ASCO: Without Permission

ASCO: Without Permission traces the rise of four Chicano youth from East Los Angeles who united to form an innovative group that made art throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. From “asco,” Spanish for disgust, the group challenged representation in the worlds of art, politics, and film.

Harry Gamboa Jr., Glugio “Gronk” Nicandro, Willie Herrón, and Patssi Valdez met in high school and began making art as teenagers in 1970. They formed ASCO, and their work interrogated the Vietnam War, police brutality, Hollywood, and the art world through incendiary performances, photography, video, and muralism. Frustrated by the stereotyping and the lack of access for themselves and their peers, ASCO began creating work across Los Angeles. They reimagined entire films with Brown protagonists in a series of film stills entitled "No Movies.”

By the 1980s, ASCO expanded to over 20 people, creating video works and theatrical productions with younger artists before the group disbanded in 1987. While each of the founders achieved success in the art world, ASCO remained in relative obscurity until the early 21st century when a new group of curators began showcasing their work internationally and introducing ASCO to a new generation. They are now recognized as a key art group of the 20th century.

The film examines ASCO’s influence on today’s artists, from a modern-day homage to “No Movies” to a pop-up exhibition featuring classic ASCO works alongside contemporary Latinx artists. Through interviews and ASCO’s archive, ASCO: Without Permission celebrates a group of creators who were ahead of their time.