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Popular Culture Review
popular art is not the debate at hand) discounts the validity of his cultural
background and its traditional artistic outlets. Such dismissals are unsurprising
considering the inherent Eurocentrism and elitism of many evaluations of artistic
merit, and may even embody the conservative sensibilities that have prevailed in
the wider social system in recent years.
Historically, the Homies can be seen as part of an ongoing tradition of
barrio art. Barrio murals, tattoos, and street graphics painted onto “lowriders” or
classic cars (lowrider art) tell a tale of urban life and provide a vehicle for ethnic
pride and expression (Menard 1995; Dominguez 1996; Dunitz 1997). These
forms of expression are stylistically specific and embody a distinct cultural
heritage.^® The Homies figurines portray this stylistic expression and continue
this heritage.
A rich tradition of analysis of Chicano art forms exists. Diaz (1990)
states that mural art within the Chicano community is a medium which allows
authentic human representation of their cultural and ethnic heritage. This is a
valuable asset because it allows cultural stories to be forged by members of the
group without being marred by the interpretation of people outside the
community and/or by media translations of the urban Chicano experience.
Barrio art, in all its forms, allows the artistic forum and the cultural
representation therein to be a collective experience rather than a definition
claimed by elites. It is a form of street art with all that is good and bad that goes
along with this description.
As such, the Homies figurines are part of a broader system of meaning
that represents a specific community fi-om the standpoint of a member. “ Just as
murals allow members of the Chicano community to appreciate and connect to
art within their own local communities, Gonzales’s figurines allow a typically
marginalized segment of the population to take pride in their identity and their
experiences in a larger artistic tradition which has been utilized for generations.
Homies at Home
The figurines are also part of a historic and ongoing dialogue regarding
the role cultural identity plays within the interrelated spheres of the personal
lives of barrio residents, the social structures they inhabit, and the
intemal/extemal political pressures that influence their lives. Gonzales has been
criticized by members of the dominant community about the ways in which
these figurines might glorify gang life. These complaints and concerns have
been primarily voiced by external constituents: parents and members of the law
enforcement community. Simultaneously, Gonzales was criticized by members
of the Chicano community regarding the “negative stereotypes” these figurines
might perpetuate. These internal criticisms were primarily from groups that seek
to promote a more positive image for Chicanos, albeit what may be a
homogeneous portrayal of their identity.