The Art of Francisco Letelier

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Francisco Letelier un artista Chileno residente en Los Angeles California, es reconocido por sus murales, obras de arte publico, exhibiciones y trabajos graficos.

Sus obras monumentales en el Metro de Los Angeles son vistas cada dia por miles de personas. Fue nominado para un premio Grammy y ha recibido el premio Artcore y el premio Siquieros en reconocimiento por sus aportes a la ciudad de Los Angeles. En sus performances, instalaciones y obras poeticas, Letelier explora los limites de la memoria, el exilio y la identidad Latinoamericana.

Durante el exilio Chileno, Letelier fue uno de los fundadores de La Brigada Orlando Letelier, un grupo que ha pintado murales colectivos e organizado proyectos culturales a traves de los Estados Unidos y las Americas por mas de 30 años. En un regreso a Chile durante la dictadura, Letelier se integro con artistas que hacian arte clandestino en las calles y al regresar a Los Angeles siguio creando arte motivado por estas experiencias. Con un enfoque en los derechos humanos y justicia social sus proyectos de dialogo, educacion y participacion colectiva lo han llevado desde Iquitos, Peru a Belfast en Irlanda del Norte. Las obras del artista han sido exhibidas en el Museo de Arte Contemporaneo en Santiago y el mural ‘La Mujer del Bosque’ se encuentra en comuna de El Bosque.

En 2008 Letelier formo parte de un acto para cual se reunieron miles de personas en el Parque O’Higgins. Colaborando con organizaciones ecologistas e actriz Leonor Varela, el artista diseño una gigante ballena humana, en la que participó la ministra de Medio Ambiente, Ana Lya Uriarte. La ballena fue fotografiada desde el aire por un helicóptero, tal como se ha hecho en otras partes del mundo. apoyando la iniciativa de Chile para crear un santuario de ballenas.

Letelier sigue creando puentes de intercambio entre Los Angeles y Chile y es uno de los fundadores de ARTBLOCK una associacion de artistas independientes que crea programas para el publico.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Venice West mural : somewhere between Ginsberg and Kerouac

"Venice was the epicenter of beat culture in the 50s. In the mural, Venice West (by Francisco Letelier and Mary Fama), two legends, Stuart Perkoff and Philomene Long, of the Venice West Renaissance are depicted. They were husband and wife, and Perkoff was the quintessential "Beat" poet in Venice. He was renowned for his book, Voices of the Lady, but he was loved for his public readings."
Joseph Lapin La Weekly Blog 10 Essential Beat Generation Landmarks in Los Angeles

The mural is at 518 Rose Ave, on the strip that is bringing hipster culture to that side of Venice. The mural contains other facets of unknown Venice. The mural grew directly from the Becoming the Circle mural painted in 2002 on the Pioneer Bakery, a place that for stood on the site for a century. The developers sought me out when they learned that a mural had existed at the site previously.

Power Points at historic Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park

ArtScene Magazine

Diane Calder

"Power Points" is a multimedia examination of the abuse and potential of power that joins a trio of artists together who have been recently lauded for major works in public places. Chusien Chang, noted for her public art installations in Chinatown’s Metro Station, focuses on the plight of captive elephants with a window display that superimposes tortuous tools employed to “train” the animals over a poster commemorating these intelligent giants. Inside the gallery, Chang’s pastel drawings of segments of elephant anatomy could be interpreted as referencing “The Blind Men and the Elephant,” an insight into the inexpressible nature of truth. Francisco Letelier, whose numerous public works include murals adorning the Westlake/MacArthur Park Metro Station, centers a stunning copper etching featuring his poetic writing amidst a group of intimately scaled, mixed media works that reflect his personal re-enchantment with the powerful Mayan myth of Popl Vuh. Collaged narratives and weathered images of feathered serpents play off hand written translations of cultural myths. Skin shed by molting snakes and fragments of gilded papers, bone and bark suggest a mysterious mixture of present and past, personal and cultural values. Meanwhile, Haitian born artist Karl Jean-Guerly Petion, a participant in the 18th Street Art Center’s 2011 “Debating Through the Arts,” questions social justice with whimsically re-imagined sculptures composed of a variety of found objects. Petion’s assemblage works interact with his arresting unframed paintings that confront emotionally charged first- and third-world class issues via theoretical texts and compelling images, such as that of his black man vaulting skyward over a strand of barbed wire. Guest curator Nancy Buchanan’s conviction is here validated: that these three artists, when joined together on a more intimate scale, can move us deeply (Avenue 50 Studio, Northeast Los Angeles).

Diane Calder

Pueblo Chucho/ Dogtown Mural

Created with Mary Fama, the Pueblo Chucho mural is located in the heart of the Oakwood neighborhood of Venice on 6th Avenue between Indiana Ave and Brooks Ave. The mural is inspired by the history of the neighborhood and our personal experiences on this stretch of sidewalk.
This is the third mural that I have painted with Mary. Although this mural is a sidewalk level mural and is on a smaller scale than a majority of my murals, we continue to receive great feedback from residents and passerby. The mural underlines the difference between much of the street art seen in Venice; work that is created with less regard to site, cultural histories and realities and murals like this one . The majority of the murals and public art I facilitate and help create provide a departure point to examine identity and local culture in a celebratory and inclusive manner. Viva Dogtown!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

VIOLIN. STEEL PAN. GUITAR. VoiceMusic flowing like water...

Please join us, bring a friend, join our Black-Brown Dialogues, as we again cross borders together guided by Inspiration--June 4. 7 pm @ Highland Park Ebell Club House, 131 S Avenue 57, Los Angeles, CA 90042.

FREE ADMISSION/ peter j harris

The Black/Brown Dialogues
Inspiration House PoetryChoir
curated by Peter J. Harris
Artistic Director, Inspiration House

Date: Saturday, June 4, 2011
Time: 7 pm
Place: Highland Park Ebell Club House
131 S Avenue 57, Los Angeles, CA 90042

Featuring spoken word by:
Peter J. Harris
Gloria Alvarez
V Kali
Francisco Letelier
Gina Loring

Featuring music by:
Curtis Robertson, Jr., bass/guitar
Alan Mark Lightner, steel pan
Rocio Marron, violin