Chicano Male Unbonded

Excerpt from essay in COLA 96 97 98 exhibition catalogue (pg. 26) written by Robert Byer.

     Gamboa's work has continued in this "social surrealist" vein, driven by a need to distort and magnify the absurdity, chaos, and violence of contemporary urban experience.  As in Gamboa's other work, the Chicano Male Unbonded series rhetorically exaggerates and mocks stereotypical perceptions of ethnic identity as a response to his awareness of the complexities of negotiating and affirming it.  The strategy of the photographs is simultaneously to acknowledge and counteract the image of the Chicano male as signifier of urban danger and criminality, as menacing Other.  Gamboa poses and photographs his subjects in a way that seems to confirm or heighten such stereotypical connotations.  A sense of dangerous confrontation is evoked by a series of theatrical devices:  the men stand alone in deserted, dimly lit outdoor urban settings at night; with arms crossed or in their pockets, they look directly and unsmilingly into the camera; a low camera angle endows them with a presence that looms menacingly over us.  These characters of the urban setting and of self-presentation guide the viewer to reductively read them as signifiers of the character of the photo graphed subjects, as identifying marks of Chicano maleness.  This reading is subverted by the titles and captioned biographies of the photographed subjects, who are identified as academics, artists, actors, lawyers and other professionals, pillars of the community not the potential muggers they at first appear to be.  Another look discloses quite ordinary dress and unremarkable physiognomies.  The idea of "the Chicano male" is displaced finally by a series of individuals who do not exhibit any obvious visible qualities which connects or defines them as "Chicano," a quality contained by rather than containing them.  His subjects, then, are "unbonded" both in our initial sense of them being not yet bonded (that is, criminally dangerously, on the loose, beyond the control of the authorities), and in our final sense of their being freed from such "bonded" images and from the bonding performed by such images.

©1998
City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department

Suggested Reading:

Knight, Christopher
'This Side of Paradise' at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens
Los Angeles Times
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Page E1
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-paradise18-2008jun18,0,7824256.story

Albertini, Rosanna
Technological Rituals:
Stories From The Annenberg Dialogues n.1 and n.2
Annenberg Center for Communication
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
1999

Byer, Robert
Harry Gamboa Jr.
COLA 96/97/98
exhibition catalogue
pgs. 26 & 27
Municipal Art Gallery Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department
Los Angeles, California
1998

Knight, Christopher
A "COLA" That Refreshes
Los Angeles Times
Calendar pgs. 1 & 8
May 27, 1998

Johnson, Patricia C.
The Magic Of Photography:
Ideas Images Take Shape At Fotofest 94
The Houston Chronicle
Houston, Texas
November 14, 1994

Nilsen, Richard
Exhibiting Tolerance
The Arizona Republic
pg. E1
Phoenix, Arizona
August 22,1993

Steinberg, David
Images Capture Human Drama
Albuquerque Journal
Albuquerque, New Mexico February 28, 1992

Lazzari, Margaret
Curriculum Viva:
An Art Of Persona By Latinos Of Los Angeles
Visions
Vol.6, No. 2
Los Angeles, California
Spring, 1992

Hollander, Kurt
Iluminado Fronteras
Poliester
Numero 1
Mexico D.F., Mexico
Primavera, 1992

Hollander, Kurt
Report From Los Angeles:
Community Access
Art In America
Vol. 80, No. 6
pgs. 57-61
New York, New York
June, 1992

Kandel, Susan
Iluminado:
Insight From Inside
Los Angeles Times
Calendar section
Los Angeles, California
August 15, 1991

Some of the images in the series have been funded in part by fellowships:

The Rockefeller Foundation/CSULA
2004

The Durfee Foundation
2001

The Flintridge Foundation
2000

California Arts Council
1996

NLCC
1996

Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department
1996

Art Matters, Inc.
1996

J.P. Getty Trust Fund for the Visual Arts
1990

Special thanks to:

Bailey Wong
Zone V Photo Lab
Hollywood, California

Yvonne Yarbro-Bejarano, Ph.D.
Stanford University

Eloy Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Cornell University

Carlos Velez-Ibañez, Ph.D.
University of Arizona

Individuals included in the series:

2008

James E. Blancarte
Attorney
Little Tokyo
Los Angeles, California

Antonio Vigil
Artist
Bunker Hill
Los Angeles, California

Chuy Benitez
Photographer
Mar Vista
Los Angeles, California

2007

Vincent Ramos
Artist
Mar Vista
Los Angeles, California

Mario T. Garcia, Ph.D.
Historian
UC Santa Barbara
Westwood
Los Angeles, California

Andres Janacua
Artist
South Pasadena, CA

Daniel Cenedejaz
Student
CSU Northridge
Mar Vista
Los Angeles, California

Alejandro Cenedejaz Mendez
Student
Mar Vista
Los Angeles, California

2005

A.P. Gonzalez
Writer/Director (UCLA)
Westwood
Los Angeles, California

Abel Correa
Student/Community Political Activist
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Los Angeles, California

Dominique Rodriguez
Musician
Killsonic
Alhambra, California

Fidel E. Gomez
Actor
Los Angeles, California

Leo Limón
Artist
Los Angeles, California

Raudel de la Riva
Artist
Los Angeles, California

Del Zamora
Actor
Los Angeles, California

Manuel G. "Oso" Lopéz
Witness Warrior
Los Angeles, California

Luis R. Torres
Journalist
Los Angeles, California

David Sandoval
Director
Educational Opportunity Program
CSU Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California

Adolfo "Rudy" Vargas
Media Designer
Roland Heights, California

John Ramirez, Ph.D.
Chair
Department of Communcation Studies
CSU Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California

Gilbert "Magú" Luján
Artist
Pomona, California

Naiche Starhawk Luján
Musician
Pomona, California

Juan Pacheco
Social Documentary Photographer
Los Angeles, California

Julián Segura Camacho
Author
Los Angeles, California

2004

Richard Corona
Provocateur
Northridge, California

Ernesto Chávez, Ph.D.
Historian
UT El Paso
South Pasadena, California

Leonardo Melchor
Deal Maker
West Los Angeles, California

Luis J. Rodriguez
Author/Activist
Sylmar, California

Robert Morales
Mar Vista
Los Angeles, California

Mike Muñoz
School Counselor
Irvine, California

William Franco
Artist
South Pasadena, California

Victor Valle
Scholar/Journalist
Los Angeles, CA

2003

Gabriel Vallejo
Filmmaker/Writer
Los Angeles, California

Lionel Maldonado, Ph.D.
Chair
Chicano/a Studies
CSU Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California

Miguel Paredes Jr.
Writer
Los Angeles, California

Pete Navarro
Attorney
Los Angeles, California

Angel Carrillo
Community Activist
Los Angeles, California

Eriberto
Artist
Westwood
Los Angeles, California

James T. Rojas
Urban Analyst
Los Angeles, California

Gerard Meraz
DJ/Mix Master
Los Angeles, California

2001

Adam Avila
Photographer
Los Angeles, California

George Silva
Writer
Fresno, California

Francesco X. Siqueiros
Master Printer/Artist
Bunker Hill
Los Angeles, California

Joey Terrill
Artist
Los Angeles, California

Francisco Martinez
Worker
Bunker Hill
Los Angeles, California

Jose Lopez
Light Artist
Los Angeles, California

Marcos Loya
Musician
Los Angeles, California

Jose Lopez-Morin, Ph.D.
Historian
CSU Dominguez
Los Angeles, California

Salomon Huerta
Artist
Granada Hills, California

Bobby Verdugo
Counselor
Monterey Park, California

Eugene Rodriguez
Artist
Little Tokyo
Los Angeles, California

2000

Rodolfo Acuña, Ph.D.
Historian
CSU Northridge
Northridge, California

Luis Becerra
Artist
Los Angeles, California

Charles Canales
Contemporary Art Advocate
Monterey Park, California

Victor Carrillo
Poet
Los Angeles, California

Tony Castañeda
Student
CSU Northridge
Los Angeles, California

George Cisneros
Artist/Composer
Miami, Florida

Xavier Cázares Cortéz
Artist/Curator
Los Angeles, California

Reuben de Leon
Cultural Planner
Los Angeles, California

Mario Flores
High School Teacher
Monterey Park, California

William Flores, Ph.D.
Dean
CSU Northridge
Northridge, California

Jorge Garcia, Ph.D.
Dean
CSU Northridge
Northridge, California

Ramon Garcia, Ph.D.
Chicano Studies Professor
CSU Northridge
Pasadena, California

Ruben Guevara
Cultural Activist/Performer
Los Angeles, California

Willie Herrón
Artist/Musician
Venice, California

Jef Huereque
Artist/Designer
Los Angeles, California

Robert Diaz Le Roy
Film Director/Actor
Los Angeles, California

Harry Ortíz Liflan
Artist
Los Angeles, California

Joe Medina
Photographer
Silverlake
Los Angeles, California

Jim Mendiola
Film Director
Miami, Florida

Ruben Mendoza
Author
Los Angeles, California

Sergio Muñoz-Sarmiento
Artist/Writer
Northridge, California

Mario Ontiveros, Ph.D.
Art Historian
Los Angeles, California

Brandon Perez
Student
CSU Northridge
Northridge, California

B.G. Ramirez
Graphic Artist
Los Angeles, California

Jeffrey Rangel
Art Historian
Los Angeles, California

Phillip Rodriguez
Film Director
Little Tokyo
Los Angeles, California

Richard T. Rodriguez, Ph.D
Chicano Studies Professor
CSU Los Angeles
San Francisco, California

Alfred Salas
Mexican Folkloric Dancer
Northridge, California

Marcos Sanchez-Tranquilino
Alchemist/Researcher
Little Tokyo
Los Angeles, California

Ray Santisteban
Film Director
Miami, Florida

Elias Serna
High School Teacher
Los Angeles, California

Esteban Torres
Commisioner
(former U.S. Congressman)
Miami, Florida

Ruben Trejo
Artist
Los Angeles, California

Joe Harry Troncoso
Artist
South Pasadena, California

Luis A. Vega
Writer/Performer
Los Angeles, California

Carlos Velez-Ibañez, Ph.D.
Anthropologist
La Jolla, California

Jaime Villaneda
Curator
Los Angeles, California

Rio Yañez
Student
CALARTS
San Francisco, California

Tomás Ybarra-Frausto
Associate Director
Arts and Humanities
The Rockefeller Foundation
Riverside, California

Alfredo Zepeda
Youth Counselor
Los Angeles, California

1998

Tomas Carrasco
Actor/Comedian
Los Angeles, California

Abelardo de la Peña
Internet Publisher
Los Angeles, California

Octavio Tizóc Diaz-Gaitan
Student
Los Angeles, California

Lorenzo Flores III
Student
UC Berkeley
Northridge, California

in memory
Lorenzo Flores Jr.
Chicano Studies Professor
CSU Northridge
Northridge, California

Gary Fresquez
Elementary School Teacher
Los Angeles, California

James Gamboa
High School Teacher
Pasadena, California

Ricardo Gonzalves
Concrete Poet
Los Angeles, California

Genaro Molina
Photographer
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles, California

Chon A. Noriega, Ph.D.
Film Theorist
UC Los Angeles
Brentwood
Los Angeles, California

Roberto Sifuentes Sr.
Chicano Studies Professor
CSU Northridge
Northridge, California

Raúl Homero Villa, Ph.D.
Professor
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

1997

Joe Carreño
Zine Publisher
East Los Angeles, California

in loving memory
Harry T. Gamboa
Printing Supervisor
(retired)
Boyle Heights
Los Angeles, California

Otoño Lujan
Artist/Musician
Santa Clarita, California

Jason Ordaz
Musician
Los Angeles, California

Roberto Sifuentes Jr.
Performance Artist
Northridge, California

Jesús "Chuy" Torres
Poet/Performer
Northridge, California

Daniel Villarreal
Actor
Los Angeles, California

1996

C. Ondine Chavoya
Art Historian
North Hollywood, California

Juan Garza
Film Director
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Mexico

Gronk
Artist
Pasadena, California

José Luis Ruiz
Executive Producer
Chicano!
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Mexico

Roberto Trujillo, Ph.D
Head
Special Collections
Stanford University Libraries
Stanford, California

1995

Rudy Guglielmo
Arts Administrator
Los Angeles, California

in memory
Jack Vargas
Librarian
Los Angeles, California

Juan Felipe Herrera
Poet
Arleta, California

1994

in memory
Alfred Arteaga
Poet
Los Angeles, California

Roberto Bedoya
Poet
Los Angeles, California

Robert Buitron
Photographer
Houston, Texas

George Gamboa
Polymer Technical Engineer
Los Angeles, California

Ken Zaragoza
Student
Los Angeles, California

1993

Henry J. Gutierrez, Ph.D.*
Professor
CSU San Jose
Los Angeles, California

Willie Varela
Film/Video Director
El Paso, Texas

1992

Ralph Cordova
Performance Artist
Calabasas, California

Richard Montoya
Actor/Comedian
Burbank, California

Jesús Salvador Treviño
Film/Television Director
South Pasadena, California

Armando Rascón
Artist/Curator
San Francisco, California

Rene Yañez
Artist/Curator
Burbank, California

Diego Gamboa
Student
Los Angeles, California

Anthony C. Sandoval
Performer
Whittier, California

1991

David Avalos
Artist
National City, California

Oscar Garza
Arts Editor
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles, California

Victor Gamboa
Elementary School Teacher
Montebello, California

Curtis Gutierrez
Artist
Los Angeles, California

Miguel Juarez
Paseño
Los Angeles, California

Eloy Rodriguez, Ph.D.*
Phytochemist
UC Irvine
Irvine, California

Humberto Sandoval*
Actor
Roland Heights, California

John Valadez*
Artist
Los Angeles, California

Zaragosa Vargas, Ph.D.
Historian
UC Santa Barbara
Goleta, California

in memory
Gerardo Velázquez
Synthesized Music Composer
Los Angeles, California

Rick Salazar
Photographer
Rowland Heights, California