Rebels with La Causa
Royal Chicano Air Force Art and Activism, 1970–1990
Royal Chicano Air Force Art and Activism, 1970–1990
Rebels with La Causa explores the expansive production and creative impact of the Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF), one of the Chicano Movement’s most prolific and impactful artist collectives. Beginning in 1970 at Sacramento State, the group produced individual artworks and group murals, as well as posters for educational, cultural, and political activities. The RCAF’s transformation into a broader collective not only initiated an explosion of Chicano art exhibitions, literary events, performances, and community celebrations, but expanded civic and political engagement. While RCAF posters served as announcements for these wide-ranging activities, their multicultural aesthetics, subject matter, and strategic humor redefined Chicana/o art, as well as the history of art and activism in the United States.
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The exhibition will highlight 95 posters created for the myriad artistic, cultural, and spiritual activities organized by the larger RCAF collective from 1970–1990. It will also feature photographs, ephemera, and videos related to the collective’s artistic production, community engagement, and political activism. The exhibition's iconic posters, while serving as event announcements of the collective’s activities, also reflect the role of the RCAF artists’ aesthetics experimentation and technical innovations within Chicana/o art history and American graphic arts.