'47 Chevy in Wilmington, California

Castillo’s photographs reveal how Chicanos transformed the urban landscape of Los Angeles. ’47 Chevy in Wilmington, California shows a local market whose façade is peppered with references to Mexican foods. Parked outside is a vintage lowrider, a major signifier of Chicano urban culture. Méchicano Art Center Mural at Echo Park Lake records artists painting an outdoor mural that suggests a pyramid. Castillo’s photograph shows how artists painting an outdoor mural that suggests a pyramid. Castillo’s photograph shows how artists inserted indigenous references into their environment and allowed their urban interventions to coexist with graffiti, another public form of Chicano cultural expression.

Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art, 2013