Last February 2009, I was in Austin for The Nabe Convention. I got to spend time with my good friend Raul Valdez, A great muralist. Esta medio loco el vato, como yo, so we get along great. Thanks for the photo.
Joe Lopez' watercolors are a metaphor, a symbol of a unique place in time where a border "barrio" culture embraced the history and traditions of two countries. The artist spent his early life in a South Texas barrio hidden near the posh neighborhood of Alamo Heights in San Antonio, Texas. Most locals are unaware that such a place existed near an area where wealth was plentiful. "El Barrio Escondido" (the hidden barrio) created a vivid cultural backdrop of family ties, religion and social influences that are evident in all of Lopez' works.