by Alejandra M. Castillo and Jaice Mendoza-Macias
Already known as an artist in Chicano circles, David Botello’s life has always revolved around some type of art.
Born to Mexican-American parents in East Los Angeles, David Botello’s interest in art came at a young age. As a child, he remembers his mother taking him to museums and to the theatre to watch Walt Disney movies. Botello’s father, who worked for a cabinet company, would sketch cabinets with a young David looking on.
“I would see him sketch this cabinet what was going to go on that wall on that man’s garage or in the kitchen and it would be in dimension, perspective, sizes and stuff. So that impressed me, that he was able to do that. So I’m sure that stuck with me.”
Botello’s parents were very supportive, he recalls that he never heard them say they wanted him to be a dentist or a lawyer. Botello’s parents supported his art and helped cultivate that passion.
After graduating from Salesian High School in East Los Angeles and attending Cal-State LA for a semester, Botello was drafted into the military. Unlike other who were sent to Vietnam, Botello was sent Europe. It was in the US Army that Botello painted his first mural.
“In the Army I did a mural in Texas, in the Day Room. Just a small one, me and another, Anglo guy. We were the Apache; A company, B company, C company so they always find a mascot with the A or the B or the C. So I did some Apaches, maybe scouting as the cavalry was going down below through the canyon; sort of based on an old western photo.”
Botello explains that “If you have a talent, just let people know,” he goes on to say that those who want to, will use your skills. This willingness to put himself out there also saw him do art in Germany with his company.
Botello also used his ability to do art to teach “map reading, I was 19/20 years old and taught others how to read maps.” His skills were plenty and allowed him to flourish artistically within his company. Botello’s exposure to art in Europe helped motivate him to continue to do art once he returned to the U.S.
Upon returning from his service in the military Botello began to question the war in Vietnam. He recognized how fortunate he was that he was not sent to Vietnam. But soon enough, Botello began to become more politicized; he cites the year 1970 as the year he became Chicano. Botello participated in the Chicano Vietnam Moratorium on August 29, 1970 in which Mexican-American/Chicano organizations participated in a march against the war in Vietnam. He remembers his experience as a participant in the moratorium.
It was also in 1970 that Botello took his first trip to Mexico City. While touring, he and his friend, John Gonzalez, visited different cities to admire the artwork in churches and the different forms of pre-Columbian art. Simultaneously David Botello co-founded GOEZ Art Studios & Gallery in Los Angeles. This became a place for all artists to come together and talk art.
“Being Chicano and meeting all these artists at GOEZ. Man, we put that mural up… artists from everywhere came. People who were shining bumpers as a living, you know, at a chroming place, fantastic artists another guy working at a factory doing carvings of Maya relief. So we’d show them at the gallery and talk art, so politics just grew little by little.”
Then in 1975 Botello met up with third grade friend, Wayne Healy and together they founded East Los Streetscapers, a public art group that produces different types of artwork. To this day, Botello continues to work with Healy on Streetscapers providing artists with a safe space.