The biggest honoree at this weekend's ArtHamptons art fair — the first of this summer's big art events on Long Island — will be Cheech Marin, one half of the seminal stoner comedy duo Cheech and Chong, and the world's foremost collector of Chicano art. In addition to receiving the distinction of Arts Patron of the Year and celebrating his birthday with a big opening night bash, Marin has filled Los Angeles gallery Thomas Paul Fine Art's booth at the fair with works by young Chicano artists. With the works safely installed and his birthday party preparations underway — he turns 66 on Friday — Marin spoke to ARTINFO about bringing Chicano art east, and how he decided to become a champion of the under-appreciated genre in the first place.
Why are you being honored this weekend at ArtHamptons?
I'm a big collector of Chicano art, which I'm exposing to the patrons of the Hamptons art fair. It's the first time they've had Chicano art here, and I'm bringing along several up-and-coming new artists of the next generation of Chicano artists. And I have the largest collection of Chicano art in the history of the world.
Chicano art seems to have a much bigger following on the West coast than on the East coast; did that influence your selection of works for this exhibition?
Yes, absolutely. I'm promoting these young artist because they need the exposure, but I'm also exposing ArtHamptons and folks back East in general to the concept of Chicano art because there's little or no knowledge of it back here. My mantra has been that you can't love or hate Chicano art unless you see it, so I'm letting everybody see it.
How did you first start collecting Chicano art?
In the mid-1980s is when I started collecting. The gap in my art knowledge was contemporary art, I didn't know a lot about it, so I started going to galleries on the west side of L.A. That's where I first encountered these Chicano artists. And as I looked at their art I thought, "These guys are really good, they're very, very good painters." I'd seen good painting all of my life and I knew what it was. But they weren't getting any traction at all, so I decided to become their champion.
Since this is an art fair, after all, will you be looking to buy, or are you strictly there as an exhibitor?
I just might. You never know. But hopefully collectors will come to my booth and they will purchase some of this art, so that it becomes a part of them and a part of the American language of art.
You've exhibited works from your collection in several exhibitions over the last decade; do you have plans for any shows in the near future?
I've done three large touring exhibitions, the latest one of which, "Chicano Visions," toured the country for seven years — it went to the Smithsonian, the de Young, LACMA, and so on. Now I have a smaller show called "Chicanitas," an exhibition of small paintings that's touring right now. But I'd hoped to bring some out here as soon as we can, and ArtHamptons is the first step towards doing that.
ArtHamptons runs July 13-15. The exhibition of Chicano art curated by Cheech Marin will be on view in Thomas Paul Fine Art's booth next to the Collector's Lounge.