I met Ernie Palomino when we were in the same travel group to Thailand a couple of years ago. I have come to know him as a warm, gentle and sincere man and as an artist who has made his mark in several media. Ernie is an Emeritus Professor of Art at Fresno State University in California. I have had the good fortune to have been able to spend several days with him on several occasions. Ernie was the person who propelled the Chicano Art movement into prominence. He began his work in the 1950s and is still actively producing new work, including oil canvases, multimedia pieces, pastel drawings, public murals and sculpture. I came to know the bronze sculpture above, still being welded together at the foundry in the picture, as "Coatlicue," because that is how Ernie referred to it. It has now been accepted for permanent display at Arte Americas The Mexican Art Center in Fresno and will be dedicated on January 19, 2013. To see more about the sculpture and Ernie's brief biography, go to: www.indiegogo.com/viva-la-raza. Viva-la-Raza is the formal name for the sculpture.
As we traveled together, I noticed that Ernie was often making sketches in a sketch pad he kept with him--that is, when he wasn't seeking out the nearest piano to noodle on. Although he has a history as a drummer for various rock, blues and jazz groups, he has recently taken up keyboards and seems endlessly fascinated with what he is learning. His studio is also his home. Unlike many artist's studios, his is usually very tidy. It is light-filled and comfortable. Works in progress are on the walls. He seems to always be working on several things at once. A number of his paintings spring directly from the sketch pads he has filled on his trips to countries around the world. He has usually been accompanied on these trips by his friend--and mine--Vicki Filgas, who has served as his Impresario. She has worked tirelessly on Ernie's behalf finding projects, securing funding, arranging exhibits and doing whatever she can to support his work. She has always been one of his biggest fans.
I find Ernie's art bold in many ways. His black-and-white sketches are dramatic and expressive. He uses color boldly as well and it often provides a sense of motion and life to his work. I feel privileged to have some of his paintings in my home. His web site is: www.erniepalomino.com. It is well worth a look, not only to glimpse his art, but to get a sense of what Ernie has added to the genre of Chicano Art and to the art community in general. I am proud to call Ernie my friend. The poem "Expression In Bronze" that appears in the the section of this blog called "Returning: A Short Book" is my attempt at expressing my admiration for him and what he has accomplished in his life.
God Watching, by Ernesto Palomino