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CHICANO ART MOVEMENT: End of Year Review 2022

For CHICANO ART MOVEMENT, the year of 2022 contained different cultural and artistic expeditions across Southern California. We traveled to various locations to partake in events that were safe and fun to do within the parameters of the on-going pandemic.

(Detail of show poster for Robert Williams exhibition at the OCCCA.)

When it came across the CAM desk that artist & cultural icon Robert Williams was exhibiting in Southern California, our team agreed to attend due to the artist, his subject matter, and our previous positive experiences at Williams’ other exhibition shows in the Los Angeles area of past years. On a weekend in late January 2022 to see the exhibition “The Visual Adventures of Robert Williams: Arts, Prints, Skateboards, etc.” at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA) in downtown Santa Ana. Robert Williams is an acclaimed lowbrow artist who has impacted lowbrow art, pop surrealism, hot rod car culture, and pop art with his juxtaposition of tangible items and original characters.

Through the main doors of OCCCA and in the front portion of the space, Williams’ pop surrealism artworks welcomed patrons to look closer at the subject matter and details. For example in his giclée print titled “Kachina,” Williams depicts in mid-air a devoted Hopi tribe member creating & filling kachina dolls with knowledge from the ancestors.

Following the flow, we then entered the largest space: the center room. Here arranged were the many pieces by the artist that displayed his relationship with the hot rod culture and lowbrow art. Within this community, Robert Williams is also known as Mr. Bitchin’ and is applauded for his work in the hot rod scene & for working alongside the greats such as: Ed “Big Daddy” Roth & Kenny “Von Dutch” Howard. This section contained a prime example entitled “Deuces Wild” in which Williams re-created & stylized the 1932 Ford Company original vehicle advertisements into vignette renditions of different hot rod culture activities, such as: jalopy racing, dry lakes (racing), early stock car racing, sports car racing, drags (racing), street rodding, shadetree mechanics, and auto shows. In conjunction as a centerpiece within the works of Robert Williams was the 1932 Ford Roadster nicknamed “Prickly Heat” that he customized and painted in a deep purple & lime green scheme with many creative details. Anita noticed the race number 397 in gold leaf embossing repeated three times on the vehicle, the hotrod’s nickname above the “Pickly Heat” logo, and the flashy lime green wheel rims.

(Piece by Casey Weldon entitled “The Undermarker.”)

After taking a last look at the car, we proceed to the back space for a small group show filled with pop surrealist artists influenced by Robert Williams trajectory. He “puts in the ‘pop’ in pop surrealism, incorporating the aesthetics of hot rod and surf culture, graffiti, tattoos, cartoons, and comic books to produce artwork more in touch with the sensibilities of the masses. This assemblage highlights the influence his work has had on multiple generations of artists.” Looking through the captivating pieces in a clockwise fashion, Anita was intrigued by the artist Casey Weldon and her piece titled “The Undermaker” which vividly displayed a fierce woman with a unique pet creature that shoots fire from their eyes. Weldon’s use of purple and pink color variants as well as the creation of magical creatures is relatable to Williams and his style. Some of the other artists included in the presentation were: Jaime “GERMS” Zacarias, Isabel Samaras, and Greg “CRAOLA” Simkins.

(View of Chola Orange performance at 1st Annual Cito de Mayo Street Festival.)

In early May 2022, CAM ventured to Santa Ana’s Downtown District for their evening programming of music and art. We walked to the corner of 4th Street and Birch Street to attend the first edition of Cerveza Cito presents Cito de Mayo Street Festival. We took in all the vendors and community displays along the festival area before heading over to the stage for the entertainment. Via social media research, we learned that Chola Orange band was part of the line up. This was a superb opportunity to see a live, outdoor performance from this funk jazz ensemble who we had not seen in quite some time. After a brief sound and instrumental warm up, Chola Orange went into their set with full force. Within their song list, we heard new hits such as “Hot Cheeto Stains” & “Ugly like Pugsly” from their Tokyo Sunset album recently released. Another new element to us was the band’s addition of a fifth member as a second guitarist. The group and its combination of music, atmosphere, and funky vibes rang throughout Birch Street and had the people enjoying their sound. Post-performance we walked over to their merch booth to greet and chat with the bandmates plus stocked up on band t-shirts & a copy of their 2018 vinyl release of “Soul Blazer.”

(View of artist at his opening reception for “Estevan Oriol Photography at OCCCA.)

After the musical set, we walked a few blocks east to our second destination: the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA). This month’s art installation was entitled “Estevan Oriol Photography - An Exhibition by Estevan Oriol” that encompassed his portfolio as a talented photographer documenting his Los Angeles community through a unique photographic perspective and black & white photo productions. OCCCA states that Oriol “is known for capturing images of the dangerous gangsters, Lowriders, musicians, celebrities, L.A. lifestyle and the alluring beauty of women. All of these are shot in his uniquely provocative and raw style. He is the author of several books including LA Women, L.A. Protraits, and This is Los Angeles.” On the front wall sapce of OCCCA, Estevan Oriol displayed his large photoset that included: celebrity portraits of Danny Trejo and Ice Cube; witty subjects expressing their inner emotions, such as “Monkey taxidermy unmarked” and “Bones;” and a few editions of Oriol’s noted “LA Fingers'' photograph.

As the space opened up, we saw a classic Chevy dropped low to the ground with a multifaceted paint job in earth tones with flakes detailings covered with a glossy finish. The vehicle’s placement projected an outdoor escapism which led the patron to visually look through the open & very large doorway (on the left side) that broke down the artiscal fourth wall and challenged the audience to set into the exhibition’s outdoor extension into a collection of opulent classic lowrider cars in different polished paint jobs. In conjunction with Oriol’s photographic works, the opening reception festivities included this car show on the OCCCA parking grounds in which patrons walked around to take in all the fine details. Even the artist himself, Estevan Oriol, took photographs to document all his moments at OCCCA: from the car collection to exhibit attendees & their expressions.

(Artist GERMS at Muzeo’s Carnegie Galleries.)

In June 2022, our street team member la reportera Anita provided on-site coverage in downtown Anaheim of artist Jaime “GERMS” Zacarias at his art residency with Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center. Through online platforms, we learned about this type of initiative, how GERMS was the inaugural artist-in-resident at Muzeo, and the schedule of drop-in viewing hours throughout the month of June. Through its Makers @ Muzeo literature, the museum states that this contemporary painter “is a Chicano artist and South L.A. native who has captured the essence of Los Angeles and Chicano history through a myriad of futuristic and three-dimensional characters.” Following the directional signage at Muzeo, Anita walked into the Carnegie Galleries’ lower level to see GERMS, the artist at work. After a brief introduction, he invited one to look around and ask questions. During her observations of the in-progress collection, GERMS explained his artistic process of maximizing his own potential and production via time blocking strategies that allowed him to focus on painting canvases until his momentum slowed down to then switch his attention & efforts to another canvas set to be filled with his own unique characters.

Laid throughout the Carnegie Galleries’ wide and large space were the in-progress pieces that GERMS was rotating between. One canvas set on the back wall displayed paintings in mid-stage which allowed one to see the details within the layering of colors and symbolism. From left to right, Zacarias’ images of his squid-like creatures in vibrant pigments with stylized, tinted tentacles were in distinct phases of production that gave insight to the artistic progression of his subject matter. In contrast, on the front wall was a set in the beginning stages of creation. It was clearly visible that GERMS’ application of background colors, overlapping stenciling, and drip paint techniques had dried completely and was ready for his iconic squid-creatures to be painted on the center as the main figure on each canvas. Afterwards, Anita stepped back to see the artist at work who with an acrylic paint palette in hand stated that he will repeat his process of painting in sets until completing 12 pieces in total by the end of the month for the conclusion of his time with Makers @ Muzeo artist in residence programming.

(Live performance by Very Be Careful at the Garden Amphitheater.)

Taking advantage of open-air programming and in mid June 2022, we danced the time away at two concerts. On Friday the 17th, we traveled to the Garden Amp (a small outdoor amphitheater located in Garden Grove, California) for a night filled with pachanga music thanks to the concert produced by Acropolis Music Group with performances by Azul Quetzal, Raskahuele, and headliner Very Be Careful, one of our favorite vallenato cumbia groups hailing from nearby Los Angeles. We checked in with our digital tickets at the entrance, got drinks at the bar, and toured the pop-up shops on location. At the Very Be Careful merchandise table, Anita purchased one of the 20th Anniversary t-shirt series that highlighted each band member in a sports action pose. She got the shirt featuring Peabody (Craig Martin) in full football attire with his percussion instrument el guiro in hand.

Next we took our seats in the amphitheater to enjoy the last of the musical performance by the ska reggae group Raskahuele. Afterwards, the cumbia sonidera sounds by the DJ collective of Ritmo Santanero got some couples on the dancefloor during this interlude. At a quarter after nine, the headliner Very Be Careful took the stage with the crowd cheering in anticipation. VBC’s own cowbell percussionist & hype man, Dante, welcomed fans to this Friday night performance and had the crowd participating in a humors call-back routine between him and the concert goers. Their performance was filled with energia alegre, rhythmic songs that got loyal and new fans to the dancefloor. From start to finish, Very Be Careful created a backyard party atmosphere that had couples & parents with their little ones in arms dancing untill the very last song.

(Posters at the Juneteenth Festival in Santa Ana, California.)

The next day on a sunny Saturday afternoon, we readied ourselves for Santa Ana’s Juneteenth Festival at Centennial Regional Park hosted by the Orange County Heritage Council and the City of Santa Ana. This outdoor festival welcomed all to “learn about African-American Culture and the significance of Junetheen, enjoy musical performances, food and more.” The listed performers for the celebration were artists such as: Slum Village, Knoc-Turn’al, and headlining, The Delfonics.

On the festival's social media content, it stated: “Juneteenth is the oldest known annual observance commemorating the abolishment of slavery in the United States of America. The Juneteenth Independence celebration dates back to June 19, 1865. It was there in Galveston, Texas that Union soldiers delivered news that the Civil War had ended and enslaved African Americans within any state were free.”

Upon our arrival to Centennial Regional Park, event staff greeted community guests to this first edition of the annual Juneteenth Festival celebration. A large welcome arch of balloons and banners created a guided pathway filled with informational posters highlighting the African-American community, history, and contributions to the city of Santa Ana. First we learned that Miss Helen Shipp, founder of The OC Black History Parade, was immortalized in a community mural; and secondly, we were informed how the city’s little league baseball organization was named after MLB player Gary Templeton, who was a three time All Star Player & National Baseball League Hall of Famer.

(Music artist Knoc-Turn’al at the Juneteenth Festival.)

Past the welcome arch, we walked towards the entertainment area for the acts. The first artist to take the stage was L.A.’s own Knoc-Turn’al with his hits “Bang Bang” and “LA Confidential;” rapper Knoc-Turn’al has a career spanning twenty years and has worked alongside multi-platinum creators: Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre.

(Musical act Slum Village rapping at the Juneteenth Festival.)

The performance by Slum Village had an enthusiastic introduction by Santa Ana Councilman Johnathan Hernandez which led one to infer that Hernandez indeed was a big fan of this early 2000s hip-hop rap duo from Detroit, Michigan. Slum Village members T3 and Young RJ rocked the mic with their underground hits and have collaborated with the likes of Kayne West, J. Dilla, and MC Breed.

(Juneteenth Festival headlining performance by The Delfonics.)

In between musical sets, we ventured to support the vendors and local communities initiatives while eating a tasty ice cream treat in anticipation for the Grammy Award-winning artists: The Delfonics. The mainstage was now filled with attendees and we decided to choose a key location for easy front-row access for documentation and enjoyment purposes. Once the famous Delfonic Theme song began, the crowd got excited. In matching blue sequin jackets & black captain hats, each member was individually introduced and welcomed by the cheers of new & old fans. We were mesmerized by their amazing musical talents and perfectly choreographed dance routines to their hits of “Didn’t I,” “Hey! Love,” and “Somebody Loves You,” all notable songs of their music catalogue. Unfortunately, their show was impacted by the earlier artists and resulted in The Delfonics not being able to perform their complete song list. To close the still very enjoyable show, The Delfonics performed their soulful 1968 US Billboard love song hit “La-La (Means I Love You)” which ended with members singing the last lines a la a cappella that left the crowd cheering for an encore.

Less than a month after their performance in Santa Ana, we learned that we lost the lead singer & founding member of The Delfonics, mister William “Poogie” Hart passed away on July 17th at the age of 77. Rest In Power William Hart and thank you for all your music and memories.

Throughout the 2022 year, CHICANO ART MOVEMENT was a patron of the arts by buying fine art prints. Anita added two to her collection. First was the collaboration piece between Shephard Fairey & photographer Melanie Nissen titled “Alice Bag,” a portrait of L.A. based, punk rock artist Alicia Armendariz who was also the co-founder of 1970s punk band “Alice & The Bags” and a great Chicana musical trailblazer. The second artwork purchased by Anita was a Star Wars: The Mandalorian glow-in-the-dark, timed edition print titled “I will teach you to protect yourself” by Mark Englert and Bottleneck Art Gallery; this artwork is a companion piece to the 2021 print released by the same artist.

Our adventurous expeditions in 2022 ranged from various contemporary art exhibits and numerous musical concerts of diverse genres in which we learned more about the fine arts and its processes plus had great opportunities to reconnect with our musicians and artists compañeros y compañeras. For the upcoming year, CHICANO ART MOVEMENT looks forward to being part of the community that supports the arts in all its shapes, forms, and distinctive manifestations.

#low brow art #pop surrealism #california art #music #garden grove #hot rod culture #end of the year #support the arts #festivals #contemporary art #california

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