Low, Book I Paperback

By René Amado, text by Carolina Martinez, Eliana Morales, and René Amado Engaged in lowrider culture most of his life in one way or another, Racine-based artist René Amado showcases the cars, bicycles, and community through photography that is both stunningly intimate and awe-inspiring. His photography transports the viewer to the streets of lowrider culture. Both a photographer and a teacher, Amado has focused on a broad range of subjects in his work—whether by professional necessity or personal interest—from street photography to portraits to culinary themes. Part poetry book, part pin-up, part lowrider street festival, part classic car show, and part cultural pride, this first book in the series is a celebration of community identity and everything with wheels.    Who are we if we don’t say it ourselves? Gangsters? Illegals? A project for you to photograph? Nah homie…these cars—the patterns in the paint, the brushstrokes of the pinstripes, the details of the engine, every chiseled cut from the engraver, each and every stitch of the upholstery to the style of rims—they are the expressions of us. They are us. Our joy. Our pain. They are members of our families. They are our loved ones passed on. They are our love. They are our art.  -René Amado 120 full-color pages Paperback 9.5 x 6.75" Second printing, published in 2024 On display in RAM's Windows on Fifth Gallery through July 19, 2025, Rene Amado's Low is an installation that is available to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week—a point underscoring both the value of the ideas and the desire to make the work accessible to anyone on the street, not just those who go into the museum building. RAM MEMBER PRICE $40.50