CALIFORNIA CHICANO PRISON DRAWING 005

Private collection
CALIFORNIA CHICANO PRISON DRAWING 005
Private collection

Collection

  • American Gang Culture
  • American Prison System
  • Prison Art

Artist

Jose Soto

Origin

Undisclosed California State Prison

Year

c. 2010s

Medium

Graphite and colored pencil on paper

Association

Gang-affiliated Hispanic inmate within the California prison system.

Description

Colored pencil drawing on paper depicting a stylized Chicano gang scene set against a nighttime city skyline viewed through a large window. In the foreground, a heavily tattooed Hispanic gang member embraces and kisses a woman as she lowers her thong, while another tattooed woman sits on the windowsill with her back partially turned toward the viewer, looking over her shoulder. A Corona beer bottle rests on the windowsill beside her. Outside the window, a third woman stands beside a classic lowrider beneath a full moon, appearing tearful or distressed as she looks toward the couple inside.

CALIFORNIA CHICANO PRISON DRAWING 005

Other items

Varrio Dogtown business card Private collection / American Gang Culture
CALIFORNIA CHICANO ETCHED PRISON CUP Private collection / American Gang Culture
CALIFORNIA CHICANO PRISON PAÑO 002 Private collection / American Gang Culture
CDCR PRISON LETTERS (200+) Private collection / American Prison System
CALIFORNIA PECKERWOOD PRISON PAÑO 001 Private collection / Prison Art

550BC is an independent publishing house based in Amsterdam, founded in 2018. Specializing in the complex realities of organized crime and conflict, we explore these subjects through the lens of visual anthropology. Our photo books provide rare, first-person perspectives from within otherwise inaccessible worlds, often created in direct collaboration with those involved. 550BC is also home to a private collection of over 2,000 unique physical items, preserved artifacts from the worlds we document. A selection is presented in our online archive.

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