Unveiling the Queer Terrain of Griffith Park
Mark Reid
NOTES ON THE WORK OF MARK REID
SCHWULE / noun
Gay or homosexual of an unspecified gender
Gay or homosexual of an unspecified gender
LANDSCHAFTEN / noun
Landscape, scenery, countryside
Landscape, scenery, countryside
The concept of Schwule Landschaften – the landscapes shaped by queer bodies, histories, and movements – lies at the heart of Mark’s work as an artist. He first studied queer landscapes in Berlin, a beacon for queer culture for centuries, but has now brought his work home to Los Angeles. These landscapes are not just physical spaces but powerful markers of resilience and reinvention. From the sexual cruising grounds of Griffith Park’s urban forests to the protests on the streets outside of the Black Cat, LA’s queer fabric has been woven together through activism, struggle, and joy. As much as LA’s queer past is defined by oppression, it is equally defined by the radical reclamation of space. Through Mark’s photography and writing, he seeks to honor this history and continue the dialogue about queer spaces not as something to be erased, but something to be celebrated and protected.
Mark’s work attempts to stitch together a narrative of queer urban landscapes – an ongoing exploration of how these spaces exist and persist. Visualizing the queer terrains of our world cements their past histories, roles today, and forthcoming futures. Through the lens of urban design and landscape architecture, Mark believes we can reshape the discourse around public space and its capacity to serve the communities that need them most. Nature and marginalized communities have been exploited together throughout history, so he sees his work as a form of protest that honors their collective struggle while celebrating their beauty. His love for Los Angeles and its queer terrains shines brightly through his work, and he asks his viewers to be respectful of these spaces and the conversations surrounding them.
Mark Reid is a graduate student in USC’s Landscape Architecture + Urbanism program. He is a landscape designer, photographer, and horticulturist, and the founder and creative director of Queer Terrain, a research collective documenting queer landscapes in Los Angeles. @queerterrain.
