RVCA WAS GLAD TO SUPPORT 'TEEN ANGELS', THE EXHIBITION THIS PAST WEEKEND AT THE LA ART BOOK FAIR. HIGHLIGHTING THE WORK OF TEEN ANGEL AND THE MAGAZINE HE CREATED, THE EXHIBITION WAS A HIT FOR MANY IN ATTENDANCE, ESPECIALLY THOSE INSPIRED AND INVESTED IN LOWRIDER AND CHOLO CULTURE FROM THE 80'S, 90'S, AND TO PRESENT DAY. CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM THE EXHIBITION OPENING AND OUR WEEKEND AT THE BOOK FAIR BELOW BY MORGNAR.
CHECK OUT THE RVCA X TEEN ANGELS TEES FROM THE EXHIBITION OPENING, AVAILABLE HERE.
ABOUT TEEN ANGEL:
TEEN ANGEL BEGAN WORKING WORKING FULL-TIME AS AN ARTIST AND WRITER FOR LOWRIDER MAGAZINE IN 1977. HIS ART GRACED THE PAGES REGULARLY AND SOON AFTER BECAME WELL-KNOWN AS ‘THE LOWRIDER ARTIST’, DEPICTING THE LOWRIDER LIFESTYLE IN A FUN, WHIMSICAL WAY AT A TIME WHERE THAT CULTURE WAS NOT ACCEPTED AMONGST MAINSTREAM SOCIETY. IN 1981 HE VENTURED INTO PUBLISHING ON HIS OWN AND STARTED TEEN ANGELS MAGAZINE; WITH NO CONSTRAINTS, HE WAS ABLE TO CREATE THE MAGAZINE AS HE WANTED FEATURING ARTWORK, DEDICATIONS, PHOTO- GRAPHS, POEMS, AND ARTICLES ALL FOCUSING ON LIFE IN THE STREETS OF THE VARRIOS OF CALIFORNIA AND THE SOUTHWEST. THE MAGAZINE GAVE VOICE TO A WIDE SWATH OF YOUNG CHICANOS, FROM THE GANGSTERS IN PRISON TO THE YOUNG GIRLS LOOKING FOR LOVE. WHERE OTHERS SAW BLIGHT AND DESPAIR, TEEN ANGEL SAW BEAUTY AND LIFE. REJECTED BY LARGER CHAIN STORES, THE ONLY PLACE TO FIND TEEN ANGELS MAGAZINE WAS IN LIQUOR STORES AND SMALL MOM-AND-POP MARKETS IN THE ‘HOOD’. HE WENT ON TO CREATE OVER 200 ISSUES WHICH TODAY ARE HIGHLY COLLECTABLE DUE TO THEIR RARITY. TEEN ANGEL PASSED AWAY IN EARLY 2015 BUT HIS LEGACY LIVES ON.