ShamelessThis collection of black and white photographs, called Shameless, was first exhibited in Berkeley in 1974, then at the Alfred Stieglitz Gallery in New York in 1976.
The subjects of these photographs are practitioners of genderfuck--the active mixing of gender roles. Their drag was creative, risky and radical. It sprang from an exuberant playfulness. Unlike cross-dressers from earlier generations, who were often in the closet, my subjects took their drag to the streets to challenge the taboos that restrict us all to a narrow range of acceptable clothing, gestures and appearance. Hear an interview with Christopher Lonc one of the originators of genderfuck in San Francisco in the 1970's. Genderfuck was a radical new idea in the 1970's. Part of society still sees it as radical in the 21st century. These photographs are both an antecedent and a mirror of contemporary manifestations of gender fluidity. Read the History of Shameless See photographs from the SHAMELESS exhibit Men Loving MenThis collection of black and white photographs was commissioned in 1976 by Gay Sunshine Press for the book Men Loving Men, which was published in 1977. Several of these photographs were included in my exhibit at the Alfred Stieglitz Gallery in New York in 1976. Also included here is a photograph commissioned by Gay Sunshine for the book Black Men / White Men in 1983.
See photographs from the book MEN LOVING MEN Black and White PortraitsThis is a collection of portraits of my friends and family. Many of these portraits have been included in my exhibitions in Chicago, San Francisco and New York.
See photographs of PORTRAITS OF FRIENDS |
Andy's Donuts - Center of the UniverseAndy's Donuts was the center of genderfuck culture in the Castro district in San Francisco in 1975.
The best time to be seen at Andy's was 2 A.M., after the bars closed, when Andy's was packed with people in drag, both to see and to be seen! I took photographs of long-time Castro area residents and their children at the donut shop during the day, and genderfuck artists at night. The photographs were exhibited on the walls of the donut shop itself. The grand opening was at 2 A.M. on September 5, 1975. The thumbnail photograph here is of one of the originators of genderfuck, Christopher Lonc. It's called "Bijou of Andy's Donuts," an homage to the photographer Brassai who has a photograph of "Madame Bijou," titled "Miss Diamonds in the Bar de la Lune," from 1932. I was able to give Brassai a copy of my photograph when I met him in 1976 in New York. Read about my meeting with the photographer Brassai. Hear an interview with Christopher Lonc one of the originators of genderfuck in San Francisco in the 1970's. See photographs from the ANDY'S DONUTS exhibit Color PortraitsMy first serious color photograph was called "A Night to Remember" (shown here) It got it's name from art critic Dennis Adrian, who was misremembering the title of the film "An Affair to Remember" which had a scene with Deborah Kerr lying on a couch in a vivid red dress. My actual inspiration was from paintings by Marc Chagall: La Mariée and Der Spaziergang that depict a woman floating in a red dress.
See COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS Photographs - selected 4x5 negatives
|