Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley Oral History Center University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Joey Terrill Joey Terrill: At the Forefront of Queer Chicano Art Interviews conducted by Todd Holmes in 2017 Interviews sponsored by the J. Paul Getty Trust Copyright © 2017 by J. Paul Getty Trust Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley ii Since 1954 the Oral History Center of the Bancroft Library, formerly the Regional Oral History Office, has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the nation. Oral History is a method of collecting historical information through tape-recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. The tape recording is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The corrected manuscript is bound with photographs and illustrative materials and placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and in other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ********************************* Copyright in the manuscript and recording is owned by the J. Paul Getty Trust, which has made the materials available under Creative Commons licenses as follows: Manuscript is licensed under CC-BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and recording is licensed under CC-BY-NC (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Joey Terrill, “Joey Terrill: At the Forefront of Queer Chicano Art” conducted by Todd Holmes in 2017, Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, under the auspices of the J. Paul Getty Trust, 2017. Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley iii Joey Terrill, 2017 Photo Courtesy of Joey Terrill Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley iv In 2017, The Getty Center initiated the exhibition Pacific Standard Time: LA/ LA, an ambitious and far-reaching series of exhibitions across Southern California that explored Latin American and Latino art in dialogue with Los Angeles. In connection with this exhibition, The Getty Center sponsored life history interviews with selected Chicana/o and Latina/o artists, many of whom were featured in the LA/ LA programs. These interviews, conducted by the Oral History Center at the University of California, Berkeley, aimed to document the lives and experiences of these artists amid the dynamic and changing art world of the West. Joey Terrill was one of the selected artists. Joey Terrill is a Chicano artist and second-generation native of East Los Angeles. For nearly four decades, his paintings and prints have stood at the forefront of Queer Chicano art, pushing the boundaries of form and cultural representation by exploring the confluences of race and sexuality. In the 1980s, his work expanded further to address the epidemic that was ravaging the arts community: AIDs. From silkscreens and collages to various styles of painting, his artwork has long given voice to the experience of gay Chicanos while simultaneously advocating for racial justice, gay liberation, and HIV awareness. Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley v Table of Contents—Joey Terrill Interview 1: May 22, 2017 Hour 1 1 Birth in 1955 in Los Angeles — Parents Salvador and Inez: “My dad gave me art and my mom gave me music” — Early childhood in Santa Fe Springs, near Los Angeles — Early awareness of art and design, feeling somehow different from a young age — Birth of sister Linda at age four — Parents’ divorce at age seven — Mother’s diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, living with extended family during mother’s hospitalizations — Taking care of mother and sister during mother’s “spells” — Paternal aunts’ artistry with silver — Art in school, teachers Mr. and Mrs. Pavini — 1968 field trip to Spahn Ranch — Meeting Manson family members and seeing one naked: “So the first naked man that I saw was a murderer” — Discovering homosexual identity — Attending Cathedral High School 1969-1973 — First sexual encounter, boyfriend Mario — Burgeoning Chicano identity and awareness, activism with La Huelga — Teachers and mentors Christian Brothers — 1970 visit to San Francisco — Friend Terry’s suicide attempt, coming out to one another — Harassment from Brother Gary — Discovering and engaging with the gay community in LA Hour 2 17 Chicano Moratorium and “police riot” — Increasing activism — Navigating various identities: Chicano, Catholic, gay — Running away to San Francisco with Terry in 1971 — Hitchhiking, Christian surfers on the PCH — Arrival in San Francisco and return to LA — Running away to San Francisco a second time by rail “like hobos” — Squatting in an apartment at 19th and Alabama, meeting young activists — Huge party at Project Artaud, Cockettes performance — The Pavinis and Terry come to San Francisco to collect Terrill — Pavinis offer to rescue Terrill from his family and homosexuality — Silver lining to being the man of the house: freedom to explore gay identity and community — Coming out as a junior in high school, Las Escandalosas — Coming out to mom, sister — Mom’s journey to acceptance — Brother Richard comes out to Terrill after graduation from Cathedral — More on harassment as a student, moments of connection and acceptance Hour 3 35 Foiled plan to take transgendered friend Kimberly to prom — Encountering Bother Gary in the gay scene — Admiration for Sister Corita Kent, director of Immaculate Heart College’s art department — Upheaval and opening Immaculate Heart to men and non-Catholics — Starting at Immaculate Heart in 1973 — Early focus on feminist art — Inspiration from Frida Kahlo — Writing for the Immaculate Heart newsletter — Collage work, Thirty Lesbian Photos — 1975 Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley vi collage “cookbook” ruined at a wild artist party — 1978 “Corazon Herido” show inspired by Frida Kahlo — Maricón t-shirts — Mid-1970s mail art using the Maricón t-shirts — Reclaiming the word “Maricón” — Fellow gay Chicano artists Teddy Sandoval, Jack Vargas, Jef Hueregue, Mundo Meza — Mural movement, Chicano art not taken seriously by white art establishment — Asco critique of traditional Chicano art — 1974 or 1975 speaking engagement at Cal State Los Angeles Chicano Studies class — Marginalization of homosexuality in Chicano Studies and art — Addendum on father Interview 2: May 23, 2017 Hour 1 54 The genesis of Homeboy Beautiful: satirizing middle class magazines, critiquing misogyny and homophobia in Chicano culture — First issue in 1978 — Collaboration with Immaculate Heart colleagues — Inspirations and influences — Run of 100, distribution, response — Second issue in 1979: “East L.A. Terrorism” — Addressing Prop 6 [Briggs Initiative, 1978] — Later learning about the Maricón Collective, reissuing Homeboy Beautiful in 2015 — L.A. roots of the term “homeboy” — 1960s-1970s L.A. gang culture, “cholo” calligraphy/graffiti — Machismo and homophobia in homeboy culture — The fashion layout photo shoot for Homeboy Beautiful issue 2 — Developing the Santo character and commenting on Catholicism — Merciless satire: “Nobody gets unscathed, everyone was a target” — Meeting Carlton Dinall as a teenager, beginning to realize there were lots of gay people — Noting racism and sexism in the 1970s L.A. gay scene — Circus Disco — Privilege and class issues Hour 2 69 The evolution of Circus Disco: “You used to be able to buy poppers right at the coat check” — L.A. music scene in the 1970s — Racism in the Los Angeles Police Department, harassment — Recalling violent episodes in the gay community — First art shows in 1978 and 1979, the Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions — Collage pieces about favorite restaurant hangouts Philippe’s, Lupe’s, and Yee-Mee-Lou’s — 1976 Cal State Long Beach show — Ni aqui, ni alla of Chicano identity — Dia de los Muertos exhibit The Quilt I Made for My Friend Jerry — 1980 first solo exhibit at A Different Light bookstore — 1980 breakup with Rick and move to New York with sister — Being one of only a few Mexicans in New York — Searching for Burritos — John Lennon’s murder — Lasting impact and trauma — A moment of silence in Conran’s department store Interview 3: May 23, 2017 Hour 1 102 Impression of art scene in New York City compared to Los Angeles — Feelings of not belonging in NYC as a native — Interest in acrylic painting, first large acrylic painting Oral History Center, The Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley vii entitled Dos Hombres — Inspiration of Mother and Son painting from the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe, association of happy moments with family — Personal reflection behind My Mother’s Maiden Name from a photograph taken early in Terrill’s time at New York — Challenges of real life drawing — Halloween parties: artistic décor of wall coverings with hallucinogenic illustrations, creative energy of the guests, a year