Tyler Curtis

www.tylercurtis.com
www.tyliner.com Tyler Curtis is an Editorial Photographer and Visual Artist based out of Los Angeles.

08/07/2026

“To Chicago, with love” postcard #3. Dearest Peter Kastis. I wasn’t in a band. I wasn’t anyone when I crashed The Firm’s party in 2000 at a bowling alley in Wrigleyville with our shared sister Surita. And for some reason you kept inviting me in to the rooms I didn’t know I could be in. Korn’s after party at Whitestar was the first. Then rolling around Chi with Joe and Shelley and Tommy. And once Lolla ramped up a few years later and I switched from serving cocktails to snapping photos, you vouched for me everywhere. Backstage, afters, benefits. It was like having the best uncle in the wings of the coolest stage on earth. You even threw me in a stunt copter over Jane’s Addiction in 2009. For 26 years you made me laugh, gasp and feel like I was a part of something bigger as you always created a memorable time. That I got to tell you how grateful I was this March at Billy’s bday feels surreal… for those first nights in the dark corner of Chateau when I moved to LA, the random dinners with my heroes after festivals in Chicago, the times you’d come to listen to Adam spin and watch She Wants Revenge and hold court like our king. i never hung out enough- despite your invitations- you were a tour de force and I’d just think “he doesn’t remember me…my appearance is different…I don’t belong.” But you always reminded me with a huge heavy hand on my shoulder that I did. You never forgot the ones you backed. You were the bridge of working class, music-loving Chicago to LA for so many of us. You are one of the all time greats and will never be forgotten. Sending love for your family, friends, your incredible collaborators and anyone lucky enough to bask for even a little bit in your massive presence. When I think of the best people I know, you are the center of that venn diagram more often than not.

That this is one of the last photos I took of you this year serves as a crushing reminder of how important it is to tell those who raise us up how grateful we truly are.

Thank you for everything and the stamp you put across the industry. May more follow your path.

Ascend, you gentle giant. Chicago forever.

Photographed in West Hollywood, March 2026

08/05/2026

“To Chicago, With Love” Postcard #2. Adele Bensinger Curtis is my #1. Forever my Mazé and second mom- no one knows me better- having not only standing by my pop and becoming the god given miracle in his life after my mom passed, but being the guiding light of so many of us- I’ve known her since I was born and her boys became instrumental in my love of film and computer games growing up. I cannot express how grateful I am that we have FaceTime as we haven’t been reunited since Dad passed and that’s simply just too long for the hugs and presence that means so much to me. 21 years ago our world shook (f**k cancer) and Adele answered my mother’s final prayers and saved my Dad and I with so much love it’s unfathomable. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to fill a void- to lift my spirits when I went thru recovery and to always cheerlead as I trudged the road of creative insanity. That I got so many siblings, aunts and uncles who are as amazing is the gift that just keeps on giving. I love you so much Adele and am so blessed to have you as the angel of second chances. I’m sure Dad loves these photos. And yeah, I’m crying too as I write this. You’re the f**king best. (No apologies for my foul mouth, Pop). It’s simply true. ILYSM. 💜

08/03/2026

“To Chicago, with Love”postcard #1: 25 years ago I was bartending at the Whitehall Hotel. After work I would watch Kathy cast her spell at Gibsons Steakhouse nightly when I roamed Rush St. as a club rat. This maven/ queen of all hosts of the Vi**ra Triangle has been one of my biggest muses for decades. All heart, no bu****it, and a sorceress of hospitality and high society. She saw me haunt the triangle for ages, and saw me at my worst, recover, and survive. She never stopped cheering me on. Ever grateful for a surprise lunch date today. Chicago family never leaves us. I love you so much my dear friend. Thank you for always being there for so many of us and remaining a necessary beating heart of our city.

08/02/2026

One of the greatest Gen-X crossovers ever to happen was the one we never thought possible. Bravo to JOHNNY BRAVO Barry Williams for bringing some sunshine to the ultimate OG GOTH showcase. Now someone is gonna have to remove this song from my head again because I can’t stop humming it. Again.

07/08/2026

30 seconds. That’s all you get. Being a creator today means something entirely different than it did 5,10,15,20 years ago. We are governed by an unspoken set of rules in a framework controlled by machines and corporations. So what makes us stand out? How do you cut through the noise? Or exploit the system and tell a story people will resonate with?

I am a storyteller first and foremost. For twenty years I’ve participated and watched the creator landscape reshape itself into both an amazing furnace of unbridled creativity as well as a cesspool of opinions and content that will likely forever harm us as we scroll a shared doom. But that can’t stop us from celebrating its power in carrying a better message. There are some days we have to reset and just let boredom do its job- to reset our nervous systems and remind us what matters.

But we also have to let go of worrying about what the audience wants and simply create. This is a lesson I’ve struggled with for the last 5 years. So, assuming I don’t burn out- I will take the time to share how I cope with the artists life.

⚫️⚪️

07/07/2026

Prelude to Lolla. It’s been 11 years since my camera worked for a headliner…and I got some work to do before we get there. Like kill the ghosts that keep haunting me.

But first, I gotta “get up and at ‘em.” Crack the back. Shake the stinking thinking outta my skull. Curse the w**d whacking. Contemplate my existence. Get some gratitude. Enjoy a hand rolled cigarette before my teeth fall out.

Thus, I begin with “prelude”. A glimpse of a series of videos I’m making. I want to share my pain, process, laughs and ghosts for anyone who cares about stories of photography and anyone who doesn’t. I’ve learned that big moments always can come and go- but there’s a lot of rigamarole it took to get there and it’s usually filled with lessons. So here we go. On to the show. You’ve been warned.

04/23/2026

Dear Gregg,

I didn’t know you the way or to the lengths the rest of your incredible friends did- our orbits only truly collided just over a year ago- and yet I can say you’ve had a bigger impact than most people I’ve met in 13 years in LA. Thank you, for pulling me out of my cozy monastery to go see Gregg spin that faithful evening.

you spoke in a language I hadn’t heard espresso eloquently in a long time embracing the mystery, beauty and profundity of music and film: from 45 to sci fi- you knew of the cool things that not even the Internet could find- and if someone who loves to learn, I was inspired immediately. We had plenty of overlap, but I was an awe of your encyclopedic knowledge of the things that I love all… delivered with kindness sincerity and wonder those conversations rekindled my curiosity and love for music and film.

You and Christine became fixtures in my mind as examples of the good art life. It wasn’t about what’s trendy or what’s happening on social media or the spaces of discontent we find ourselves in… it was something deeper. A kind of mystery school filled with passion, esoteric knowledge, and insatiable wonder…. and the deeper things that actually matter in life - like friendship, love and curiosity.

My camera has brought me in front of many, incredibly talented and interesting people, but very few could stand on the artistic podium next to you. The outpouring of admiration and love across the world is a testament to the power of being a kind human on top of being divinely talented. The sky cried here in LA as you ascended.

I’m so grateful for the impact you’ve had on all of us, reminding us that kindness and passion among the greatest things that we can strive for.

The impactful hours spent with you and smoking ci******es and talking about our inspirations, philosophies and arts will forever inspire me to do better be kinder and remember that it’s always better to have the light in the dark as we tunnel through this MAD world.

You weren’t just one of Philly’s finest. You were one of the world’s. (Continued below)

02/20/2026

16 Candles….5,696 days sober seems like a lot- but it took me 12 years to get it after the first time I blew out my pancreas (for the first of 5 long term hospital stays) in 1998 and was told to get sober before I die. Meaning: Sometimes we fall hard…but we can always get back up. I realize now how lucky I am to even be here.

I’m grateful I can find laughter to face today’s challenges with than a drink and a drug. Nothing is ever perfect- loved ones ascend beyond, relationships end, money comes and goes- there’s plenty of years that have been way harder than when I was using. But I can see it clearly. I never feel alone anymore #- so many people have been supportive, patient and kind because I can be honest and accountable. I only hope that if you’re reading this and struggling, know there’s an answer. It’s not a wellness retreat, it’s not a cult, it’s not a quick fix. It’s a simple phone call or text message asking for help. It doesn’t cost anything other than your willingness to clear out the cobwebs of your soul.

Also, Rule 62: Don’t take yourself so damn seriously.

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Los Angeles, CA

Website

http://www.tylercurtis.com/

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