El Museo del Barrio has some new artwork to hang on its walls. The museum has accepted a gift of 47 works from the estate of Antonio Lopez and Juan Ramos, which will be housed in its permanent collection. To date, it is the largest gift that the illustrator’s estate has gifted to a cultural institution. The Latino museum will be responsible for conservation and exhibition of the donated work, as well as bringing his art to new audiences.
Last spring, the East Harlem museum mounted a retrospective on Antonio Lopez’s work, “Future Funk Fashion,” which featured more than 400 illustrations, paintings and photos. Born in Puerto Rico but raised in New York City from the age of 7, Lopez became well-known for his illustrations of female models, coined “Antonio’s Girls,” and was frequently commissioned by fashion brands such as Missoni, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent. John B. Fairchild, the late editorial director of Women’s Wear Daily, hired him for his first job while attending the Fashion Institute of Technology. Lopez died in 1987 at the age of 44.
A Look at ‘Antonio Lopez: Future Funk Fashion’ at El Museo del Barrio