#cholombianos

[aesthetic-otd]

Today's aesthetic is cholombianos

[highinanartmusuem]

Cholombianos

[tf-ill-be-witout-my-slatt]

[mydustyartbooks-blog]

Cholombianos - Amanda Watkins

Trilce Editions 2015

This book is about Cholombianos, a colorful subculture from the north of Mexico that expresses itself in oversized clothing, distinctive hairstyles and handmade scapulars hanging around their necks that tell you where they are from and where they belong. Amanda Watkins (England) is a fashion designer turned photographer, who for four years has travelled between London and Monterrey, documenting them.

Watkins was working in Monterrey teaching classes in fashion, when she found out about this subculture. In the weekdays she was teaching and in the weekends she was going to the downtown of Monterrey to shoot these (mainly) teenagers. She was interested in them from a fashion point of view; how they embodied street culture and experimented with their looks. Much to the social disapproval of others in society. The Cholombianos are all about pride, looking fresh and music. The name comes from merging the words Cholo and Colombia. Colombia is where Cumbia music comes from, which is the heart of this subculture. Parties are a place to show of your dancing skills and your look.   U might have seen the Cholombianos before, as they are known through their portraits by Stefan Ruiz.  He approached the subject in quite a different way though, through stylized, isolated studio portraits, focussing mainly on the hairstyles. Watkins however, shows us the context in which these styles prevail. She dived deeply into the different aspects of the fashion and the social context. Together with the amazing design of this book, it gives a full picture of this subculture.  The design of the book is done by Oscar Reyes. The book brings the Cholombiano culture alive. I like how it transgresses ‘traditional’ photobooks, by making collages, scribbling notes and drawings. There are also little booklets inside the book. The photography is not especially aesthetic, it’s mostly snapshots of people on the streets and at parties. This different approach to photography is I think due to Watkins’ background. Because of it, it feels very real and straightforward. 

There are layers of meanings to be found though, e.g. in the expression of the clothing which carry a lot of symbolism (for example references to the Virgin Mary). The book also features a lot of explanatory texts and interviews with people from the scene. The characters pose however they feel good posing, Watkins doesn’t guide them to stand a certain way. They are presenting themselves in their own way. I like this type of collaborative photography, making the subject as important as the photographer. 

If you looking for the Cholombianos now, you will not find them. The scene disappeared as cartel violence grew in Monterrey and a lot of the cultural spaces had to close down. They were also unjustly seen as a threat and singled out by the police for their look, which made them hide their distinctive hair styles and clothes. So we are left with this document, that managed to capture this subculture in such an extensive way, it will live on forever. Amanda herself has continued to live in Mexico, continuing her career in the fashion industry. 

[lucablue]

I’m No Longer Here, netflix 2019

[polarhoid]

El ciclo 'natural' de los movimientos contraculturales, periféricos y divergentes en regiolandia:

Paso 1. Existes. Nadie te entiende, te rechazan, te miran feo.

Paso 2. Dejas de existir, te transformas. Nadie te entiende, pero ahora los académicos te 'descubren' y quieren ser tus compas.

Paso 3. Nadie te entiende. Ahora también las instituciones de gobierno quieren juntarse contigo porque se ve chido.

Paso 4. Nadie te entiende. Vienen unos extranjeros y te toman fotos, te pones de moda en las galerías y ahora gustas y eres popular.

Paso 5. Sales en documentales, películas y todos hablan bien de ti. Hasta las señoras copetonas que antes te sacaban la vuelta dicen que te respetan, que están orgullosas de ti, y todos sacan las fotos que alguna vez se hicieron contigo. Nadie te entiende.

Paso 6. Nadie te entiende. Ahora te han consumido, ya eres centro en el centro. Definitivamente ya no existes.

Paso 7. Ahora eres una botarga y bailas en fiestas infantiles. Eres un meme, una idea que sólo proyecta lo que los demás quieren que seas. A nadie le interesa entenderte.

Paso 8. Has cumplido el ciclo, has terminado tu viaje. Cero dividido entre cero. Ahora eres una referencia.

Paso 9. 'Existes', otra vez. Eres un dj-set-live de puras rebajadas que suena en el Metapatio.

FIN

https://www.facebook.com/elhyp3/videos/2398874827069626/

[sergioosvaldovaldesarriaga]

Recomendación: Ya no estoy aquí

Por Sergio Osvaldo Valdés Arriaga, 27/05/20.

¡De Monterrey para el mundo! El largometraje mexicano Ya no estoy aquí por fin llega a Netflix, después de haber sido uno de los estrenos más sonados del año 2019 y en el que abordan temas como la identidad, la migración forzada, la discriminación, la violencia y la desigualdad social. 

[xamucaxula]

En Monterrey somos otro pedo 😛 #cholombianos