This mixed-media drawing is an autobiographical work of Freddy Fender.  Baldemar Garza Huerta is the embodiment of the American Dream.  Born in San Benito Texas, he worked throughout his entire life to build a reputation when Mexicans were not accepted, especially within the spotlight of being a musician.

 

The life of Freddy Fender is a success story, but not without resilience and perseverance.

I give direction to his life around his neck, beginning with bulbs of cotton.  Mexicans found their way to America by working in the fields of agriculture.  These occupations were undesirable to Americans because of their extensive physical demands and poor pay.  Fender was first a migrant worker who traveled the United States with his family, picking fruits, vegetables, and cotton from farm to farm.  Images of crushed Lonestar bottle caps symbolize his pride in being a Tejano on the gritty path to the top by playing circuits of bars and clubs.  He played to minorities who could relate to his songs, eventually finding an identity in his passion. These experiences would lead to his ingenious ideas to make his songs bilingual, featuring his songs in Spanish and English as well as mixed language within the songs, tailoring to his mixed audiences, leading to his Tex-Mex style.  The Mesoamerican artifact and image of La Virgin De Guadalupe is a mixture of his beliefs and respect for his heritage of Aztlan and his religious faith in being Catholic.  The scorpion symbolizes resilience and strength. The guitar picks are associated with his passion for music and the Fender name he would embody.  Aesthetics of design with colors influenced the shirt and shapes, symbolizing his passion for his craft with an array of warm colors and fractal shapes expressing depth and complexity.

 

The expression on Fender’s face is not of happiness but more of being unsettled, influenced by his not being recognized for his lifetime contributions to Tejano/Country music and not being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. To this date, no Hispanic has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

 

Baldemar Garza Huerta

32” x 40”

mixed media drawing