Lowrider Art
Lowrider vehicles are designed for style as well as function, so it’s not a surprise that lowrider art is a major component of the lowriding phenomena. Many owners consider their lowrider cars to be one-of-a-kind masterpieces. Vehicles often have bright colored paint jobs and eye-catching details including chrome or gold lowrider rims and hubcaps.
Lowrider art also may cover the hood, trunk or sides of the car in the form of airbrushed murals which sometimes feature religious and cultural images. The effort and level of artistic ability of some of the vehicles has garnered enough attention that galleries and museums have put them on display. In fall of 2007 through Spring 2008, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California hosted “La Vida Lowrider: Cruising the Streets of Angels”, and their website provides an interesting history about the lowrider car as art as well as its ties to the Chicano culture.
The enthusiasts’ passion for lowrider art is also apparent in the building of lowrider models. These small scale vehicles are often designed with great care. Just like their full-size counterparts, the models are painted in bright colors and sometimes covered in designs or decorated with decals. They also can be built to include extra details including working lowrider hydraulics to hop. The models are often put on display at shows and admired as well.
Overall, the displaying of lowrider vehicles and lowrider models in car shows as well as in art gallery exhibits shows lowrider art has become an integral part of the lowrider culture.