Eye Level: Luis Jiménez, 19402006

“Born in El Paso and an alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin, Jiménez made sculpture that coupled a Pop medium (fiberglass) with traditional Southwestern themes. His work drew from the cultural poles of Mexico City and New York City, both places where he worked and studied, and he was greatly influenced by public artists such as Mexican muralist José Clemente Orozco. The artist sought to bring Native American, Mexican, and Chicano figures to the fore in works that pay heed to classical sculptural values.

But a short biography understates the long and fruitful relationship between Jiménez and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. That relationship began in the 1970s with then-director Joshua Taylor, who was an enthusiastic supporter of the artist’s work, and continued to the present day with the many staffers who speak fondly of their personal interactions with the artist.”

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