Reynaldo Rivera
Mexican photographer
Reynaldo Rivera |
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Born | 1964
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Known for | Photography, notably of Latinx culture |
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Reynaldo Rivera (born 1964) is a 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 captures venues such as La Plaza, the Silverlake Lounge, Mugy's, and Little Joy.[1]
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 underrepresented 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.[citation needed]
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.[5] Starting at 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][6] Rivera credits the employee at the film store he frequented for explaining the mechanics of the camera after his initial pictures came out blank.[5] 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.[5]
Rivera's first professional assignment in his 20s was photographing live punk and rock music, such as performances by Depeche Mode, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Sonic Youth.[6] He then transitioned to photographing drag bars, house parties, and queer clubs during the 1980s and 1990s.[6]
Works, exhibitions, projects, collections
Notable works / selected works
- Tatiana Volty, 1986, Silverlake Lounge[7]
- Anna LaCazio and Judy Pokonosky, 1989, Echo Park[8]
- Elyse Regehr and Javier Orosco, 1989, Downtown LA[9]
- Miss Alex, 1992, Echo Park
- Olga, 1992, La Plaza
- Wes Cuttler, 1992, Echo Park[10]
- Angela, 1993, La Plaza
- Gaby, Reynaldo and Angela, 1993, La Plaza
- Laura, La Plaza, 1993[11]
- Melissa and Gaby, 1993, La Plaza
- Montenegro, 1995, Silverlake Lounge
- Patron, 1995, Silverlake Lounge
- Performer, 1995, Silverlake Lounge
- Tina, 1995, Mugy's
- Vanessa, 1995, Silverlake Lounge[12]
- Richard Villegas Jr., friend, and Enrique, 1996
- Girls, 1997, El Conquistador[13]
- La Plaza, 1997, La Plaza
Exhibitions, projects and collections
- Fistful of Love/También la belleza, MoMA PS1, 2024, New York
- Kiss Me Deadly, Reena Spaulings Fine Art, 2021, New York
- Made in LA 2020: A Version, Hammer Museum / The Huntington Library, 2021, Los Angeles
- Comedy of Errors, The Gallery At, 2020, Hollywood
- Avengers - Someone Left a Cake Out in the Rain, Gaga & Reena Spaulings Fine Art, 2019, Los Angeles
References
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