Los Four Meets Los 40 is a group exhibition of contemporary Chicano influenced artists who continue to pave their independent paths while also honoring a legacy spearheaded by Los Four.

In 1969, a group of Mexican-American artists - Frank Romero, Carlos Almaraz, Roberto de la Rocha and Gilbert “Magu” Lujan - became the art collective known as Los Four. They went on to participate in a ground-breaking LACMA exhibition in 1974. (Immediately after the LACMA exhibition, Judithe Hernández joined and made the collective a party of five.) The dedication of Los Four ushered in a new era for Mexican-American artists as they raised an intellectual vanguard and furthered the visibility of the Chicano community.

This exhibition aims to pay tribute to the original four while twenty-two additional artists working in a similar vein. Today's artists utilize the same vibrant and passionate color pallet to depict the old neighborhoods and faces of the community. The aerosol, which was utilized in the 1974 LACMA exhibition, remains part of the Chicano aesthetic; yet, spray painting has matured in scope and breadth. New narratives are executed with (and without) the rattle of the spray can. Present-day Chicano artists advance a conversation with imagery analogous to the work of Los Four.

Cesar Chavez once said, “We need to help teachers and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural diversity that nourishes and strengthens our community and our nation.” These artists will carry the torch into the future as we renew our commitment to our cultural legacy of richness and diversity.

Exhibiting Artists include: Los Four: Carlos Almaraz, Roberto de la Rocha, Gilbert “Magú” Luján, Frank Romero Los 40: Antonio Pelayo, Barbara Carrasco, Bonnie Lambert, Chaz Bojorquez, Eric Almanza, Gregg Stone, Jaime Guerrero, Jose Lozano, Jorge R. Gutierrez, ManOne, Oscar Castillo, Pavel Acevedo, Rafael Cardenas, Robert Palacios, Ruben Esparza, Salomon Huerta, Sandy Rodriguez, Shizu Saldomando, Sonia Romero, The Beast Brothers, Victoria Delgadillo, Abel Alejandre.

This exhibition was inspired by a conversation between Juxtapoz Art Magazine co-founder Greg Escalante and Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha.