3/3/20

RICK CASTRO- PLUSHIES & FURRIES SCREENING- MARCH 7TH





This collection of images was taken at ConFURence 9, in Buena Park, California, 1998.
The furry fandom owes its history to the original sci-fi conventions of the late 1940s. 
Inspired by the 1938 Orson Wells radio presentation of the HG Wells novel War of the Worlds, originally published in 1897, 
a plethora of sci-fi, books, stories, comics and films flooded the market. 
This gave way to the monster, outer space genre of the 1950s, mushrooming into the Star Trek and Lost In Space phenomenon of the 1960s.

In the mid 1980s a smatter of people dressed in fur suits started to attend Trekkie Conventions.
 “Furries,” as they became to be known, took over one room in the burgeoning Comic Cons, then in 1989 ConFURence Zero was presented as an all furry convention.

With the advent of the internet, furry is, in my opinion, the first culture to create and organize online. 
Since my documentation in the late 90s, furry has indeed become mainstream morphing into other fandoms, raves, and conventions.
 In the 21st century monthly furry conventions are worldwide events. 

A furry is someone who identifies with anthropomorphic culture, in this case animals. They usually have a “fursona,” which in new age terms was once called, “spirit animal.”
 Some furries enjoy the art, (the erotic art isamazing!) gaming and social gatherings only, others take it deeper and sexualize the fandom as their fetish.

My research of furry became a documentary film I directed for MTV premiering January, 2nd, 2001. Plushies & Furries scored # 2 in the ratings with heavy rotation for 6 months, followed by my first exhibition & gallery at Michele Lamy’s legendary Les Deux Cafes in Hollywood. This followed with a screening at the Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood, followed by another exhibition, It Ain’t Exactly Bambi,” at Track 16, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica. So yes, I am the person that brought furry culture to the mainstream. 


Plushies & Furries, (2001- 30mins)  will be screened twice @ Lisa Derrick Fine Arts- 961 Chung King Rd, Chinatown, Los Angeles, 90012.
3:15 & 5:15- tickets- lisa-derrick-fine-arts.square.site

Feral is part of 120 Days of Rick Castro: 
a project running throughout 2020 across the greater Los Angeles area, facilitated through a variety of venues, celebrating internationally renowned photographer Rick Castro. 

 rick castro- fursuiter @ conFURence 9,  30x40 matte fiber print, unique, 1998

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