DAZZLING

Queer Journeys through Photography and Film

July 13 through August 10, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, July 13, 6-9 pm

Photography has long been a vehicle utilized by the LGBTQIA+ community to document proof of our existence. This archiving of our history is crucial to both the people who are creating it, and to those who will experience it, now and for generations to come. As mainstream culture – dominated by a cis-gender, white, patriarchal society – continues distilling Queer identity through an outside, heteronormative perspective, Queer photography and film play a fundamental role in providing an accurate representation of Queer life, and acknowledging LGBTQIA+ society.

In a new exhibit at Bermudez Projects, the Queer experience is celebrated, recognized, and honored. Dazzling: Queer Journeys through Photography and Film presents through the eyes – and lenses – of five contemporary artists the myriad facets of what it means to be a member of the LGTBQ+ community in an ever-changing diverse world. Spanning genre and subject matter in the discourse of the Queer experience, these images commemorate life, love, friendships, adventures, and coming-of-age, reaffirming our shared human experience.

From portraiture to documentary and black-and-white photography, to candid snapshots and short films – all created by Queer image-makers – the works in this exhibit afford viewers an opportunity to acquire a deeper knowledge and appreciation of a marginalized community whose visibility and representation continues to evolve.

In 2007, Jen Rosenstein began photographing portraits of members of the transgender community here in Los Angeles. Since then, Rosenstein’s Transformational Project has grown to over 300 richly-hued photographs of transgender men and women from across the country, including a self-published book. An advertising and editorial photographer, Rosenstein has photographed some of the most recognizable Rock & Rollers in history, as well as documenting Vice President Kamala Harris in her motorcade, and photographing her at the White House.

Norrel Blair’s queer american road trip is a visual “StoryCorps” capturing and sharing the stories and surrounding environments – natural and urban – of Queer individuals throughout the United States. Portraying a younger generation of Queer Americans from diverse backgrounds and beliefs, Blair’s images include hand-written notes by his subjects in a diaristic fashion, allowing each person or couple to add to their stories within the image.

Louis Jacinto’s portraits of LA’s Queer artists – Gronk, Joey Terrill, rafa esparza, Phranc, and Chiachio and Giannone – enshrines the importance of their creative contributions. Jacinto has been a prominent figure documenting LA’s kaleidoscopic cultural scene for nearly 50 years. His early body of work focused on the punk scene of the 70s; from there, his photographic material has grown to include documenting the neighborhoods of Echo Park and Silverlake, pride parades, LA’s artistic community, and fine art photography.

As a visual artist working primarily in photography and film/video, Brandon Michael Young has worked with global brands, such as Nike, and media outlets, including The Los Angeles Times. His glossy, sun-kissed images of young men in natural environs convey a romanticism, and a gentle playfulness that buoys the spirit.

With his very first short film, Eloi & Biel, which will be presented in the exhibit, Noel Alejandro broke all stereotypes by presenting an explicit sex positive movie that was actually about love. Twenty-four films later, Alejandro continues pushing the boundaries of filmmaking by blurring the lines of high-art cinema and erotica. Through beautiful, naturally-lit cinematography and sensitive scriptwriting, Alejandro’s work explores gay pornography as a tool to question societal standards.

Through their respective visions and practices, these five artists understand the value of building an inclusive living archive that embodies the diversity, vibrancy, and humanity of the LGBTQIA+ community. And, in presenting these stories on our own terms, perhaps the ways in which our Queerness is experienced can foster meaningful dialogue and understanding, and, ultimately an acceptance and celebration of our existence.