P4P KING OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

Walking through the streets of San Fernando Valley one day I stumbled upon a shop called BackSide. What looked as a local skate shop turned to be so much more. In this shop I found a book. The book was called 'This Is Los Angeles'. I opened it and I instantly fell in love with the street culture of LA or what Estevan refers to as Cultura.

In my opinion this is the most significant work a photographer has presented into a book format that truly depicts the aesthetic and the reality of LA chicano street culture. If the world was coming to an end and I could only pick one photo-book to preserve from my collection I would pick 'LA Portraits' as this is where Estevan's power lies. He has the charisma to bring the best out of people. With a very good understanding of his medium and his subject matter he always finds ways to show the human side of an individual but also the show the struggle that the person might be going through or representing.

He is the son of photographer Eriberto Oriol who was also a very influential photographer of his era. Estevan in some form turned into his fathers nemesis still holding on to the Mexican heritage but depicting much heavier and grittier themes.

Oriol started his career as a bouncer at hip-hop clubs before moving on to tour manage Cypress Hill and House of Pain. During that time he began documenting his life on the road. His reputation allowed him to photograph gang members and celebrities alike. His work has been featured in magazines such as Complex, FHM, GQ, Vibe, Rolling Stone, The Source and many more.

In 2004, he participated in the elaboration of the globally successful videogame, GTA San Andreas.

Oriol has gone on to direct music videos for numerous rock and hip-hop artists. He has also released various books and calendars, including the best-selling LA Woman, published in 2009 by Drago.

In March 2018, Oriol was announced as the new Creative Director for media company BallerStatus.com. “I’ve been working with BallerStatus since the site launched 15 years ago,” Oriol said. “I have been a contributor and have worked closely with Jay and his team to elevate the brand and make it an extremely reputable arbiter of popular culture - especially from a lifestyle perspective."

L.A. Woman, 2010. Published by Drago.

L.A. Portraits, 2013. Published by Drago.

This is Los Angeles, 2018. Published by Drago.