MILWAUKEE (CBS58) — While car culture is ever-changing, lowriding has stood the test of time, at least for Mexican-Americans. It's believed that lowriding began in California after world-war two, when Chicanos started customizing their cars to express themselves and their traditions. Rene Amado is a Racine teacher preserving that culture one book at a time.
Among the hydraulics, lifted cars, music, and motorcycles, you'll also hear the shutter of a camera. Behind the lens is Amado, a Racine teacher who in his free time gets low to photograph lowriders.
“It just shows pieces of their personality, who they are, their culture and things that they are and who they are. I love it and I love documenting it,” said Amado. He’s said lowriding popularized around the 1950’s as a form of counter-culture for chicanos against hot rods. Amado said, “the thing with the hot rods was to go faster, and a lot of times you have that kind of rake stance where the back is raised and the front is lowered. And with the low riders, they kind of went the opposite, where it was the idea was to go low and slow.”
Photographing low and slow, Amado helps to show off each driver's unique personality. “Why are low riders so popular? I mean, I feel like they should be! That's part of the attitude with the cars is like, you want people to look. You want people to turn their heads. You want people to notice you” he said.
After years of noticing, through photos, Amado decided to turn them into something unexpected… a coffee book. “I think it's cool that you might walk into someone's house and have a seat on the couch and just see this book sitting there with this lower out in front of it. And what is this? You know, I love surprising people like that,” he said.
He’s turned grown out of its negative connotation, into a new artform, while representing his heritage. “When we put it in a book like this, it makes people feel seen. It makes them feel, you know, recognized,” he continued. Amado recognizes lowriders in several books and zines (short magazines) with all different themes. He says it’s a process where he begins with figuring out what a central theme will be, its name, a possible logo or theme, and what it currently looks like. HIs third book focused on vehicles at Harley-Davidson, shot in one day which he says was “probably the hottest day of the year.” Another shorter book he made was entirely focused on Los Angeles, with donations going to wildfire aid. Sometimes, the process can spur from a quick thought that he sees and thinks would make a good project.
Amado first started his projects in 2020, evolving with each one. “ If you were to go through these from the earliest to like the newest, you can see an evolution in how I've approached them. Like I said, the first one here was more of an art piece. The second one here was done more in a traditional book style, where you've got a photo in the middle of the page” with white framing around it. In another, he got more involved in the design process.
One of his books in particular showcases art through poetry, written by two of his friends. Showcasing art, and culture, with poetry, and photographs: “Low riding is an art form… Our culture and its celebration is an act of protest. We will not be anglicized. Our roots run deep… our spirits don't die. Forever, riding low and slow. We are community” reads a portion of the poem.
You can find Amado’s work on his website.