Los Four

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Los Four was a Chicano street art group that was influential during the 1970s and early 1980s in Los Angeles, California. The group helped bring mainstream art critics attention to the Chicano street art movement.

[edit] Brief history

Los Four, a group of street painters, consisted of Frank Romero, Carlos Almaraz, Gilberto Luján and Roberto de la Rocha. Romero and Almaraz had attended California State University, Los Angeles and were close friends.

Los Four began working on their paintings across Los Angeles in 1973. Eventually, the four painters in this group collaborated on paintings in other California cities. Almaraz in particular became well known; a struggling painter in New York City, he became an iconic figure for Chicanos in the Los Angeles area for his art works.

Works by Los Four were exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from February 26 to March 24, 1974, marking the first time that Chicano art was exhibited at a major public art institution.

Los Four's paintings were a source of inspirations to many Chicanos and others who were struggling in California. Los Four went on to paint several murals and displays in public places.

Los Four separated during the early 1980's, Almaraz's health being one of the issues that caused the group to stop collaborating on California paintings. Their painters' arts, however, both as members of Los Four and as solo artists, continue to be widely recognized and shown in art museums across the world.

A 1984 film, Los Four, was dedicated to the painters that composed this group and their arts [1].

Art works made separately by Almaraz, Romero, Lujan and de la Rocha have been exhibited in museums in Japan, England, France and other countries.