American Art Collaborative

Sculpture by Luis Tapia, Mi Carrito, 1994. Made in the style and material typical of New Mexican carvings of saints and other Roman Catholic holy figures, commonly called bultos. In Hispanic and Chicano culture, customized cars called "lowriders" have special meaning. Designed to cruise low and slow, lowriders sport spectacular paint jobs and handcrafted interiors. Luis Tapia’s Mi Carrito exudes the blend of popular and religious imagery that is at the heart of contemporary Hispanic art, as well as the individualized nature of both lowriders and santos as art forms. Emblazoned on the grill and steering wheel is a sacred heart, a symbol of the physical heart of Christ and his love, compassion, and suffering. Other symbols include the priest's chairs for bucket seats and the vigas, or traditional beams used in adobe architecture, for bumpers.