Leon Mostovoy

Artist

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 – 12^th 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 – 26^th 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.