Raw, spectacular, riveting: just a few superlatives to lavish on Los Angeles (LA) photographer Oginee Viamontes aka OG.
In her first photo book The Seen (published by Burn Barrel Press) Oginee Viamontes captures an LA that embraces a freedom.
In her images the LA Punk scene unapologetically shouts and screams its individuality. We in turn are caught in the “chaotic” yet “organised” beauty of the images as; mosh pits, piercings, tattoos, Chicanos (and more) are caught in beautiful chaotic beauty.
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A lot of my work is BASED out of the East LA region. The bands I’ve covered grew up playing in the backyards of South Central and Boyle Heights (and more) It’s grown into a community. Its homies who support one another
I was exposed to the backyard gigs in 2013 when I met a homie who played in a band called ANGST and who gives a fuck.
East LA was organizing gigs in their own communities way back then, and decades before that. The LA punks today are continuing that legacy.
All I knew growing up was the Los Angeles punk scene from the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s. Bands were playing gigs at the Whiskey and the Roxy. I based a lot of my work in the East LA region.
I got into photography post pandemic times when people were still afraid to touch one another, and stand next to one another. Everyone’s masked up. Everyone’s frustrated. I was on IG and I came across this flyer where my friend I mentioned earlier was playing. I hadn’t been to a DIY show in a long time so I said fuck it I’m gonna go and I ended up at Lafayette Park in Los Angeles in April 2021.
I had a camera with me. I was just looking forward to seeing an old friend. I had no idea what I was about to witness and the word “chaotic “ is pretty much the best way to describe it. But it was organized and I saw something really incredible. I was catatonic. The pit was so huge there were fireworks exploding in this park. It was like the release they needed.
This was nothing like I had witnessed in the past. I knew exactly what I wanted to start. I knew what was happening was historical and I had to document it. I thought that this was a good way to express myself after so many years of putting off this passion of mine. It was beautiful and it encapsulated why I do what I do.
I think I was at a place where I had three years of work and a lot of people really wanted to own it. I was asked plenty of times like when would I put a book out and I just didn’t really know where to start.
So a really good friend of mine recommended to work with Burnbarrel Press, and it was just kind of like a tap on the shoulder and it rolled into what it became. I was ecstatic when I was holding the book in my hand it couldn’t have come out any more beautifully and I thank Burn Barrel press so much for helping me put this out there.
I’ve got so many images from just the beginning of this year and work that I’ve never posted, so I’m hoping that there will be more I would like to come out with volume two of THE SEEN someday.
OG uses a Canon R5 for digital work and then I have a Canon AE-1 35mm for film work.
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