Luis Jimenez -
Sodbuster
American, 1940 - 2006
Sodbuster, 1983
Lithograph, 31.75 x 45.125 inches
Printer's proof from an edition of 50
Landfall Press
04.010
Alumni Gift
Luis Jimenez is primarily known for his large-scale fiberglass sculptures that celebrate the lives of working class Hispanics. Jimenez designed his fiberglass sculptures by making dozens of sketches, finished working drawings, and full-scale clay models. The son of an illegal Mexican immigrant, Jimenez worked in his father's neon sign shop, where he learned the use bold color and fluid design.
In addition to numerous public commissions, Jimenez's work is included in the collections of the New Mexico Museum of Art, El Paso Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. In June 2006, Jimenez died from injuries sustained in his studio when part of a monumental sculpture he was creating for the Denver International Airport fell on him.
Sodbuster was originally commissioned for a small North Dakotan town called Fargo. The sculpture was to pay tribute to the plains farmer with two huge oxen and an older, yet still able-bodied farmer. The name Sodbuster also refers to the patron saint of agriculture, who is a famous image throughout Latin American Culture. The sculpture was recast after the original was made. There are now six, including copies in Dallas and Wichita State University in Kansas, as well as the many studies and finished works Jimenez made to commemorate the piece.
