The Artists of San Juan la Laguna
. Photos by Joseph Johnston
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Photo/foto: Antonio and/y Julian Coche Mendoza and family/ y familia
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Photographers portray Guatemala ] San Pedro Artists ] [ San Juan Artists ] Atitlán Artists ] San Pedro 1941 ] Frank Mays ] Semana Santa ] Maya People ] Lake Atitlán ] Structures ]
LINKS TO SECTION PAGES
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Photo/foto: Antonio and/y Julian Coche MendozaAntonio Coche Mendoza (rt.) stands with his brother Julian on the dock at San Juan la Laguna. Antonio was San Juan's first oil painter. He studied in San Pedro with Mariano Gonzalez Ch. Above Antonio and Julian pose with their mother and Antonio's wife in their parents garden. Antonio has since moved into his own place, has taught his wife and brother-in-law how to paint. Last year they scored top prizes in the Guatemala's most important art competition.
Julian Coche Mendoza stands with an unfinished painting of a soccer player. Julian is one the artists who has a natural gift for color and composition. After becoming accomplished at painting he decided to study art at the National Institute in Guatemala City.

Photo/foto: Julian Coche Mendoza

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Victor Vasquez Temo and family/y familiaVictor Vasquez Temo is one of the few artists in San Pedro or San Juan to have learned to paint completely on his own. He has a natural gift for expressing the energy and emotion of the Mayan people.
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Victor in San Francisco California with singer Pat Wynne. Victor's visit Photo/foto: Victor Vasquez Temo and/y Pat Wynne to the United States was an eye-opener for an artist who still thinks of himself as a simple campesino. Although he was breadwinner for his family after his father died, he had been to Guatemala city only once in his life.

 

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Photo/foto: Antonio Vasquez and wife/y esposa.

Antonio Vasquez stands with his wife in the doorway of their new house. They seem very young to already have a baby. When I talk with him he appears despondent saying that the galleries in Santiago pay artists like him very little for their paintings. When I visit again a year later they have another child.

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Photo/foto: Antonio Ixtamer and family/y familia.
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While I take photographs of Antonio Ixtamer and his family, the neighborhood kids crowd around to watch the picture taking, an exciting diversion. Antonio (or Tono as he is known) stands next to his wife Ana while his mother holds their little girl Liza. His son Gerson stands in front at the left.
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LINKS TO SECTION PAGES
Photographers portray Guatemala ] San Pedro Artists ] [ San Juan Artists ] Atitlán Artists ] San Pedro 1941 ] Frank Mays ] Semana Santa ] Maya People ] Lake Atitlán ] Structures ]
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