Cheech Marin, Icon

CHEECH MARIN

Does Cheech Marin (yes, that Cheech) need an introduction? Cheech, along with his creative partner, Tommy Chong, has been shorthand for good vibes and counterculture for five decades. Every stoner comedy ever made – from Friday to Harold and Kumar – can trace its origins to the duo and their albums and films, including the cult classic, Up in Smoke. Always decades ahead of its time, Cheech’s work exploring subcultures and social issues like immigration (Born in East L.A. feels like it was made yesterday) has left an indelible impression on American life.

Cheech is best known as an actor, director, writer, musician, and humanitarian; lesser known but no less serious is his role as one of the preeminent advocates for Chicano art. In the mid-1980s, he began developing what is now arguably the finest private collection of Chicano art in the world, partnering with the City of Riverside and Riverside Art Museum to make it public through The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture.  

No one is more L.A. than Cheech… check out his city below: 

Photo Credit: David Fouts

• The most energizing LA art experience: For me, it's going to The Cheech in Riverside for a new opening where there’s always lots of great energy!
• The artist who currently defines LA: I'm not falling for that one. Next!
• Currently reading: You Dreamed of Empires, by Alvaro Enrique
• The most essential voices in art news:  Carolina A. Miranda , Christopher Knight , Maximilíano Durón, Matt Stromberg, and many others.
• Before the fair, I’ll get my (coffee/smoothie/breakfast):  No more coffee...we'll see how long that lasts! 
• The last photo in my camera roll: My best friend, Stan Coleman, chillin’.
• I buy my supplies at: My local Cheech & Chong's Dispensoria.
• The last rabbit hole I went down:  I don't go that way.
• LA’s best hotel lobby:  The Beverly Hills Hotel. Every time I enter the lobby, I feel like I'm going to meet Marilyn Monroe by the pool. 
• Non-museum/gallery with the best art collection:  Charlie James Gallery, Craig Krull Gallery, Jeffrey Deitch. 
• How do you prepare to be creative?  I wait for inspiration ... or 7:15am, whichever comes first.

Image courtesy of Rolling Stone

Header image: Einar and Jamex De La Torre’s two-story lenticular installation projects an animated image of the burly Aztec Earth goddess Coatlicue, who shape-shifts into a transformer-like machine made out of lowrider Chevy Impalas. Credit: Carlos Jaramillo for The New York Times