As a little boy, Joe used crayons, wood and a great imagination. As an adult, Bravo continuous to use his imagination but now expresses his creativity with flour, water, fire and paint. Joe Bravo counts on international prestige with his paintings on flour tortillas.
Joseph Arthur Bravo, better known as Joe Bravo was born on the 30th of July in 1950 in San Jose, California. His father is from Michoacán, Mexico and his mother is from Calexico, California. Joe explains that his influences towards Mexican culture and traditions are due to having been raised in the border city of Calexico, which borders Mexicali, Mexico.
His work of art are painted on flour tortillas, cooked by the artist himself and prepares them by applying a clear coat of varnish and a thin cloth layer which helps protect his creation. Two hundred years is how long he estimates the creation will last. He has been applying this technique for nine years since using it on an university school project.
“Everyone needs to have creativity in their lives. Art helps people think with creativity” assured the artist. Proud of his roots, Bravo commented art is unity. Art is for everyone such as music, it doesn’t matter what part of the world it comes from.
Besides being a painter, he also play guitar. Joe Bravo graduated from the University of Cal State Northridge majoring in graphic design and admitted that it was at the university where he first painted on a flour tortilla, since he didn’t have enough resources to buy linen cloth. After much thought, one day while eating I looked at the tortilla and I started painting on it. Twenty years after I looked for a way to mount it on a frame and a method of preservation, stated the painter. “I don’t remember what grade I got but I liked what I saw and I continued doing it”. At that time he began to tell an anecdote, “Not too long ago, said Joe, I ran into an old friend from the university and she said, do you remember that guy that painted on flour tortillas? Yes I said, that is me. Well, what a good cultural and social idea … and we laughed”.
His main inspiration for 35 years has been cultures from many parts of the world. “Culture is always changing and art can be a bridge between one and another” affirmed Joseph.
Made of flour and corn tortillas.
Michael “Flea” Balzary, bass player for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, purchased a painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe from Joe Bravo.What does an artist need to develop a work of art? While asking this question, Bravo took a deep breath and exclaimed, heart and mind! “Always make what you like regardless of what profession it may be and do it with heart”. He worked for a publication agency where he admitted he was not happy for not doing what he likes.
“The tortilla to me represents family, my culture and my Latin and Mexican traditions” said Arthur.In his exposition you can find characters such as Cantinflas, Marilyn Monroe, Maria Felix, Emiliano Zapata, Elvis Presley, El Che, Blue Demon, Virgin of Guadalupe, animals, Chinese dragon and lion, for his recent visit to Hong Kong, where he claims it was all success. His works of art range from $2,000 and $3,500 dollars. Maria Felix is his favorite creation and it is valued at $3,500 and it may take him several days to a couple of week to complete his work of art.
President Barack Obama is now part of his art collection.
“The tortilla to me represents family, my culture, and my Latin and Mexican traditions” said Arthur. He has traveled through several countries taking with him his flour tortillas, crossing borders and leaving his prints in books with world prestige such as “Prepare to be shocked”. A book publicized and distributed by Ripley’s Believe it or not, newspapers, magazines and TV shows. He painted celebrities such as Tyra Bank and Ronald McDonald.
What is funny about this is that he hasn’t presented his work of art in Mexico. He is currently working on a dog animation that is directed towards teenagers and adults in which you can get to know the characters on the internet. He intends to transmit unification and unity between races. “There will be black dogs, Latin dogs, female dogs and American dogs. The United States is made of small tiles of communities of Latins, Chinese, North Americans, African Americans, etc. and discrimination must end” commented Bravo.
After talking with Joe Bravo and seeing what he has converted a tortilla into, there was one question left to ask. Is there a certain substance that is put into the flour?
Who would of thought that in 1975 in the San Marcos tortilla Store, besides being a dream for Gregorio and Amparo Garcia, years later would contribute with the creation of art of Joe Bravo.
“After the passing of my father, my brother and I, together with my mom took over the business”, said Andres Garcia and talked about all the effort that they have accomplished to maintain their employees together. “I am so happy, the tortilla is traveling to places I never thought a tortilla could be”. For approximately the last four years they have been making the tortillas for the painter.
Who would of thought that in 1975 in the San Marcos tortilla Store, besides being a dream for Gregorio and Amparo Garcia, years later would contribute with the creation of art of Joe Bravo.
“After the passing of my father, my brother and I, together with my mom took over the business”, said Andres Garcia and talked about all the effort that they have accomplished to maintain their employees together. “I am so happy, the tortilla is traveling to places I never thought a tortilla could be”. For approximately the last four years they have been making the tortillas for the painter.
In 1975 the San Marcos Tortilla Store was founded. 1927 East First St. Los Angeles, California 90033
The ingredient are the same as a regular tortilla, said Andres "It has water, flour, margarine, salt and conservatives, you can eat it and nothing happens, the difference is only the size".
Mixer
1. The ingredients are mixed to make dough.
Roller
2. Once the flour is mixed the balls of dough are made and are dropped on a tray and are powdered with more flour.
Press
3.The balls of dough are flattend.
Oven
4.The tortillas are cooked and land directly on the cooler.
Coolers
5. They cool and they're packaged.
Ready! then Joe Bravo picks them up...
The dozen of the 28 inch tortilla is $20.00 dollars.
Would you have imagined that a corn and flour tortilla would end up like this?
Tortilleria San Marcos (323) 263 0208
Joe Bravo
