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Melesio "Mel" Casas (November 24, 1929 – November 30, 2014) was a Chicano artist, activist, writer and teacher. He used visual statements, his sense of humor and love of puns to "address cultural stereotypes." His work has been collected by the San Antonio Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and nationally and internationally. He is best known for his series of 150 large-scale paintings called "Humanscapes" that were painted between 1965 and 1989.〔Hickey, David (1988). “Mel Casas: Border Lord.” Artspace: Southwestern Contemporary Arts Quarterly 12, , no. 4: 28–31.〕〔Cordova, Ruben C. (2011). "The Cinematic Genesis of the Mel Casas Humanscape, 1965-1967". Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies 36 (2). ISSN 0005-2604.〕 Casas was also well known as a writer and theorist.〔 His "Brown Paper Report" is considered an important document of Chicano history. In his writing, he emphasized the importance of "self-determination" and equality for Chicanos/as. He is considered to be one of the important founders of the Chicano Arts movement. Casas felt that once artists had a fair chance to exhibit in the United States, then they would become part of "Americana."〔 == Biography == Casas was born in El Paso, Texas〔 to Mexican parents during the Great Depression.〔 He grew up and lived in El Segundo Barrio. His father liked to draw and this influenced Casas to start drawing on his own.〔 As a young man decided that he wanted to be an artist.〔 Casas felt that he had a good education in elementary school and junior high.〔 He attended El Paso High School which he chose in order to get a better education.〔 At the time, there were more Anglo students at El Paso High and Casas felt alienated from the other students because of his background and heavy Mexican accent.〔 It was Casas' first encounter with discrimination.〔 He graduated from high school in 1948.〔 After graduating high school, Casas worked for Pacific Fruit Express, a railroad company, as an iceman.〔 He also helped with his father's Swedish massage business located in downtown El Paso.〔 Later, Casas was called into the United States Army and his father insisted it was his duty to serve.〔 Casas served in the Korean War from 1950-1953, where he was injured and subsequently returned to the United States.〔 Casas was awarded a Purple Heart for bravery in the war.〔 Casas went to college using the G.I. Bill.〔 First, he started to study psychology, due to practical considerations, but later changed to art and teaching.〔 In college, he had a very strong background in classical art theory, drawing and painting. He received a BA in 1956 from Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso). Casas then received a MFA from the University of the Americas in Mexico City in 1958.〔〔 Casas received an all-level certificate to teach in Texas.〔 He was considered by his students to be a "generous" teacher, helping to launch many young art careers.〔 Casas taught art at Jefferson High School in El Paso, Texas for about three years.〔 One of his students was Gaspar Enriquez.〔 Casas served as president of the ''Con Safo'' art group in the early 1970s. ''Con Safo'' is a ''Pachuco ''slang expression whose most common meanings are: "the same to you," "don't mess with this," and "forbidden to touch."〔Cordova, Ruben C. (2009). Con Safo: The Chicano Art Group and the Politics of South Texas. Los Angeles: UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press.〕 In its abbreviated form, C/S, it is used to protect murals from defacement. The art group adopted the name ''"Con Safo"'' on December 19, 1971, at which time Casas presented his "Brown Paper Report," which listed 22 definitions for the term ''Con Safo''.〔Cordova, Ruben C. (2009). Con Safo: The Chicano Art Group and the Politics of South Texas. Los Angeles: UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press. 〕 Felipe Reyes, a painter, was the prime mover of the ''Con Safo'' group, which he views as a final reorganization of a group he cofounded in 1968, which was initially known as ''El Grupo''.〔Cordova, Ruben C. (2009). Con Safo: The Chicano Art Group and the Politics of South Texas. Los Angeles: UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press. 〕 In December of 1971 the ''Con Safo'' group consisted of Felipe Reyes, Jose Esquivel, Jesse Almazán, Roberto Ríos, and Jose Garza (all of whom were members of ''El Grupo''), and Mel Casas and Jesse Treviño. 〔Cordova, Ruben C. (2009). Con Safo: The Chicano Art Group and the Politics of South Texas. Los Angeles: UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press. 〕 Other notable artists who subsequently joined the group include Rudy Treviño (who later served as president) César Martínez, Amado Peña, Carmen Lomas Garza, Santos Martínez, Kathy Vargas, Roberto Gonzalez, and Rolando Briseño. Several of these artists were students of Casas, who was teaching at San Antonio College. Through the ''Con Safo'' group, members gained exposure by participating in exhibitions for which they were paid a fee by the exhibiting institutions.〔 ''Con Safo'' was considered influential and helped Chicano art receive recognition when Chicanos and their work were largely excluded from museums and galleries. Casas taught for 29 years at San Antonio College〔 where he was Chair of the Art Department for 12 years.〔 Casas felt that he had the opportunity to teach a "very good cross-section of the city" which was something he enjoyed.〔 Being the chair of the department, however, was stressful for Casas, since he was often on call.〔 He retired in 1990.〔 After retiring, Casas and his wife Grace went to Italy, spending two years in Brandisi and two in Sicily.〔 Casas had a two-year battle with cancer.〔 He died in his home with his family and his wife of 35 years, Grace Casas.〔 He and Grace had one child, Bruce. With his first wife, Maria, Mel had four children: Alfredo, Ingrid, Mike and Sonya.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mel Casas」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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