iGetty CenterBrentwood
Every Minute Is History: Five Views of Los Angeles
Five photographers (Laura Aguilar, Reynaldo Rivera, George Rodriguez, Patssi Valdez and Ricardo Valverde) whose work expanded depictions of Chicano/a communities in Los Angeles in the late 20th century.
More in Los Angeles
One of the first pictures George Rodriguez took of his father, in 1959, shows him reading the newspaper La Opinión. Rodriguez went on to shoot the 1966 Sunset Strip riots and the 1969 United Farm Workers actions in Delano, where marchers carry hand-painted signs honoring Cesar Chavez.
The other four photographers work very differently. Patssi Valdez stages fashion in cluttered apartment sets, Reynaldo Rivera shoots drag performers backstage at La Plaza, Ricardo Valverde scratches his prints and adds neon paint, and Laura Aguilar pairs headshots with handwritten statements. Aguilar let her subjects write their own captions, which is a better bio than anything on your Hinge profile. Labels run in English and Spanish.
Think of it as five small bodies of work rather than one story. Entry is free with a timed reservation, and the Getty is open until 9pm on Saturdays, when parking is free after 6pm. It runs to 3 January 2027.
Editor's pick
Laura Aguilar, Reynaldo Rivera, George Rodriguez, Patssi Valdez and Ricardo Valverde photographing Chicano/a Los Angeles in the late 20th century.
Look for
Rodriguez in Delano, 1969
Farm workers carry hand-painted signs honoring Cesar Chavez, shot as straight reportage on the spot.
Billie in a Patssi Valdez Fashion, 1982
A staged portrait in a cluttered apartment, built to set a mood rather than record an event.
Aguilar's Latina Lesbians, 1987
Headshots, each paired with a handwritten personal statement by the sitter.
Rivera's backstage drag portraits
Performers such as Gaby at La Plaza, photographed from inside the dressing room.
Valverde's Lotería de Muertos
A person in skeleton makeup and a dress carries gladiolas against a draped background.
Good for
- Cheap Culture
- Evening Visits
- Out-Of-Town Guests
With kids
Laura Aguilar's work includes nude portraits and self-portraits, so preview it with younger children. Entry is free with a timed reservation.
Also at Getty Center
On now nearby
Image credits
5
- Every Minute Is History: Five Views of Los Angeles© Esperanza Valverde and Christopher Jude Valverde
- Sculpted Portraits from Ancient Egypt© The Trustees of the British Museum. All rights reserved
- Stories from the Library: The Mirror of the MoonCourtesy of The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
- The Egyptian Book of the DeadCourtesy of Getty Villa
- Getty CenterCarol M. Highsmith / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain