Carros Alterados y Rines Cromados by Aaron Moctezuma
Carros Alterados y Rines Cromados
by Aaron Moctezuma
The Brea Gallery is honored to present Carros Alterados y Rines Cromados, a poignant series by Aaron Moctezuma of photographs and ephemera that provide a glimpse into the proud, vibrant lifestyle of Southern California “kustom” culture. Surrounded by lowriders from an early age in Santa Ana, Aaron naturally turned his lens toward documenting this slice of Latin American identity, soulfully capturing both the vehicles and their owners.
The lowrider car scene was started in Southern California and has since been a unique part of this region’s cultural landscape. Born and raised in Santa Ana, California, Aaron Moctezuma has been immersed in car culture for the majority of his life. From his visits to the neighborhood body shop, to the weekly family Sunday cruises, Aaron’s childhood was defined by classic cars. His family’s 1971 Chevy Cheyenne became his very first car, an instance that preceded Aaron joining various car scenes alongside his circle of friends. JDM, kustom, lowriders, motorcycles - Aaron was exposed to every aspect of this diverse custom car tradition. Aaron was and continues to be attracted to lowriders, specifically due to the artform’s rich history and relationship to his heritage. Building this personal connection to the car movement and the people who participate in it, the aspiration to document this world was a natural correlation for Aaron as an artist.
Aaron began his introduction to the world of photography with a high school project, and although it did not resonate with him initially, he never fully abandoned the practice. He later enrolled in a few introductory photography courses at the local community college, where he rediscovered the medium and also found a sense of belonging with the other photography students. From that first photography elective class for fun, Aaron’s schedule grew to a fulltime commitment to photography. He developed and grew his new passion, honing his skills and becoming the president of the college’s photography club. Under Aaron’s leadership that club evolved beyond the college and into a countywide community for media creators to meet, share work, collaborate, support each other. And now Aaron is able to merge his passion for this vibrant SoCal car scene through his edgy photography work with Suavecito, a infamous local hair care company.
See Carros Alterados y Rines Cromados in person at the Brea Gallery now through June 24th, 2022.
Wednesday through Sunday noon to 5pm
