Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Charles "Chaz" Bojórquez Papers, 1956-2017, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.bojochaz
Creators:
Bojórquez, Chaz
Dates:
1956-2017
Languages:
The collection is in English and Spanish.
Physical Description:
5.9 Linear feet
98.44 Gigabytes
Repository:
The papers of Chicano painter and commercial artist Charles "Chaz" Bojórquez measure 5.9 linear feet and 98.44 GB and date from 1956 to 2017. The collection documents Bojórquez's career as an artist through professional files, writings and notes, project books, printed and digital material, artwork, and photographic material.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of Chicano painter and commercial artist Charles "Chaz" Bojórquez measure 5.9 linear feet and 98.44 GB and date from 1956 to 2017. The collection documents Bojórquez's career as an artist through professional files, writings and notes, project books, printed and digital material, artwork, and photographic material.
Professional files primarily include correspondence with attached business records or press clippings regarding Bojórquez's involvement with graffiti groups. Writings by Bojórquez include writings on graffiti, interview responses, transcripts of talks, and notes. Project books were compiled by Bojórquez to document commercial projects for companies such as Fendi, Reebok, Disney, MTV, and Vans and include drawings, notes, travel documents, price lists and other materials. Printed material primarily includes published designs by Bojórquez. The collection also includes approximately 14 sketchbooks and four portfolios containing drawings and designs by Bojórquez, as well as photographic materials depicting Bojórquez with his friends and family and his artwork. All series contain materials in digital format.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as six series.
  • Series 1: Professional Files, 1970-2008 (Boxes 1, 8; 0.5 linear feet, ER01-ER04; 2.86 GB)
  • Series 2: Writings and Notes, circa 1985-2015 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet, ER05-ER12, ER95-ER105; 25.52 GB)
  • Series 3: Project Books, 1979-2017 (Boxes 1-3, 6-8; 2.5 linear feet, ER13-ER93; 30.85 GB)
  • Series 4: Printed Materials, 1994-circa 2010 (Box 3; 0.5 linear feet, ER94, ER106; 0.141 GB)
  • Series 5: Artwork, 1956-2017 (Boxes 4, 7-9; 1.3 linear feet, ER107-ER134; 27.75 GB)
  • Series 6: Photographic Materials, 1968-circa 2010 (Boxes 4-5; 0.9 linear feet, ER135-145; 11.32 GB)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Charles "Chaz" Bojórquez (1949- ) is a Chicano painter and commercial artist in Los Angeles, California.
Bojórquez attended the Chouinard Art Institute, now known as the California Institute of the Arts or CalArts, where he studied calligraphy under Master Yun Chung Chiang. Bojórquez is regarded as a pioneer in street art. Since the 1960s, he has been integrating the graffiti style of the East Los Angeles Mexican American community with the calligraphy styles of other cultures. As a commercial designer, Bojórquez has designed products for Fendi, Disney, Vans, and other major companies internationally. His work is in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and other collections throughout the U.S. He has been active in numerous arts groups including graffiti advocacy groups such as the Arroyo Arts Collective, Graffiti Arts Coalition, and the Chicano Axis Art Group.

Administration

Author
Sarah Mundy
Sponsor
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The papers were donated in 2016 and 2017 by Chaz Bojórquez.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2018. Born-digital materials were processed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2020 with funding provided by Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Charles "Chaz" Bojórquez papers, 1956-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival born-digital records with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Painters -- California -- Los Angeles Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Commercial artists -- California -- Los Angeles Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Latino and Latin American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Graffiti art Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sketchbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chicano artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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