Narsiso Martinez: Depicting Farmwork in Art

Visual artist Narsiso Martinez uses materials, like discarded produce boxes and dusty charcoal, to depict intimate scenes about the life and labor of farm workers in the United States. Born in Oaxaca, Mexico in 1977, Narsiso says migrant farm work was part of his hometown’s culture — it was normal to see young people travel to the US for work. At 19, Narsiso also made that journey, and went on to do farm work in the orchards of Washington state in order to afford his dream of pursuing art school. In this episode, Narsiso Martinez takes us to his studio and his solo exhibition at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, California, sharing the stories behind his work and his journey as an artist.