GGLA is proud to present Body and Soul, a solo exhibition by Los Angeles-based photographer Greg Bojorquez. Mining Bojorquez’ vast archive of photos taken over many decades as a professional and street photographer, the artist’s latest exhibition in his hometown includes a range of photos, many never seen or printed before, spanning nearly three decades from 1995 to 2022. The images contained within celebrate a variety of themes, from the innocence of youth and the complexities of growing up, to relationships and love in all forms and facets, all set against the ever-shifting backdrop of East LA. Well known for his project Eastsiders, and a monograph of the same name, Bojorquez delved deep into the communities within which he grew up in East LA. Scenes of working class neighborhoods and their residents, were also interspersed with scenes of gang life. With each photo comes a story, and as Bojorquez was thoroughly enmeshed in the fabric of the neighborhoods in which he shot, many of these photos bring to mind stories of tragedy, violence and sadness. Body and Soul as an exhibition focuses instead on images that as the artist says, “made me feel good”. Within this we see Bojorquez reaching back to images that call forth a sense of purity and innocence. Photos such as CITY TERRACE PARK, CITY TERRACE, which features two young boys sitting side by side, beaming back at the camera in little league uniforms while one enjoys a Squirt and the other a churro, glow with a sense of simple innocence and contentedness that we’d all wish to feel again. Other photographs such as ICE CREAM TRUCK KIDS, EAST LA, or DODGER FIELD TRIP, CHAVEZ RAVINE, both show the energy and goofiness of being young without a care in the world. Mirroring the passage of time seen in the dates of the photos taken, the progression from youth to adolescence, teenage years, and young adulthood are felt throughout Bojorquez’ photographs within Body and Soul. Couples, primarily young couples, are a theme within the show, finding safety and belonging in one another’s arms. The lovers within METRO GOLD LINE KIDS, BOYLE HEIGHTS, stare back at the camera in quiet defiance, while the pair in BALL GAME DATE, CHAVEZ RAVINE, walk towards the camera in tense silence, each individual in their own world yet navigating a boisterous stadium and world in the tight grasp of one another. The photo of two older soul mates, CEREFINA GARCIA SANCHEZ & EUTIMIO FLORES MENDOZA FROM PUEBLA, MEXICO, BOYLE HEIGHTS, plays with the temporal nature of the show, while highlighting the everlasting themes of love, innocence and belonging that run through the exhibition. Just as each image distills an intimate and unique moment within every individual’s life in the camera’s frame, the same can be said for how the artist captures Los Angeles. The places we live in are in a constant state of flux, and one of the great assets of photography is to cement these ever shifting landscapes, even if for just a moment. These are love letters to the artist’s Los Angeles, the streets and alleyways and buildings and of course the people. Yet perhaps the greatest beauty in Greg Bojorquez’s photographs for Body and Soul is their simultaneous hyper-specificity and broad relatability–a reflection of the uniqueness this is Los Angeles and a testament to the universal threads that bind us all.