Harry Gamboa Jr.: The Early, The Late, The Lost
Fearless, outspoken, and with a fierce sense of humor, Harry Gamboa Jr. has challenged the conventions of photography, performance, and literature for more than fifty years. Rooted in activist communities and the ever-shifting landscape of East Los Angeles, Gamboa has organized multiple artistic collectives from Asco (1972–1985) to Troupe Non Grata (2022–today). This exhibition mixes fragments of his many projects with examples of his prose and poetry in a unique celebration of his work.
One vital theme that runs through Gamboa’s art is the transgressive act of walking in Los Angeles. This requires crossing privately-owned land subversively, traversing rubble, and viewing oversized, characterless architecture at human scale. Verging on the surreal, Gamboa photographs the absurdity of authenticity in an urban landscape designed for surveillance and control. His photography shows hard-won moments of solidarity amongst groups of people in the city.
The installation situates Gamboa’s photography in the context of his writing, fotonovelas, and video art that was often featured on public access television in the 1980s. Special thanks to the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center for lending artworks and the artist for generously sharing materials from his archive with us.
Harry Gamboa Jr., Clique Laughter #2, 2019. Performers: Aarum Alatorre, Lila-Zoe Krauss, Ruth Murillo, Frank Washington, Barbie Gamboa, Orly Perl, and Henry Quiron. Gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 inches. © Harry Gamboa Jr.
