Joey Terrill

Joey Terrill (born October 5, 1955) is an American Chicano queer visual artist. He works in the mediums of painting, collage, drawing, and photography. His work often pays tribute to gay visual artist, and features Chicano themes. Terrill uses inspiration from cartoons, magazines, 1950s and 1960s art movements, and comics to produce his work. He is based in Los Angeles.

Early life and education

Joey Terrill was born on October 5, 1955 in Los Angeles, California, to parents of Mexican descent. Terrill went to a Catholic all-boys school, where he found his interest in Chicano political movements.

Terrill was also fascinated by painting and painted various titles including He Used to Untie My Shoes (1978), If I Were Rich, I’d Buy My Lover Expensive Gifts (1980–1982), He Wore Ray Ban Glasses, a Rolex Watch, and He Used to Eat My Ass (1985).

From 1980 to 1981, Terrill moved to New York City but eventually returned home to Los Angeles. At the time, the AIDS epidemic had recently broken out, affecting his closest friends and community. Overcome by the deaths surrounding him, Terrill moved to activism to help his local community.

Terrill lives in Los Angeles and is the director of global advocacy and partnerships for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. and the Museum of Modern Art.

Work and exhibitions

"Homeboy Beautiful" (1979) Acting as a defiance to machismo culture, Terrill wrote a zine dedicated to the representation of Chicano gay men.

"Axis Mundo: Queer Networks in Chicano L.A." (2017) Organized by ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives in partnership with The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles for Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, Axis Mundo: Queer Networks in Chicano L.A., presented art, music, and performance by queer Chicano/a artists in Los Angeles from the 1960s to the early 1990s. The Maricón Series (1975) and Homeboy Beautiful (1979) were featured.

Once Upon a Time: Paintings 1981–2015 (2021)

"Joey Terrill: Cut and Paste" (2023) From January 19 to February 25, 2023, Terrill premiered his work Cut and Paste, showcasing his collage work from the 1970s to today. The exhibition was held by [./Https://www.ortuzar.com Ortuzar], a gallery in Tribeca, New York. His work, using various materials, draws inspiration from Sister Corita Kent. In the middle of the gallery was a fixture of a Xerox machine called It's Halloween Party Time from the late 1990s, displaying artifacts from parties he held at the peak of the AID Crisis. Other works in the exhibit included When I Was Young (1993), Homeboy Beautiful (1979), and Here I am / Estoy Aquí (2022).