Lincoln Park El Paso Texas - Lowriding in El Paso

Mural In Honor of Lowrider Culture

Story: C.A. 9/1/2010

Photos: D.Arredondo

Momentous things happen as a result of someone taking that first difficult step. Gabriel S. Gaytan, Latin Pride Car Club and organizers of the Lincoln Park Conservation Committee have decided to skip the step and take an enormous leap in vitalizing El Paso's Lincoln Park.

Gabriel Gaytan is now officially the first artist in El Paso history to ever paint a pillar mural honoring the regions lowrider culture. Last year Gaytan unveiled a magnificent mural titled "El Corazon De El Paso" (The Heart of El Paso). The mural was created as a representation of Lincoln Park which is located in the core of El Paso, Texas.
Gaytan is moving forward AGAIN in presenting the city with another one of his latest creations, "Chuco Suave".
The Chuco Suave mural was painted on a 100-plus ft long column supporting the city's core freeway system commonly known as the Spaghetti Bowl.

Chuco Suave consists of a colorful flying unicorn (Pegasus), a zoot suiter, twin serpents and a city skyline. The mural holds with it a deep significance important to many, that of El Paso lowrider legend Leo Rivera of Presence Car Club and founder of the El Paso Lowrider Association. Rivera passed away nearly a decade ago, leaving behind a powerful El Paso lowrider movement cherished by hundreds. Rivera is known to have contributed a lot to El Paso's lowrider movement.

The mural is being sponsored by the Lincoln Park Conservation Committee and several local and out of state car clubs, an effort that will most definitely attract curious tourists to El Paso, Texas.

Hailed as "El Paso's Chicano Park", El Paso will now be the second city, following San Diego, California's Chicano Park to ever feature a pillar mural in dedication to the lowriding community. Gaytan is expected to formally unveil "Chuco Suave" on September 19th, 2010 at the Lincoln Park Day's Car and Art Show at Lincoln Park in El Paso. To learn more about artist Gabriel Gaytan please visit his website at : gaytanartworks.com

To Be Continued

“Lowriding in El Chuco/Twin Serpents”
By. Gabriel S. Gaytan
El Paso Chicano Artist

It’s a unique experience growing up in a bordertown like El Paso, Texas. El Paso is a place where two countries, Mexico and the United States of America meet. Where two languages, cultures, and customs integrate. It’s a place where one finds the birth of the Chicano (Mexican-American) community. A unique community like its border, where we celebrate two languages (English and Spanish), Chicano/Mexican/American fashion, music, dance, customized vehicles and culture.

In this culture we find a fresh and unique style of customized vehicles called “Lowriders.” The first lowriders date back to the
1940’s.

Thus, lowriders is originally Chicano, as a Chicano artist I created a series of three paintings titled, “Lowriding El Chuco Style” to celebrate its origins and give credit to the Chicano Community for its unique creation of lowriders. Customized lowriders are currently a world phenomenon
which started in the Chicano border community of the U.S.A.

The celebration continues with a proposed mural designed by myself and titled, “Lowriding in El Chuco/Twin Serpents.” This mural will be painted on a freeway pillar with two sides. On one side lowriders are displayed on a winged horse backdrop. On the
foreground, a Pachuco (Mexican-American zoot suiter) an image related to lowriding.

The background illustrates the Franklin Mountains, the City of El Paso star on the mountains and on the bottom the El Paso cityscape. On the other side there are two serpents descending from the Pachuco suit pocket and around the pillar, intertwining upward to the top. Meso-American serpents represent natural movement and our pre-Hispanic culture.

One serpent symbolizes the feminine energy and the other serpent is the masculine energy. Everything in creation consist the balanced of two opposites: male/female; hot/cold; good/bad; night/day; positive/negative; left/right. It is this balanced human beings strive to maintain.
This mural will join the rest of the pillar murals displayed in this colorful Lincoln city park.

These murals are public art representing the El Paso Chicano/Mexican American community.

"Convicted Artist Worldwide Social Art Network"