The Chicano Movement that began in the late 1960s gave political and artistic voice to Mexican Americans, especially in Los Angeles, where four East LA artists in their early 20s formed a collective known as Asco in 1972. Patssi Valdez, Willie Herrón, Harry Gamboa, Jr., and Gronk staged absurdist and satirical guerrilla art, exploring police brutality, immigration, gender, and sexuality. ASCO: Without Permission is a documentary and anthology of short films and music from a new generation of artists inspired by Asco. It kicks off the Los Angeles International Latino Film Festival in Hollywood, which runs May 28 to June 1.
Asco is the Spanish word meaning nausea or disgust. The group’s early work, when they were teens, incorporated dead birds and other techniques to shock people, says Travis Gutierrez Senger, director of the documentary. Later, the group crystallized their concept into something more political.
“There was incessant coverage of LA gangs, and that would end up … creating more violence. … They saw stereotypes in Hollywood, and they were so cartoonish and absurd and offensive, it gave them asco. And then when they saw police and batons raining down on innocent protesters and people getting killed and shot right in front of them, it gave them asco,” says Senger.
The group’s creations always had a political element, and they were skilled at layering their work, he says.
One project was a “walking mural” inspired by a Christmas parade that used to take place along Whittier Boulevard, but was shut down permanently due to violence.
“On one hand, they're challenging this tradition of Mexican murals. They're challenging the muralism they see in their community. They're challenging Catholicism, all these things that they're enveloped in. They're trying to bring back a parade that the police took away. But then also, there's this wonderful queerness and playfulness to it. … There was that fun element … and even that rock and roll element, where there's this defiance and this coolness that they really brought to the table,” Senger explains.
Asco also created provocative still photographs called “no movies” that captured the power of filmmaking in a single image. Senger says these are imagined films — a melodrama, slasher, or sci-fi flick.
“We had artists that we loved, saying, ‘Hey, we all come from this tradition of Asco. Now let's create our own no movies. And even though they're not full films, we're taking that into the 21st century. We're taking the idea of a no movie, which is a still, into a short film — for the same reason … Asco did theirs, which was really to showcase their own narratives in a way that they actually wanted.”
For example, Senger collaborated with El Paso sculptor Ruben Ulises Rodriguez Montoya on a no movie called The Possessed, in which anchors of a Fox News-inspired TV show say a mass exodus from Central America, South America, and Mexico “has turned into a nightmare” in the U.S., so people should remain indoors and arm themselves. Then the “possessed migrants” take over the broadcast.
“It was very much coming out of it from like, ‘Hey, there's this propaganda on Fox News, they're trying to create these narratives that aren't always based in fact, and then they're dehumanizing and demonizing these immigrants in a way that ultimately is really dangerous and harmful.’ And we knew that could be politicized further, but we also wanted to show the absurdity of it, like this concept, like these are really just animals, or they're going to take all of our jobs, so they take over the news station. It's just this crazy, crazy idea.”
Fabi Reyna (left) and San Cha (right) appear in a short film called “Luna.” Courtesy of Asa Nisi Masa Films
After Asco disbanded, Senger says, later generations became inspired by them, and now their work is surfacing globally.
“There are a lot of artists who are doing phenomenal work. Some are next-gen artists, and some are mid-career, and some are late-career artists that all have been influenced by Asco. … All of us are going to continue carrying that flag and infusing our work with the Asco ethos. And I think it has opened all of us up to collaboration and really being daring.”