Leon Mostovoy
Leon Mostovoy is a transgender artist who has been creating on the front lines of the queer and political art movements for decades. Formerly Tracy, Mostovoy started his art career producing erotic images for On Our Backs magazine in the early 1980s. Mostovoy’s most recent projects explore transgender identity, transformation, sexuality, and gender roles in contemporary U.S. society.
His earlier photographic series have explored the struggles and triumphs of women as they strive for strength and independence living outside the parameters of heteronormative expectations. His installation Death Of My Daughter was shown in Romania in 2011 to encourage awareness and acceptance in/of their transgender community. In 2011, Leon presented his first retrospective, (My) Queer (R)evolution, at Temple University in Philadelphia.
He has had over 50 shows, including solo and group photography, and multi-media exhibitions. His work from the 1980-90’s was inducted into the ONE Archives, the largest LGBTQ Archive in the world, accompanied by an opening exhibition in January 2015 of his 1987-88 Market Street Cinema photography series. Transfigure Project was first created as a traditional children’s flipbook and photographic installation in 2013 then, launched as an interactive website in 2015 to promote accessibility in the trans community. Transfigure Project Installation is currently exhibited internationally with a limited edition of 250 hardbound Transfigure books sold online and at various bookstores in the Los Angeles and New York.
Solo Exhibitions
- 2016 – TRANS TIME, Galerie Confluences, Paris, France
- 2016 – Tom of Finland Art Fair, Los Angeles, California
- 2016 – The Leslie + Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art Prince St. Project, TransfigureProject, NY, New York
- 2016 – Renberg Theatre, Ed Gould Plaza, Amelia Jones & Leon Mostovoy present: Trans Feminism 101; A New Conversation, Los Angeles, California
- 2015 – Advocate & Gochis Galleries, KEEP GOING, LGBT Center’s Annual Senior Youth Photo Project, Los Angeles, California
- 2015 – ONE Archives; Market Street Cinema, Los Angeles, California
- 2014 – Highways, Transfigure, Los Angeles, California
- 2012 – Beyond Baroque, (My) Queer (R)evloution, Los Angeles, California
- 2012 – Beyond Baroque, Death Of My Daughter,Los Angeles, California
- 2012 – Highways Performance Space & Gallery, Death Of My Daughter, Los Angeles, California
- 2012 – University California Santa Barbara (UCSB), Death Of My Daughter, Santa Barbra, California
- 2011 – Temple University, (My) Queer (R)evloution, Los Angeles, California
- 2011 – Temple University, Death Of My Daughter, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 2011 – University California Los Angeles (UCLA), Death Of My Daughter, Los Angeles, California
- 2011 – ACCEPT, Death Of My Daughter, Bucharest, Romania
- 2011 – San Francisco GLBTQ Center, Death Of My Daughter, San Francisco, California
- 2010 – Still Above Ground, Death Of My Daughter, Oakland, California
- 2005 – Antioch University, Beyond Conviction- Women Ex Cons, Los Angeles,
- 2005 – Antioch University, Beyond Conviction- Women Ex Cons, Santa Barbra, California
- 2005 – Hatch Gallery, Autobiography, Los Angeles, California
- 2000 – Advocate Gallery, Ex-Cons, Los Angeles, California
- 2000 – Highways Gallery, Ex-Cons, Los Angeles, California
- 1998 – The Village at Ed Gould Gallery, Life Force, Los Angeles, California
- 1998 – 12th World AIDS Conference, Geneva Switzerland
- 1993 – Highways Gallery, Memoirs to Alex, Los Angeles, California
- 1989 – EYE Gallery, The Market Street Cinema, San Francisco, California
- 1989 – Fobo Gallery, Ghosts Within Us, San Francisco, California
- 1988 – New College Gallery, Auto-da-fe, San Francisco, California
- 1987 – San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California
- 1986 – Martin Weber Gallery, Night Walk, San Francisco, California
Group Exhibitions
- 2018 – Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Ohio; After Stonewall
- 2018 – Radclyffe Hall, Glasgow Scottland; Deep Down Body Thirst
- 2017 – LA LGBT Center Advocate & Gochis Gallery; Trans Experience: A Life of Celebration (Curator)
- 2016 SEXY, a Month of Photography in Los Angeles, Artist Corner Gallery, Los Angeles, California
- 2016 PHOTO LA International Exhibition; LA, California
- 2016 Artist Corner, Round Hole, Square Peg, Los Angeles, California
- 2016 The Arcade Gallery, He, She, They, Ze, Columbia College Chicago
- 2016 Somos Gallery, TRANS TIME 2, Berlin, Germany,
- 2015 Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Fashionistas Fight Back, Orange County, California
- 2015 Advocate & Gochis Galleries, WE CAN BE HEROS, LA California
- 2014 L’espace créatif, TRANS TIME, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- 2014 ImageOut, personal pronouns, Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester New York
- 2014 Highways, Trigger Warning!!, Los Angeles, California
- 2014 Advocate & Gochis Galleries, Brought To You By The Letter T, LA, California
- 2012 Highways, A Night of Trans Activism, Los Angeles, California
- 2007 Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, California
- 2007 Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, California
- 2005 Fluxco, Rose in Jupiter, Los Angeles, California
- 2004 ONE Gallery, Out Sights, Los Angeles, California
- 2004 Highways Gallery, Los Angeles, California
- 2002 Cannibal Flower, Los Angeles, California
- 2001 Max 10, Los Angeles, California
- 1999 Highways Gallery, Retrospective, Los Angeles, California
- 1998 The Village at Ed Gould, Beyond memories and symbols: Robert D. Farber Living ArtsProject, LA
- 1997 Clean Needle Exchange, Last Shot Photo w/ Hollywood Homeless Youth, LA Ca.
- 1992 Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Los Angeles, California
- 1991 C.U.N.Y., New York City, New York
- 1991 Sluts and Goddesses w/ Annie Sprinkle, NYC, New York; LA, Ca.
- 1991 Rutgers University, New Jersey
- 1991 P.S. 122 Gallery, New York City, New York
- 1991 Art Positive, New York, Philadelphia, PA; Washington DC
- 1990 L.A.C.E., All But The Obvious, Los Angeles, California
- 1990 A Day Without Art, New York City, New York
- 1989 Rated X Show, New York City, New York
Filmography
Transfigure
- 2013 Outfest, Los Angeles, California
Death Of My Daughter
- 2012 – TLV Fest, Tel Aviv International LGBT Fest,
- 2012 – Brisbane Queer Festival, Australia
- 2012 – Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film & Video
- 2012 – Divergenti International Film Festival, Bologna Italy
- 2012 – Lesbian Film Festival of Freiburg, Germany
- 2012 – Out In The Desert, Arizona
- 2012 – Reelout Queer Film + Video Festival, Canada
- 2012 – Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Australia
- 2012 – 26th BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, London
- 2012 – Torino GLBT Film Festival, Italy
- 2012 – TLV Fest, Tel Aviv International LGBT Fest
- 2012 – Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival, Calgary, Alberta
- 2012 – North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
- 2012 – XIX International AIDS Conference, Washington DC,2012 Adelaide Festival, Australia
- 2011 – San Francisco Trans Film Festival,San Francisco,Ca
- 2011 – 22nd Hamburg International Queer Film Festival
- 2011 – Boston GLBT, Boston, Massachusetts
- 2011 – Frameline, San Francisco, California
- 2011 – Outfest, Los Angeles, California
- 2011 – Out In Africa, Cape Town, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 2011 – Southwest Gay And Lesbian Film Festival, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Multimedia Performances (Collaboration with artist Divianna Ingravallo)
- 1994 – Criminal Lovers, Highways Performance Space
- 1993 – Thru Our Blood/Women Living With AIDS, Highways Performance Space, Los Angeles, California
- Josie’s Cabaret, San Francisco, California
- 1992 – Naked Women
- 1991 – National Women Festival, UCLA University, Los Angeles, California
- The Kitchen, New York City, New York
- Theater Rhinoceros, San Francisco, California
- 1991 – Gone Bad
- 1990 – PS122, New York City, New York
- Franklin Furnace, New York City, New York
- La Mama, New York City, New York
- Climate Theater, San Francisco, California
- Highways Performance Space, Los Angeles
Film Distribution
- 2011 – Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre, Death Of My Daughter
*Not all exhibitions and performances have been included. A list of publications are available upon request.