Delano Whitney, Albuquerque, ‘70s Olds Cutlass
Artist
Meridel Rubenstein
(American, born 1948)
Date1980
MediumChromogenic print
DimensionsImage: 6 3/4 × 9 1/2 in. (17.1 × 24.1 cm)
Support: 14 1/4 × 17 in. (36.2 × 43.2 cm)
Support: 14 1/4 × 17 in. (36.2 × 43.2 cm)
ClassificationsPhotograph
Credit LineGift of Harvey Mudd
Object number2020.13.10
DescriptionFrom the portfolio “The Lowriders: Portraits from New Mexico.” View from above of the back of an orange 1970s Oldmobile Cutlass car. Driver’s side door is open, revealing plush upholstery and face and shoulder of young man with a cap of dark hair. In background is a structure with five green doors, probably garages. To the right of it is a wooden utility pole and a metal pole, with glimpses of houses and trees nearby.eMuseum Notes
Rubenstein was fairly new to New Mexico when a patron challenged her to include portraits of lowriders in her series celebrating the craftspeople of the state. At the time this picture was taken, many people saw lowriders and their clubs in a negative light and some cities banned the cars. Though initially hesitant to make contact with lowriders, Rubenstein quickly found common ground with them as fellow artists. Her resulting series of portraits and a 1980 exhibition of them, held on the Santa Fe Plaza, brought lowriders and their passion for customizing cars to a broader public and contributed to a slow shift in attitude toward appreciation and civic pride.
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