The world of Tony Solís (Mexico, 1979) is divided into two parts. On one hand, there is the artist who, from a very young age, fell in love with photography as a medium of expression; on the other, there is the passionate editor who has been part of some of Mexico’s most forward-thinking publications, such as Baby Baby Baby, Nylon México, PÁNICO, and, most recently, Y-NOT MAG.
His work—whether it ends up hanging in an art gallery or printed in a magazine— is characterized by its irreverence, nostalgia, rebelliousness, and queerness, along with the freshness that only young people can convey. The boys, girls, and non-binary youth of each generation have posed—and continue to pose—in front of his lens: first it was Tony himself and his friends, then came the millennials, and now Gen Z is stepping up to show us what it means to be young.
For this edition of Gama Week, the Enrique Guerrero Gallery —which has represented him since 2007—presents “I Used to Be One of Them, ” an exhibition that revisits the origins of the artist’s photographic work and places it in dialogue with the present. “This series of portraits revisits the way I worked twenty years ago, at the beginning of my career. I’m returning to the same tools—the light and the compositions—with which I learned to see, but now from a different perspective: that of someone who has grown, ”Solís commented. “I portray youth with the distance that time provides, but also with an emotional closeness that has not been lost. I used to be one of them, and although I am no longer one, I still recognize something of myself in their gestures, in their energy, in the way they inhabit the world,” he noted.
A Curious Look at the Youth of Several Generations
Divided into four rooms, “I Used to Be One of Them” invites us to take a closer look at youth across different eras. “I came across my little notebooks—there have been many of them over the years—filled with little drawings and ideas. Some came to fruition and others didn’t, so for this series, I revisited some ideas and took notes for about two years before I began photographing the material,” said Tony Solís. The first room displays the photographs Solís created for this exhibition; in them, we see portraits of today’s youth, who inspire us with their innocent, playful, and at times, aggressive and defiant attitudes. “I already had an idea of what I wanted to do, but after finding my notebooks, I discovered how I had changed over time and what my perspective used to be. Many of these boys, girls, and kids are the children of my friends, close acquaintances, and family members because I liked the idea of comparing the perspectives of youth from the past with those of today,” he said.
Next comes Room Two, where the artist has displayed a pair of photographs from his mother’s youth—images that sparked his creative fire years ago and have consistently inspired his photographic work. In the third room, Tony takes us back to his own youth in Monterrey: photos of parties, trips, his first photo shoots, gigs with his band, and candid moments with his friends—all of which come together to form a vast collage of memories.
Tony Solís and His Photographs with Soundtracks
The fourth and final space welcomes us with a playful little tune, a babbling rendition of the Violent Femmes’ song “Blister in the Sun,” which serves as the central theme of the short film the artist presents to us. The screening is accompanied by various objects—such as films, records, magazines, cameras, and other artifacts—that have been part of both his professional development and his personal life. Music and film are definitely essential elements in a Tony Solís exhibition, as they have always been intrinsically linked to his work—so this show is no exception.“I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t listen to music or watch movies; all my references have always been about more than just fashion. That very indie—extremely indie—aesthetic is what has always influenced my visual work. I feel like my work reminds me of the things I like.”
After a life spent between the worlds of art and publishing, what would the Tony of today say to the Tony of back then? “To learn to trust differently—to trust myself more—because in the end I’ve realized that I can get things done with other people, with help, but I don’t need someone else who’s holding me back or pulling a fast one on me. That, and fewer parties, more work,” he concluded.
What You Need to Know About This Exhibition
The exhibition is open to the public from September 3 through November 6 at the Enrique Guerrero Gallery, located at 103 General Juan Cano Street, Colonia Chapultepec, in Mexico City.
Who is Tony Solís?
Tony Solís is a Mexican photographer, curator, and editor who has lived and worked in Mexico City since 2006. He studied at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts with a specialization in Audiovisual Production.
Solís is currently the founder and director of Y-NOT MAG. From 2011 to 2015, he was the founder and director of the magazine PÁNICO and GXXRL, and prior to that, he served as editor at NYLON Mexico. He has also contributed to various magazines, both national and international, including ELLE, VICE, Código, Picnic, Gatopardo, 192, i-D Mexico, The Beauty Effect, Marie Claire, Dazed, and many others.
Solís is an active member of the contemporary art scene and is represented by the Enrique Guerrero Gallery. His work has transcended our country’s borders and has been exhibited at the world’s most prominent art fairs. At Zona Maco 2012, Tony was awarded the Purificación García Prize for Latin American Photographers.
He is also the founder of Pequeños Bribones, an art gallery that promotes the work of emerging artists, and of SAMPLE, an audiovisual festival that held its first edition in August 2016.
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