Ernesto Zepeda, "Chicken Farm" (Original Linocut Print, Signed, 12/50), Circa 1970s-1980s 🐔🚜🎨

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This listing presents a signed, limited-edition linocut print by the celebrated American artist Ernesto Zepeda (1942-2018). Titled "Chicken Farm," this work is a superb example of modern printmaking and a heartfelt depiction of California's agrarian life. Numbered 12 out of an edition of 50, this is a unique and verifiable acquisition for a discerning collector of regional, Chicano, and graphic art.

2. About the Artwork 📖✍️✨

This captivating print transports the viewer to a lively chicken farm. Zepeda's composition is a masterclass in design, using bold, graphic lines and a striking black-and-white contrast to capture the scene's energy. A flock of chickens dominates the foreground, each rendered with a unique and expressive character. The linocut technique gives the print a powerful, tactile quality, with the artist's hand evident in every carved line. The work is a joyful and masterfully executed celebration of rural life.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️

Ernesto Zepeda was a prominent and beloved figure in the Sacramento art community for over four decades. He was a master printmaker, painter, and sculptor, known for his dedication to his craft and his generous spirit as an educator and mentor. Zepeda was a key artist at the Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF), a seminal artist collective based in Sacramento that was instrumental in the Chicano art movement.

Zepeda's work often focused on themes of community, labor, and the beauty of the California landscape. His prints are held in numerous private and public collections and are prized for their technical skill and profound humanism.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

The linocut is a printmaking technique, a variation of woodcut, in which a design is carved into a sheet of linoleum. The medium is known for its ability to produce bold, graphic images with strong contrasts, a quality that Zepeda uses to great effect in "Chicken Farm". The process is labor-intensive, requiring both artistic vision for the design and skilled craftsmanship for the carving. Each print in a limited edition is considered an original work of art.

Founded in the early 1970s, the Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF) was a Sacramento-based collective that used art as a tool for social commentary and community uplift. Artists like Ernesto Zepeda were at the forefront, creating murals, posters, and fine art prints that celebrated Chicano culture and advocated for social justice. While "Chicken Farm" is not overtly political, it is a product of this environment, reflecting a deep respect for the land and the dignity of rural life—themes that were central to the Chicano experience in California. It is an important piece of the region's artistic and cultural history.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This print will appeal to a collector with a sophisticated eye for printmaking and California art history. The ideal buyer is likely:

• A Collector of Sacramento and Northern California Art: This is a classic work by a major figure in the Sacramento art scene, making it an important item for any collection focused on the region.

• An Admirer of the Chicano Art Movement: As a key artist in the RCAF, Zepeda's work is of great historical importance to collectors of Chicano art.

• A Connoisseur of Printmaking: Anyone who appreciates the skill and artistry of techniques like woodcut and linocut will recognize the exceptional quality of this piece.

• Someone Who Appreciates Rustic, Agrarian Themes: The subject matter has a timeless, universal appeal, perfect for a modern farmhouse aesthetic or for anyone who loves the California countryside.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This print is a rare, limited-edition work, numbered 12 out of 50, which makes it a verifiable and unique acquisition. As an original print by a listed artist and master printmaker who was a key figure in the Royal Chicano Air Force, its value is anchored in its technical skill and historical importance. The artist, Ernesto Zepeda, passed away in 2018, making his work a finite and cherished commodity in the art market. The print is approximately 45-55 years old and has survived to the present day in excellent condition, a testament to its care.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

• The print is in excellent vintage condition.

• The paper is clean and the ink is bold and crisp.

• The print is professionally matted and housed in a simple, elegant metal frame that suits its modern graphic style.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• Ernesto Zepeda was a key artist at the Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF), a Sacramento-based collective that used art as a tool for social commentary and community uplift.

• The linocut technique, used in this print, is a form of relief printing where the artist carves a design into a sheet of linoleum, a technique that produces bold, graphic images.

• Zepeda’s education included studying at The School of Fine Arts in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and later at The Art Institute of Chicago.

• The artist had several one-man shows, including at the Brandywine Galleries in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the Alexander Harrison Galleries in Vancouver, B.C., showcasing his broad regional appeal.

• The piece is numbered 12/50, indicating it is a part of a small, limited run, making it more valuable to collectors.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Artist: Ernesto Zepeda (1942-2018)

• Title: "Chicken Farm"

• Medium: Original Linocut on Paper

• Edition: 12/50

• Year: Circa 1970s-1980s

• Dimensions: Approximately 21" H x 24" W (including frame)

• Style: Modernist, Regionalism, Chicano Art

• Origin: Northern California, United States

• Transcription: The work is signed and numbered in the lower right-hand corner. The verbatim transcription reads: "12/50 [Signature]".