Nathaniel Tetsuro Paolinelli — Seventh and Central, New Mexico Lowriders

Review by Lee Halvorsen •

Paolinelli’s powerful images immerse us in the artistry, mechanics, family, faith and community of Albuquerque’s Lowriders. The images are intense, a brilliant mixture of color and black and white bringing each page alive while blending perfectly into a single, heartfelt story. Many of the images are captioned with names and places to give the people and places more context and to create a more personal connection with the reader. The book is not just about the cars, it’s about the community, its art, faith and family expressed in the cars, the ink (tattoos) and their relationships. Paolinelli takes us deliberately through his journey with the Lowriders, whose motto is “Slow. Slow. Slow.” There is so much to see, you’ll miss it if you go too fast.

Paolinelli opens with how he met Sparky, a Lowrider, on the streets of Albuquerque. Over time they became friends and Sparky introduced Paolinelli to others in the Lowrider community. The City of Albuquerque honored the Lowriders by making a parking lot available Sunday afternoons at 7th and Central to meet and to show their cars and this becomes Lowrider Central each weekend. The book’s first image is a portrait of Sparky’s head tattoo and gives us an idea how personal the book will be.

Most of the images are portraits, portraits of people, families, cars, people with cars, people with bikes and dogs. Paolinelli captured the sense of tradition, history, and generational bonding. People in lowrider cars of all ages, family and friends riding in mechanical masterpieces coated in fantastic art. A lowrider car is a fusion of art and mechanics, the brainchildren and products of the owner’s innovation and imagination. The cars are brilliantly painted, highly polished and exquisitely highlighted by some extraordinary chrome work. The book has two poems, the one near the end of the book by Jessica Helen Lopez, “La Princesa de la Calle Séptima y Avenida Central” is a colorful, vibrant poem on many levels, it starts with:

¡Oye, princessa! Passenger of the peacock-plumed
carriage of the cock-eyed spoke, 
air-lifted, fat-tires tripping down Route 66 
on this fine, fun-loving Sunday afternoon.

The cars are moving pieces of art, one second colorfully posed slammed close to the pavement, then suddenly, poised like a rocket ship headed for the moon. The noise, the color, the smiles, the celebration all come alive in Paolinelli’s images. His sequencing walks slowly through the neighborhoods around Seventh & Central, we meet the people, see and hear the cars, and absorb the sense of community. The people in the community care for and take care of one another. Paolinelli’s images bring us close to family relationships as well as the relationships among friends.

The ink on the Lowriders is significant in both content and coverage. The themes of the ink highlight the personas. First is faith…many of the tattoos are religious, either iconic images or traditional symbols. Second, family…names, events, etc., also find their homes on arms, backs, chests. And third…their place, their Albuquerque. Many tattoos of “Duke” or “Burque” or “505” all referring to their city, their home, their theater, and their roots. Paolinelli’s ink collages force the eye to move slowly, to catch the nuances along with the main theme of the ink.

The book gives the reader a glimpse into the Lowrider Community, not just the magic of their wonderful cars, but the traditions of their art, the neighborhoods, and their way of life. Awesome images in a great story, something you won’t see unless you go to New Mexico or buy this book which will be available in March 2026! The last verse in the book’s opening poem by New Mexico Poet Laureate Manuel González says it best:

Making memories that define us 
Remind us
When to give respect
And how to show pride
Orgullo.

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Lee Halvorsen is assistant editor, writer and visual artist living in Virginia.

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Seventh and Central, New Mexico Low Riders by Nathaniel Tetsuro Paolinelli

Artist: Nathaniel Tetsuro Paolinelli living and working in Albuquerque, NM

Foreword: Nathaniel Tetsuro Paolinelli

Poetry: Manuel González
Jessica Helen Lopez

Publisher: University of New Mexico Press

Website for purchasing book.

Printed in China

Language: English

Perfect binding, 172 pages, more than 130 color and Black & White images, 8 x 10 in, ISBN 978-0-8263-6924-6

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