Dimensions are image size
Etherton Gallery is excited to debut a selection of photographic portraits of distinguished, historically Black, “one-percenter” motorcycle club members by Alanna Airitam in the exhibition, Alanna Airitam: Black Diamonds. The term “one percent” refers to a comment allegedly made in 1960 by a former president of the American Motorcyclist Association, that 99% of motorcycle clubs were law-abiding citizens, implying the last one percent were outlaws. Black Diamonds opens April 9 and runs through June 22, 2024. Work by artist Jeremiah Armenta, will be on view In the Cases. Armenta is a builder of custom motorcycles, a craft that serves his other great passion: wandering the world and documenting his adventures, interactions and meditations with a camera.
“I am proud that Etherton Gallery is the first gallery to exhibit Alanna Airitam’s portraits of Black “one-percenter” motorcycle clubs. I have been in business for 43 years, and it is rare to find someone who creates a body of work that is original, powerful, and refined, all at the same time. I am also excited to showcase the work of Jeremiah Armenta -- both artists are examples of the deep well of talent in Arizona right now,” said Terry Etherton, Gallery Director and owner of Etherton Gallery.
In the series Black Diamonds, Alanna Airitam sets out to recover the complex historical narrative of Black “one-percenter” motorcycle clubs through portraiture, embarking on a unique project that will ultimately take her across the United States. Some of the original members of the clubs are passing away, taking their personal stories with them, and lending an urgency to her project. Most of the historically Black, one-percenter motorcycle clubs were established by veterans of the Korean War to create a brotherhood and a safe space where they could enjoy the freedom and independence of the road, and share their daily struggles with one another.
The exhibition at Etherton Gallery will present fifteen, 30 x 40 inch photographs selected from Black Diamonds, and highlights Airitam’s portraits of members of Chosen Few MC from the Tucson, Phoenix, Las Vegas (Sin City), Long Beach, and the San Fernando Valley (SFV) chapters. These images by Airitam, who grew up in Texas and now resides in Tucson, are a unique portrayal of a little known and extremely private culture. They are among the most remarkable representations of Black men for their directness, elegance, and allusion to and rejection of, the magisterial gaze of European and American landscape painting. None of the work in the exhibition has ever been on public view. Her compelling depictions of this unique community reveal Airitam’s commitment to visualizing the untold stories of Black history in America.
Portraits of Chosen Few’s members such as Boss Mike, Chosen Few NOMAD President, 2023 invite us into the recently deceased leader’s private space – his garage. As NOMAD President, Boss Mike was the most senior leader within Chosen Few, and arbitrated disputes among the club’s various chapters. Boss Mike wears his Chosen Few leather vest and patches, and stands planted behind his gleaming, custom motorcycle with his back turned to a monumental landscape printed on a scrim. Airitam has lit the garage to mimic the techniques used in the landscape, and used the trappings of royal portraiture to demonstrate Boss Mike’s power. Standing in line with a great oak tree, Boss Mike’s dress, stance, direct gaze, and the setting communicate his authority. Chosen Few is also among the early and few integrated “one-percenter” clubs, which Airitam illustrates in J Town and Youngsta, Chosen Few, Phoenix, 2023. However, as Airitam’s image suggests, younger members presented in this image, lack the history and experience so evident in Boss Mike’s portrait. English Max, Chosen Few, SFV, 2023, is a portrait of Max Presneill, the Director and Curator of the Torrance Art Museum, who consulted with Airitam at the beginning of the Black Diamonds project.
Ultimately, Airitam’s portraits startle us not only for the window they provide into a history we knew little of and a geography we thought we knew well, but because they are thoughtful images by a photographer with unusual perception.
In the Cases artist Jeremiah Armenta was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where he resides to this day. As a teenager he traveled from Arizona to Hawaii to Montana, eventually crossing the country as a passenger in a semi-truck. At age 18 he joined the Air Force and was stationed in Mildenhall, England. It was here that he discovered the one thing that brought stillness to his nomadic life: photography. After his military service ended Armenta returned to Arizona, married his high school sweetheart and received his bachelor’s degree in photography from Arizona State University. He was awarded the Howard G. Buffet Scholarship to create a photo documentary about children living along the southwest border of Arizona and Mexico. He developed two raw yet empathetic photo stories on children living in the harshest environments. After graduating from ASU, Armenta worked as a staff photographer at the Arizona Republic. During this time he rediscovered his passion for motorcycles, which were always in the background of his life while growing up. While awaiting the birth of his first child, he built a bike from the ground up. From that moment, Jeremiah’s love for motorcycles—building them, repairing them, riding them—pushed into all aspects of his life, taking him on daily journeys that recreated the feeling of unexpected adventure from his Air Force days.
Armenta’s photography is inspired by—and owes a debt to—the artists and expeditionaries who pioneered chopper culture. It also connects him to them. He feels that connection when creating an original part for a chopper in his little studio, and he especially feels it when riding a custom bike on the wide-open road.
