The Evolution of His Art


Chronology

1923  
  • Guillermo Wagner Granizo was born March 11 in San Francisco.  Shortly after his birth his father, an archaeologist, moves the family to Nicaragua, the homeland of Granizo"s mother.
1934 
  • The family returns to San Francisco upon the death of Granizo's sister from typhoid fever.
1943 
  • Granizo begins military service in the U.S. Army
1944 
  • Wounded in Normandy, he spends the next four years recovering in San Francisco's military hospitals.  his hospitalization enforced confinement and Granizo begins exploring color, shape and line with paints and other media. Toward the end of his hospitalization, he spends several hours a day in classes at the San Francisco College of Art.
1948 
  • Granizo leaves the hospital.
1949 
  • Upon graduation from the College of Art, he is appointed Art Director for KRON-TV in San Francisco.
1958  
  • Granizo returns to Central America and Mexico for extensive travel and research. Artist Benjamino Bufano encourages him to work in Mosaic.  
1959  
  • He begins a 15 year career as a producer of educational films. 
1962  
  • He completes eight large mosaic murals for the San Francisco Academy of Sciences and the Steinhart Aquarium.  In the following years Granizo receives many mural commissions for civic, institutional and residential buildings.
1972
  • Granizo travels again to Mexico to produce films on the artists  Zuniga, Tamayo, Cuevas and Siqueiros.  His personal contact with these artists makes a deep impression on him.
1973  
  • Inspired by this immersion in Mexican Art, he decides to devote his full time to exploring the ancient medium of glazed ceramic tile..
1974  
  • Granizo completes Noitan Rancnier, a major work illustrating his own physic poem.  This mural is exhibited the same year at the Civic Center Sun Gallery in Hayward, California.  He begins a "Cycle of Dreams"  paintings.
1975  
  • Four ceramic paintings are installed at S.F. International Airport.
1977  
  • He completes 17 ceramic murals at the Bicentennial National Landmark Washington School in San Jose, California and mounts a one man exhibit at Harcourts Gallery.  His work "Panorama San Francisco" is dedicated to the city in ceremonies making the mural's installation at the Anson Place in San Francisco.  
  • The Institute for Scientific Information Commissions a monumental work for their building in Philadelphia,
1979  T
  • An  exhibition of major works at the Kimball Art Center,  Park City, Utah.
  • He received a mural commissions fromthe California State University, Los Angeles, the California Bar Association and the Powell Merchants Association in San Francisco.  
  • His works frequently incorporate Classic Literature, The Bible, Opera and Greek Mythology.  
1980  
  • At an exhibition of his new work at Harcourts Gallery, "Panorama of San Francisco" is dedicated to the city.
  • The Institute for Scientific Information commissions Granizo to create murals for their building in Philadelphia.
1981  
  • The Santa Cruz Civic Center opens an exhibition of Granizo's large ceramic paintings on the occasion of the installation of his murals.
1982  
  • The "San Carlos" mural is installed at Mission Dolores in San Francisco.
1983  
  • More murals are commissioned and exhibited at the Milwaukee Cancer Clinic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin  
  • The Kimball art center exhibits in Park City, Utah
1984  
  • The Monterrey mural is unveiled at the Monterrey Conference Center and the "Olympic Fantasy" is unveiled at California State University, Los Angeles. 
  • "Sausalito" is commissioned for the annual Art Festival. 
1985  
  • The LaSalle Bank in Chicago commissions a mural, "Panorama of Chicago": "Salinas Field Workers", Salinas, Ca.
  • Animal Fun at the Torrance Community Hospital.
  • The "Last supper and "Special Family" at Delancy Street, New Mexico. 
  • "Circle of Women" and "Tower of Babel" "Redwoods Market" Ben Lomond, Ca. (Private Collection).
1986  
  • "Fairbanks" for Pearl Creek School, Fairbanks, Alaska.
  • Exhibits at Park City Festival, Utah
  • "Ecumenical Garden" private residence, Tyler, Tx.
  • 1987
  • "Mermaids" Sergio Lub Inc., Walnut Creek, Ca
  • "Grape Harvest"  Rancho Cymas Inn, Napa, Ca.
  • " "Benicia"  Camel Barn Museum, "History of Benicia" thirty sidewalk plaques on First St., "Benicia War Memorial" Benicia Ca. (Veteran's Hall)
  • 1988  
  • Joint Venture Dunn Vineyards, Granizo and Frisk Art Studio,  Artist Series wine bottles.
  • "Jungle Fantasy" Shriner's Hospital, San Francisco
  • "Jungle Fun"  Oakland's Children's Hospital
  • 1989
  • ​  "Lighthouse Fantasy" El Faro Restaurant, San Francisco
  • "Homage to Jose Luis Cuevas" the new National Museum of Modern Art, Mexico City.
  • "Columbus" Lisbon Airport, Portugal
  • "Musical Teens" and "Lathrop Hi" Fairbanks, Alaska
  • 1990
  • "Daughters of Oceanids" Academy of Sciences, Steinhart Aquarium San Francisco.
  • "Campo del Cello" residence Carmel, Ca.
  • "A View from Marin" residence Tiburon, Ca.
  • " Our Lady of Carmel"  Church, Fairfield, Ca.
1991
  • "Mermaids" fountain, Malibu, Ca.
  • " From Clay to Cities" San Jose, Ca.
  • "Hiroshima" Twentieth Century Museum of Modern Art, Laguna Beach, Ca.
  •  1992  "Skyline Embraced by Landmarks", Chicago, Ill.
  • "Rainbow Children" Clarendon School, Portland, Or.
  • "Breaktime", Fairbanks Al.
  • ​"Penguin Colony" Private residence, Fairfield, Ca.
  • Water in Scripture", altar for Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pacific Grove, Ca.
  • "Jungle in Bloom"  private residence Pebble Beach,Ca.
"Homage to Children" Tulancingo, Mexico
  • 1993  "Solano" Vacaville Museum, Ca.
  • "Fish" and " Bay City" murals in Benicia, Ca.
  • "Heartland"  American Heart Association, Irvine Ca.
  • "Alameda"" Hayward Ca.
  • "Anza" Arispe, Mexico
  • 1994  Twenty-nine historical ceramic paintings Vacaville Civic Center, Ca.
  • "Three Monoliths for Centennial Park, Pleasanton, Ca.
  • Exhibit of Water Scenes at the Vacaville Museum, Vacaville, Ca.
1995  
  • Guillermo Wagner Granizo passes in Benicia Ca. on November 9th.