Cortez, Carlos, 1923-2005

Carlos Cortez (1923-2005) was an artist, poet, printmaker, photographer, songwriter and lifelong political activist. His support for the working man was likely encouraged by his parents: his German mother was a socialist pacifist and his father was a Mexican Indian organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), also known as the Wobblies. Cortez himself was a member of the IWW for nearly sixty years.

Cortez began his art career drawing cartoons in 1948 for Industrial Worker, the IWW's newspaper, but soon became interested in printmaking. He later became an accomplished oil and acrylic painter, though it never replaced linoleum and woodblock as his preferred medium. Recurrent themes of his art include Chicano issues, Latino identity, and worker's rights; he is also known for his large linocut poster/portraits of well-known activists and labor organizers.

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