Rasquachismo, in the terms of Tomas Ybarra-Frausto, is an art style which reflects the attitudes of “hacer rendir las cosas”, which translates to having to make things do with what is at hand. The rasquache style itself is indicative of the resourceful nature of the lower-income Chicana/o communities that prioritizes the utilization of only readily-available resources that are further transformed into pieces of art. Typically within the realm of rasquachismo, the art style itself is very much flamboyant, as well as prefers bright colors and a sense of wanted “gaudiness/tackiness” that allows for a bold display. Again, rasquachismo puts a high emphasis on making do with a limited amount of resources, for example recycling items and using them a new source of usage is rasquachismo in itself. This can look like using coffee cans into flower pots, reusing yogurt/sour cream containers to store homemade salsas, and even car tires being used as plant containers.
A personal example of rasquachismo would have to be the use of recycled containers to store leftover meals, salsas, and other food items. Let me set the scene, you’re opening up the refrigerator looking for yogurt, and you reach for the first yogurt container that you find. Once opening the container, you see that it is not in fact yogurt, but instead is your mother’s homemade, tomatillo salsa. Experiences like these are quite common, but it is in fact important to recognize that the attitude of “hacer rendir las cosas” reigns not only prominent in our homes, but our cultures as well.
Another example of rasquache art would have to be this image itself that I had seen at the “Shattered Glass” exhibit once located at the Jeffrey Deitch gallery. The artwork itself is titled “Parallel Parking” (2020) by Mario Ayala showcases a painting of an airbrushed cargo bed that is highly indicative of rasquaache artwork.
Ah, yes, the deceptive container in the fridge. Or the sewing materials inside the cookie tins--classic. A lot of this work speaks to how communities make due and therefore, there is a sort of resonance that takes place when other people contemplate that art, don't you think? I think of it as a way of elevating the day-to-day lives and practices of Chicana/o's to the level of art. Do you think rasquache art is considered art in the classical sense? Or does it have a way's to go?
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