GANG 505

Gang 505 is a series of colored pencil and mixed media on panel artworks.  The series features a circle of women friends who have formed a bond based upon their shared values and the geographical proximity of New Mexico’s 505 Area Code.  The series expands the traditional notion of what is considered a “gang” by challenging the viewer to accept that any group of women friends, through attire, common belief systems and mannerisms, can be considered a gang. 

 

The series features its subjects wearing tattoos similar to those one might find among members of a gang.  For Gang 505, the Sun Symbol of the Zia tribe, (http://zia.com/home/zia_info.html) which is featured on the New Mexico state flag, is a unifying icon representing the bond of sisterhood that exists among these women.  In addition to the Sun Symbol, each woman of Gang 505 wears her tattoos as symbols of her own personal history, milestones, rites of passage and familial pride. 

 

The goals of any gang – family, group allegiance, sisterhood, and the willingness to fight for or defend each other in the face of adversity - apply to groups of women from varying backgrounds.  As such, when distilled to its core values, Gang 505 is no different from any other gang.  Gang 505 illustrates that any woman, regardless of geography, her habits or her socio-economic standing, can be a badass in her own right and in her own world.

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