José Vicente Aguilar

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José Vicente Aguilar
Sua Peen
Born (1924-01-08) January 8, 1924 (age 98)
San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico
NationalityAmerican; San Ildefonso and Picurís Pueblo
Aguilar's watercolor painting "Ball Player," 1949.

José Vicente Aguilar (born January 8, 1924), also called Sua Peen (Warm Mountain), is a Pueblo-American painter of San Ildefonso Pueblo and Picurís Pueblo heritage.[1] He is known for his watercolor paintings. Aguilar has exhibited across the United States, particularly in the Southwest,[2] and his work is in the permanent collection of institutions including the Gilcrease Museum.[3]

Early life[]

Aguilar was born in San Ildefonso, New Mexico, to José Angela Aguilar (San Ildefonso tribe) and Rosalie Simbola (Picurís tribe).[1] Both of his parents were artists known for their black-on-black pottery, and a number of his siblings also became active in the arts, including his younger brother Alfred Aguilar.[4]

As a child, Aguilar attended a number of schools across the country, including the in New Mexico and the Montezuma Boys' School in Los Altos, California. From 1935 to 1940, he was a student at the Santa Fe Indian School, where he studied under Dorothy Dunn.[1][5] He then attended Monson High School in Monson, Massachusetts, followed by Hollywood High School in Hollywood, California.[1]

Career[]

Aguilar spent two years in the United States Army during World War II, serving in the European theater. For his service, he received the Purple Heart.[6]

When he returned, he continued his studies at Otis Art Institute (Los Angeles), the University of New Mexico, , and the Los Angeles Trade Technical Junior College, ending 1951.[1]

Aguilar then worked as a technical artist for the aircraft industry, including at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Douglas Aircraft Co., and North American Aviation.[1] During this time, he continued creating fine art and furthering his art education, getting additional schooling at the Los Angeles County Art Institute and the Los Angeles Art Center School.[1]

Artistic style[]

Aguilar's early paintings follow the traditional Pueblo style of painting often seen by those educated at the Santa Fe Indian School.[7][8] As his style matured, he was influenced by artists like Joe Herrera, and Aguilar began to utilize semi-abstract backgrounds and more loosely rendered figures.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g King, Jeanne Snodgrass (1968). American Indian painters; a biographical directory. Smithsonian Libraries. New York : Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation.
  2. ^ a b Tanner, Clara Lee (1973). Southwest Indian Painting. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press. pp. 129–131. ISBN 978-0-8165-0309-4.
  3. ^ "Ball Player / Jose Vincente Aguilar, 1924- (Artist) - Gilcrease Museum". collections.gilcrease.org. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  4. ^ Schaaf, Gregory (2000). Pueblo Indian Pottery: 750 Artist Biographies, C. 1800-present : with Value/price Guide Featuring Over 20 Years of Auction Records. CIAC Press. ISBN 978-0-9666948-1-9.
  5. ^ Wade, Edwin L., ed. (1986). The arts of the North American Indian : native traditions in evolution. New York : Hudson Hills Press in association with Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa. ISBN 978-0-933920-55-2.
  6. ^ Dictionary of Indians of North America. St. Clair Shores, Mich. : Scholar[l]y Press. 1978. pp. 19–20. ISBN 978-0-403-01799-7.
  7. ^ Brody, J. J. (1971). Indian painters & white patrons. Internet Archive. Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 978-0-8263-0192-5.
  8. ^ Warner, John Anson (1975). The life & art of the North American Indian. Internet Archive. New York : Crescent Books. ISBN 978-0-517-13127-5.
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