Stig De Block - Back to Back, From Backyard to Boulevard

BACK TO BACK - FROM BACKYARD TO BOULEVARD

shines a light on the lowrider culture of Los Angeles, CA. Originating in the mid-20th century, highly anticipated social events began to flourish on Whittier Boulevard in East L.A., where cars featuring extended bodies and low-to-the-ground roll are proudly put on display. Pioneered by a new generation of Latinos from Texas, the Southwest, and Southern California, the scene expanded to include Black Americans who helped establish funk, R&B, and hip-hop as central fixations in the culture. These young men and women, who refused to assimilate, used these automotive masterpieces as their bold assertion of freedom.

“I spent 4 years, 9 months & 1000s of miles on the dash, documenting an honest & intimate story about the lowrider scene in Los Angeles, California, US.

I can vividly remember the first lowrider event I attended in Los Angeles. I had driven out on a Sunday in October 2018 to attend an event called Sunday Funday. The concept is self-explanatory: Everybody comes together to have fun on Sunday, without any bullshit, with a common love for lowriders. It was located at the intersection of Rosecrans on South Broadway, on the border between Compton and Carson, in an industrial area—a very long boulevard with factory buildings and warehouses. When I first showed up in the early afternoon, there weren’t that many people out. But within one hour, the whole place was packed with barbecue vendors and people selling t-shirts and merchandise. I feel like there were 500 to 800 people there that day. And for me it was like, “Wow, all the things that I’ve been interested in my whole life—L.A. culture, architecture, cars, and rap music—all come together in one place here."