The renowned art collective, The California Locos, comprising three generations of Los Angeles artists, is celebrating over 40 years of diverse and gritty LA culture with the stunning new book Renaissance and Rebellion.
Dave Tourjé, Chaz Bojórquez, Norton Wisdom, John Van Hamersveld, and Gary Wong are the five Los Angeles artists whose work epitomizes west coast culture. Dave Tourjé, one of the original five Locos and the group’s self-proclaimed ringleader, says, “The book documents the first decade of this cultural collective, pushing what it means to be a California artist.”
2023 is the 10th anniversary of the California Locos. After this summer’s book launch, the stage is set for the quintet to begin their European tour. In 2024, plans are to tour several European museums with a traveling retrospective of recent and historic works by all members of the group.
The publisher says “Surf and skate culture, street art, tattoo, street photography, graphic design, and music come together on over 160 pages to celebrate Los Angeles in all its exuberant diversity and raw grittiness. This book embodies the creative breeding ground provided by the City of Angles, chronicling its influence on each artist, all of which are major influencers of West Coast and the worldwide popular culture.”
The Locos European tour begins with an exhibit at the Museum of Rome. Renaissance and Rebellion, their 432-page tome, is published in Rome by Drago Publishers. Tourjé says Europe welcomes the collective, and museums are eager to embrace the cultural melting pot that the west coast of the United States offers and that the California Locos manifest.
Renaissance and Rebellion launch at Eastern Projects Gallery in LA’s Chinatown on June 17, 2023.
