Ep 229 Kiko Guerra: The Artistry in the Ordinary

We’ve been hunkering down for the last few months now on the traveling side of our Backyard Green Films universe.  2024 was a doozy of a year for us in many respects, so we had to take a few moments to catch our breath this winter. 

Enrique Guerra, also known as “Kiko,” is our guest today, and he’s pretty much royalty in Texas Longhorn Cattle circles.  Kiko is the son of another Enrique Guerra – who was always known as Enrique, and he was the man who was responsible for saving a huge chunk of the pure genetics of the original Texas Longhorn, among other lifetime accomplishments.  The senior of the two Enrique’s did that by running around the mountains of Mexico and collecting up what animals he could find that had not been diluted yet by the different breeds arriving on the shores of North America.  He was quite a man to live up to, I think, and is still spoken of with reverence and admiration. 

But history can be preserved in many ways, and Kiko’s way of practicing preservation, yet keeping it relatable, is one of my favorites. He’s an artist. 

Aside from the accomplishments of his famous parent, and family, Kikko is royalty in his own right.  He is a world-renowned artist, and his sculptures and paintings depict incredibly simple scenes of the basics of life, and yet they resonate with complexity.  So yes, he paints a man leading a burro or farmers tilling their land.  He sculpts scenes from the trails of old Texas and Mexico.  And they resonate.  The Brisco Western Art Museum thought so, and there you can see his famous piece, “The Vaquero.”  It’s a sculpture of a man driving two Longhorn cattle along the trail, yoked by ropes and bobbins.  Historically correct, of course.  And you can also find one of his sculptures at the famous site known as the Alamo, in San Antonio.  And his art is not just one thing.  He very much believes in the importance of preserving the original Longhorn cattle breed at San Vicente Ranch.  History, beauty and practicality all built into the genes of that one animal.

Links:

https://texashighways.com/culture/an-interwoven-legacy-guerra-family/

https://sanvicenteranch.com/

https://enriqueguerraart.com/?page_id=252

https://banderafiberandarts.com/

https://youtu.be/Ghekozq7lUE?si=T2lOqzlyZ04s5FQ3