RARE 1969 David Oravez Woodcut – "Migrants" (1/Proof) For Sale

Artist:

David Oravez (American, 1935=2020)

Title: Migrants

Year: 1969

Medium: Original Woodcut / Relief Print on paper

Edition: 1/Proof (Premiere Artist's Proof)

Dimensions: 20" x 17.5" (with frame)

ERA & PROVENANCE

Created at the height of the 1960s Farmworker Rights Movement, this piece is a profound artifact of American social history. 1969 was a pivotal year for "La Causa," the struggle led by Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers (UFW).

David Oravez was a prominent Boise, Idaho-based contemporary artist, author, and fine arts professor who left a distinct impact on the Pacific Northwest art community. Best known for his academic leadership and playful mixed-media works, his legacy bridges mid-to-late 20th-century printmaking and pop art aesthetics.

Professor & Chair: He served as a long-time art professor and was the chair of the BSU Art Department during a transformative era in the early 1990s, notably overseeing the transition when Campus School was renamed Liberal Arts West.Author: As a scholar of printmaking, he authored academic and instructional texts specializing in woodcut printing techniques

This specific impression is marked "1/Proof," designating it as the first pull approved by the artist's hand—a level of rarity superior to standard numbered editions.

EMOTIONAL COMPOSITION

The work is a masterclass in Social Realism. Oravez employs a "horror vacui" style, filling the landscape with a dense, vibrating texture that symbolizes the relentless, overwhelming nature of field labor.

The Subject: The central figure is depicted with hollowed, sightless eyes and a deeply furrowed brow, capturing a sense of profound exhaustion and the erasure of individual identity under systemic toil.

Symbolism: The worker is literally submerged in the crops, suggesting a life inseparable from the land. The stark, horizontal lines of the sky contrast with the chaotic energy of the fields, creating a visual tension that mirrors the social unrest of the late 1960s.

TECHNICAL RARITY & CONDITION

As an Artist's Proof (A.P.), this print represents the artist's personal standard for the entire edition. The "1/Proof" marking makes this the most significant version of this specific image. The print is professionally matted and framed, preserving the high-contrast "chiaroscuro" effect and the sharp, expressive lines characteristic of Oravez’s relief work.