Joey Terrill

Joey Terrill draws inspiration from various sources, including cartoons, magazines, art movements from the 1950s and 1960s, and comics, which inform his creative output.

Biography of Joey Terrill

Joey Terrill was born in 1955 in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in Highland Park, immersed in an artistic environment.

His interest in Chicano political movements took root during his time at a Catholic all-boys school. In 1969, Terrill became acquainted with the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) and learned about the Stonewall Riots by reading the Los Angeles Free Press. His involvement with the MCC introduced him to diverse members of the queer community, including Teddy Sandoval and Edmundo Meza. Together, they engaged in art creation and local activism.

From 1973 to 1976, Terrill attended Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. Later, he continued his education, studying at California State University in Los Angeles from 2000 to 2004.

In the years 1980 to 1981, Terrill briefly relocated to New York but later returned to his hometown of Los Angeles. During this period, the AIDS epidemic had recently emerged, profoundly affecting his closest friends and community. In 1989, Terrill received a positive HIV test result. Overwhelmed by the loss of those around him, Terrill shifted his focus toward activism, with the goal of supporting his local community.

In the post-1990s era, Terrill's art increasingly reflected his community and the everyday aspects of daily life. Presently, Terrill resides in Los Angeles, where he holds the position of Director of Global Advocacy & Partnerships for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

The artist has exhibited his art at various venues, including Park View / Paul Soto in Los Angeles, Ortuzar Projects in New York, ONE Gallery in West Hollywood, Norris Fine Art Gallery in Los Angeles, Score Bar in Los Angeles, and many more.

Joey Terrill's Art Style

Joey Terrill seamlessly integrates various mediums, including zine-making, performance, and painting, in a body of work that delicately captures his personal experiences within the intersecting worlds of queer, Chicano, and artistic communities. Drawing inspiration from the visual culture that surrounds him, Terrill combines personal photographs, pop cultural imagery, and reproductions of artworks by queer predecessors to evoke utopian landscapes.

In his early work, Terrill captures the intimacy between friends and lovers at the outset of the AIDS crisis, characterized by his distinctive flat style. In contrast, his later paintings reflect the evolution of photorealism and Conceptual art, showcasing the artist's intricate exploration of illusionistic space.