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Oral history interview with Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz

Archives of American Art

Oral history interview with Angel Rodriguez-Diaz, 2004 April 23-May 7, Transcript
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
Finding aid
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .

Object Details

sova.aaa.rodriga04
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9287733dd-f9ce-4f12-80aa-7db5facce5ce
General
Originally recorded on 7 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 12 digital wav files. Duration is 7 hr., 46 min.
Interviewee
Rodriguez-Diaz, Angel, 1955-
Interviewer
Cordova, Cary
Names
Recuerdos Orales: Interviews of the Latino Art Community in Texas
Alvarez, Candida, 1955-
Anthes, John
Briseño, Rolando, 1952-
Cisneros, Sandra
Min, Yong Soon, 1953-
Molina, Antonio J. (Antonio José), 1928-
Morris, Robert, 1931-2018
Pace, Linda
Ramos Otero, Manuel
Roche-Rabell, Arnaldo, 1955-
Sward, Robert, 1933-
Tofino, Nitsa
Topic
Painters -- Texas -- San Antonio -- Interviews
Artists -- Puerto Rico -- Interviews
Art -- Study and teaching -- Puerto Rico
Latino and Latin American artists
Artists (LGBTQ)
Gay artists
Provenance
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics, and administrators.
Interviewee
Rodriguez-Diaz, Angel, 1955-
Interviewer
Cordova, Cary
Culture
Puerto Rican artists
Sponsor
This interview is part of the series "Recuerdos Orales: Interviews of the Latino Art Community in Texas," supported by Federal funds for Latino programming, administered by the Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives. The digital preservation of this interview received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Biographical / Historical
Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz (1955-2023) was a painter known for his portriats and self-portraits. Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He moved to New York City in 1978 for his MFA. After moving to San Antonio in 1995 with his partner, Rolando Briseño, his work expanded to public art projects.
Cary Cordova (1970- ) is an art historian from Austin, Tex.
Extent
7 Sound discs (Sound recording, master (7 hr., 45 min.), digital, 2 5/8 in.)
6 Cassettes (Sound recording, duplicate)
94 Pages (Transcript)
Date
2004 April 23-May 7
Archival Repository
Archives of American Art
Identifier
AAA.rodriga04
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound discs
Cassettes
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Rights
The Archives of American Art makes its Oral History Program interviews available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. Quotation, reproduction and publication of the recording is governed by restrictions. If an interview has been transcribed, researchers must quote from the transcript. If an interview has not been transcribed, researchers must quote from the recording. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Existence and Location of Copies
Transcript is available on the Archives of American Art's website.
Genre/Form
Sound recordings
Interviews
Scope and Contents
An interview with Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz conducted 2004 Apr. 23-May 7, by Cary Cordova, for the Archives of American Art, in San Antonio, Tex.
Rodriguez-Diaz speaks of his mother's upbringing and her untimely death from cancer; his childhood and schooling in Santurce, Puerto Rico, particularly his art experiences; his parents' conversion to Pentecostalism; the importance of travel in Puerto Rican culture; attending the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras; discovering his sexuality during adolescence; living in New York City; the city's gay scene on Christopher Street; exploring his identity as a Puerto Rican American; his jobs at mannequin factories; and his gradual ingratiation into the New York art world, mostly through Robert Morris. Rodriguez-Diaz also mentions his relationship with Rolando Briseño; the motifs in his paintings, such as mirrors and masks; witnessing the Tompkins Square Park riots of 1988; organizing a strike at his mannequin factory; contracting the HIV virus from a partner; Mexican art cinema; the cultural and historical similarities of Mexico and Puerto Rico; moving to San Antonio; choosing the models for his "Goddess" series; Anglo/Latino conflict within the San Antonio art scene; the commodification of Mexican culture in San Antonio; the spiritual importance of portraiture; the history of Puerto Rican artwork and culture, particularly native cultures; and the Smithsonian's acquisition of his painting, "The Protagonist of an Endless Story." Rodriguez-Diaz also recalls Antonio Molina, Sandra Cisneros, Arnoldo Roche-Rabell, John Anthes, Manuel Ramos Otero, Nitsa Tofino, Candida Alvarez, Soon Yong Ming, Robert Sward, Linda Pace, and others.
Restrictions
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
AAA.rodriga04
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9287733dd-f9ce-4f12-80aa-7db5facce5ce
AAA.rodriga04
AAA
Record ID
ebl-1596376877153-1596376877155-0
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