In the early 1970s, an East Los Angeles-based Chicano art collective named Asco emerged as a pioneering force in American art and activism, blending political protest with experimental creativity. A new documentary, “Asco: Without Permission,” chronicling the group’s impact and legacy, premiered on PBS SoCal last Friday as part of the “Voces” series and is available on PBS platforms.
Asco was formed by a group of East L.A. natives including founding members Glugio “Gronk” Nicandro, Patssi Valdez, Harry Gamboa Jr., and Willie Herrón. The collective aimed to challenge cultural exclusion and institutional neglect, particularly in response to the lack of Chicano representation in major art institutions. One of their defining moments came in 1972 when members returned to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) to spray-paint graffiti on the museum’s exterior after their calls for inclusion were ignored, symbolically reclaiming the space for Chicano art.
Despite their innovative approach, Asco’s work remained relatively obscure for decades, circulating primarily through local oral history and community storytelling. A shift occurred in 2011 when LACMA hosted “Elite of the Obscure,” Asco’s first major retrospective exhibition. This event reignited interest in their work, inspiring filmmaker Travis Gutiérrez Senger to document Asco’s story. Senger said the group’s collective nature, rather than elevating individual artists, was a critical reason for making the film, especially in the context of rising anti-immigrant sentiment following Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Asco’s work was deeply rooted in the social and political turbulence of the late 1960s and early ’70s, addressing issues such as the East L.A. walkouts, the Chicano Moratorium against the Vietnam War, police violence, and gang conflicts. The collective utilized a variety of media, including performance, visual art, and film. Notably, they developed “No-Movies,” photographic stills that subverted traditional cinematic storytelling by implying narratives without moving images, reflecting their resourcefulness and resistance to mainstream media exclusion.
The documentary also highlights how Asco’s ethos of collective creation and guerrilla art-making continues to influence contemporary Chicano and Latinx artists. Multidisciplinary artist Rafa Esparza, who first encountered Asco’s work through a connection at a Pasadena hardware store in the early 2000s, is among those carrying forward the group’s legacy. Esparza emphasizes the power of collaboration and community in art-making, contrasting it with the traditional focus on individual authorship.
In 2023, Gutiérrez Senger curated a collaborative exhibition titled “Asco and the Next Gen: An Inter-Generational Celebration of Latinx Art,” featuring artists such as Esparza, Maria Maea, San Cha, and others who created new work inspired by Asco’s techniques and themes. The exhibition and documentary also present contemporary iterations of No-Movies by Maea, San Cha, and others, extending the collective’s vision into new artistic and generational contexts.
The film reveals how Asco’s work blends political defiance with expressions of identity and self-love. Gutiérrez Senger reflected that while he initially perceived Asco’s art as a confrontational response to racism and exclusion, over time it became evident that its enduring power is rooted in affirming a collective sense of pride and resilience within the Chicano community.
“Asco: Without Permission” thus serves as both a historical record and a call to action, illustrating how art can mobilize communities, resist systemic marginalization, and inspire new generations to continue reshaping cultural narratives.