Richard Saul Duardo Biography
Richard Durardo (Maestro of Pop) grew up in the Boyle Heights section of East Los Angeles. He received his formal art education from Pasadena City College where he specialized in printmaking. In 1973 he transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles where he earned a B.A. in graphic design in 1976. Duardo spent 1977 as an apprentice to master printer Jeff Wasserman and in 1978 he founded Hecho en Aztlán, the first Chicano-owned serigraphy studio in Los Angeles. It was here that Duardo would first collaborate with other artists such as Carlos Almaraz and John Valadez to produce a series of prints. Duardo’s entrepreneurship into art is not exclusive to printmaking; he has arranged the publishing of the works of the late fashion editor Antonio López and has ventured as far as launching an independent record label and a furniture design business. After exploring other ventures such as these, Duardo branched out from his original serigraph business to create Future Perfect Publishing, a contract silkscreen pint studio. Other offshoots include Art and Commerce and Modern Multiples, Inc. Duardo’s graphic design and expert skill in printmaking is internationally recognized and he has been called the best serigraph artist in Los Angeles. In 1988 the California Arts Council named him Artist of the Year. Along with printmaking, Duardo has been commissioned for commercial art projects, including album covers for musicians such as Jackson Browne and Yanni.