Asco and LACMA

In a previous class discussion, I mentioned an instance where one of the LACMA (one of Los Angeles' biggest and most well-known art museums) administrators made a comment that "Chicanos make graffiti, not art." This is an image of how a group of artists, Asco, responded to the bigoted comment. This was a power move on their behalf because instead of abiding by respectability politics and submitting work that would be esteemed in the "art world," they just spray painted their names all over the museum. In doing so, they reclaimed this cultural institution as their own, which was, in my opinion, the right response. A little bit more about the group is that their name is Spanish for "disgust" and they are a group of Chicano artists who created art with the intentions of provoking reactions out of people. I am really inspired by this group's commitment to creating unapologetic art and breaking down barriers and critiques based on respectability politics.