SFMoMA's 'Sitting on Chrome' exhibition showcases lowrider culture with works by Ayala, esparza, and Rosales.
The 'Sitting on Chrome' exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art features the works of Mario Ayala, rafa esparza, and Guadalupe Rosales, delving into the significance of lowrider culture within Chicano identity. This exhibition runs from August 5 to February 19 and showcases customized cars from East Los Angeles neighborhoods, which have faced restrictions since 1958. In October 2022, California's governor enacted legislation to repeal the lowrider ban by 2024. Rosales pays tribute to Jesse Valadez, the creator of Gypsy Rose, in her installation. Ayala’s artwork draws on Kafka and cultural stereotypes, while Esparza’s sculpture reflects lowrider hydraulics. Scholars suggest that lowriders represent a form of resistance against cultural marginalization, highlighting the resilience and creativity of Chicano culture.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Sitting on Chrome' at SFMoMA features Mario Ayala, rafa esparza, and Guadalupe Rosales
- Show runs from August 5 to February 19
- California's governor signed a bill in October 2022 lifting the state's lowrider ban, effective 2024
- Lowriders originated in East Los Angeles barrios in the 1940s
- Multiple California bans on lowriders began in 1958, seen as racially targeted
- Guadalupe Rosales's installation 'Drifting on a Memory' recreates interior of lowrider Gypsy Rose, dedicated to creator Jesse Valadez
- Mario Ayala's painting 'Reunion' references Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis,' Animorphs, and Diego Rivera's 1931 mural
- rafa esparza's sculpture 'Corpo RanfLA: Terra Cruiser' includes performances evoking lowrider hydraulics and Donna Haraway's cyborg theory
Entities
Artists
- Mario Ayala
- rafa esparza
- Guadalupe Rosales
- Jesse Valadez
- Diego Rivera
- Alejandro Gradilla
- Juan José Bustamante
- Franz Kafka
- Donna Haraway
Institutions
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- San Francisco Art Institute
- ArtReview
Locations
- San Francisco
- California
- United States
- East Los Angeles
- Los Angeles