Tribal and the Cultural Legacy of Streetwear

by G. James Daichendt (Editor)

Overview

Tribal Streetwear is lifestyle streetwear brand that seeks to represent a variety of southern California sub-cultures that includes graffiti, street art, skateboarding, surfing, tattoos, hip hop, breakdancing, punk, lowriders, and custom culture. Based in San Diego, California, Tribal has strong Chicano roots in its aesthetic and spans the globe with retail stores on several continents.

The text presents a series of articles, essays, and personal reflections that explore the various dimensions of Tribal Streetwear, and how the impact of their designs continues to balance the precarious act of being relevant and responsible with their resources.

The book is divided into four sections.

Section 1 features essays that set a context for the text. This includes a history of Tribal and where it fits within the history of streetwear, a personal narrative of the founding of Tribal, and lastly an essay on the uniqueness of southern California aesthetics and the fascination with this southern California inspired fashion.

Section 2 is a series of interviews with notable artists, musicians, and cultural tastemakers that have contributed toward street culture and Tribal. These include Mr. Cartoon (tattoo artist), RISK (graffiti artist), PERSUE (street artists), Mike Giant (tattoo artist), Dyse One (graffiti artist), Craig Craig Stecyk III (skateboard culture), Bob Hurley (surf culture), and the Beastie Boys (hip hop).

Section 3 includes a series of invited and peer-reviewed academic articles on distinct subjects within the street culture genre that further dive into the inputs and influences of Tribal Streetwear. They include breakdancing, surfing, skateboarding, graffiti, street art, tattooing, music (hip-hop/punk), lowriders, custom culture, and Chicano Studies.

Section 4 is a series of photo essays that capture the three decades of Tribal Streetwear and serves as a visual history of the brand and the evolution of its graphics. 

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781789388107
Publisher:	Intellect Books
Publication date:	03/12/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	28 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

G. James Daichendt is an art critic, curator, and art historian that serves as Vice-Provost, Dean of the Colleges, and Professor of Art History at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, CA. Jim is the founding editor of the academic journal, Visual Inquiry: Learning and Teaching Art and author of several books He most recently co-curated Street Legacy: SoCal Style Masters at the California Center for Arts Museum (2022) and Sidewalk Activism at the Oceanside Museum of Art (2020). Jim is the recipient of a 2021 Lifetime Achievement award from the Office of the President of the United States for his service to the arts community and holds two master’s degrees and a doctorate from Harvard, Boston, and Columbia universities.

G. James Daichendt is an art critic, a curator and an art historian that serves as vice-provost, dean of the colleges, and professor of art history at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, CA. Jim is the author of several books including: Robbie Conal: Streetwise: 35 Years of Politically Charged Guerrilla Art (Schiffer Publishing, 2020); The Urban Canvas: Street Art around the World (Schiffer Publishing, 2017); Kenny Scharf: In Absence of Myth (Schiffer Publishing, 2016); Shepard Fairey Inc: Artist/Professional/Vandal (Schiffer Publishing, 2014); and Stay Up! Los Angeles Street Art (Schiffer Publishing, 2012). He most recently co-curated Street Legacy: SoCal Style Masters at the California Center for Arts Museum (2022) and Sidewalk Activism at the Oceanside Museum of Art (2020). Jim is the recipient of a 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Office of the President of the United States for his service to the arts community and holds two master’s degrees and a doctorate from Harvard, Boston and Columbia universities.

Contact: Point Loma Nazarene University, 3900 Lomaland Dr., San Diego, CA 92106, USA.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Section 1: Introduction to Tribal Streetwear

1. The Legacy of Tribal Streetwear
   James Daichendt

Section 2: Streetwear and its Histories

1. What’s in a Name: Baseball Caps and Identity in American Culture
   Clayton Funk

1. La Voz de la Calle (“The Voice of the Street”)
   Marvin R. Milian

1. How Graffiti and Street Art Styles, Images, and Iconography Impacted the Designs that Tribal Streetwear Uses on Their Clothing and Accessories
   Jeffrey Ian Ross

Section 3: Tribal and Its Tattoo Roots

1. Representation of World: An Ontological Exploration of Tattoos and Self
   Rachel Daichendt

1. A Brief Look at Southern California Tattoo Culture and History
   Evan Senn

Section 4: Tribalism and Identity

1. Tribal Streetwear Will Be the First Aesthetic Ethnicity for the Digital Metaverse
   Chumahan Bowen

1. A Tribe Laud West: Hip Hop and Its Influence on Tribal Gear and a New Chicano Generation
   Monique Charles

Section 5: Surf and Skate

1. Surfing Together, Surfing Alone: Surf Tribes and Tribalism in Southern California during the Twentieth Century
   Ben Cater

1. Street, Punk, Desert, Life: Four Stories of Tribal Streetwear and Skate Culture
   James Wicks

Section 6: Lowriders and Culture Making

1. La Locura Cura: Lowriders, Chicanismo, and Bobby Tribal
   Denise M. Sandoval

1. Bouncing Across Borders: The Globalization of Lowriding
   John Ulloa

Section 7: Personal Histories

1. Everyone Belongs to a Tribe
   Luis Saldaña

1. A Personal Account of Tribal and Tattooing
   Michael ‘Tank’ Gonzales

1. Tribal Streetwear: A Personal History
   Bobby Ruiz

Notes on Contributors