Reynaldo Rivera

Last updated
Reynaldo Rivera
Born
1964

Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Known forPhotography, notably of Latinx culture

Reynaldo Rivera (born 1964) is a Mexican photographer whose work documents queer, transgender and predominantly Latinx scenes in late 20th-century Los Angeles, including clubs, house parties, and everyday life. His photography captured venues such as La Plaza, the Silverlake Lounge, Mugy's, and Little Joy. [1]

Contents

Rivera's black-and-white photographs document private moments and the lives of Latinx women, artists and drag performers during this period. [2] His work highlights communities affected by gentrification, violence, and with limited public record-keeping, which contributed to their marginalization. [3] Rivera's photography provides a historical record of these under-represented groups in Los Angeles. [3]

Early life and career

Reynaldo Rivera was born in 1964 in Mexicali, Mexico. [4] While growing up, he moved throughout the United States and Mexico. [4] He now resides permanently in East Los Angeles. [5]

Rivera's mother and father were both born in Mexico. After his parents separated, Rivera oscillated between living with his mother and his father. [4] He navigated his childhood moving to various places, including Stockton, Pasadena, Mexicali, and Santa Ana, alongside his sister Herminia. [6] From the age of five, Rivera lived with his abusive grandmother for four consecutive years after being kidnapped by his father. [2] Thereafter, Rivera's father would often bring him from Glendale to the San Joaquin Valley, where Rivera was exposed to his father's illegal activities. [2] Rivera also had run-ins with the law, including facing charges in the sixth grade for selling drugs. [2]

Rivera describes photography as a means to achieve stability. [2] His first camera was a Pentax K1000. [2] In the early 1980s, Rivera began his career by photographing hotel cleaners. His first piece, created in 1983, aimed to document the site where his step-grandfather was murdered in Mexico City. [2] [7] Rivera credits the employee at the film store he frequented for explaining the mechanics of the camera after his initial pictures came out blank. [6] During his early pursuit of photography, Rivera did not have enough money to afford buying many rolls of film, which forced him to strengthen his editing skills. [6]

Rivera's first professional assignment in his 20's was photographing live punk and rock music, such as performances by Depeche Mode, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Sonic Youth. [7] He then transitioned to photographing drag bars, house parties, and queer clubs during the 1980's and 1990's. [7]

Works, exhibitions, projects, collections

Notable works / selected works

Exhibitions, projects and collections

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References

  1. ↑ Wolf, Kate (2020-12-10). "The Vanishing Queer Underground of Los Angeles". ISSN   0027-8378 . Retrieved 2022-02-06.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The Glamorous World of LA's Vanished Queer Underground". Aperture. 2021-03-16. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
  3. 1 2 "'We are not the footnote': In photos, Reynaldo Rivera evokes L.A.'s queer Latino bohemia". Los Angeles Times. 2021-02-04. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
  4. 1 2 3 "Reynaldo Rivera | Hammer Museum". hammer.ucla.edu. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
  5. ↑ "Reynaldo Rivera | The Huntington". huntington.org. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  6. 1 2 3 SSENSE (2021-04-12). "Reynaldo Rivera Is His Own Leading Lady". ssense. Archived from the original on 2022-02-06. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
  7. 1 2 3 Kraus, Chris (2020-12-15). "Reynaldo Rivera's Photographs of a Los Angeles That No Longer Exists". Hyperallergic. Archived from the original on 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
  8. ↑ "Reynaldo Rivera – Digital (NFTs) artworks by Reynaldo Rivera – Digital Basel". Digital Original. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  9. ↑ "Anna LaCazio and Judy Pokonosky, Echo Park". www.moca.org. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  10. ↑ "Exhibition | You Belong Here: Place, People, and Purpose in Latinx Photography | Princeton University Art Museum". artmuseum.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  11. ↑ "Reynaldo Rivera – Digital (NFTs) artworks by Reynaldo Rivera – Digital Basel". Digital Original. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  12. ↑ "Reynaldo Rivera – Digital (NFTs) artworks by Reynaldo Rivera – Digital Basel". Digital Original. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  13. ↑ "Reynaldo Rivera – Digital (NFTs) artworks by Reynaldo Rivera – Digital Basel". Digital Original. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  14. ↑ "Reynaldo Rivera – Digital (NFTs) artworks by Reynaldo Rivera – Digital Basel". Digital Original. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
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