero #luisjimenez #americanart #sculpture
