The exhibition features some well-known faces: John Waters, Susan Sontag and Fran Lebowitz. In the 1980s, Tee Corinne arranged her photos of female nudes to form kaleidoscopic vaginal patterns as metaphors for female sexual energy. Martineau’s majestic show makes a case for the Getty being the most relevant museum in Los Angeles and one of the most important beacons for artistic freedom in the U.S.
Ignacio Darnaude, an art scholar and lecturer, is currently developing the docuseries Hiding in Plain Sight: Breaking the Queer Code in Art.
You can view his Instagram, lectures and articles on queer art history on his Linktree.
Particularly in the wake of pivotal events like the 1969 Stonewall riots. This indicates that authentic and positive imagery can have beneficial social effects globally.
Queer visibility in visual arts remains relatively low and often stereotyped. Diana Davis dazzling portrayal of the Gay Liberation March on Times Square and Arthur Tress’s joyful depiction of gay activists at the first Gay Pride Parade capture the exhilarating revolution that ensued.
The work of these photographers not only reflects the realities of queer experiences but also challenges societal norms, making them integral to the art world and contemporary art.
As we reflect on the photo history, it becomes evident that using photography as a tool for activism not only amplifies the voices of queer people but also enriches our understanding of the LGBTQ+ community and its ongoing fight for equality.
Statistics on LGBTQ+ Visibility in Visual Arts
Data shows that more queer artists are breaking into mainstream art circles.
Radziszewski founded DIK Fagazine, the first gay culture art magazine in the region. While the artist was literally dying at the time, his self-portrait also remains a potent reminder that the government was then burying the AIDS crisis itself in the sand. The portraits are, in Sepuya’s own words, “not only images of desire but also images about the making of images”.
Read our feature on the series here.
Fani-Kayode’s lush photographs merged spirituality and sexuality, making him a pioneer in intersectional queer art.
Gallery of Rotimi’s works
Karol Radziszewski (Poland, born 1980)
One of the most famous Polish queer photographers and artists.
These photographs serve as visual archives, preserving LGBT+ history and the struggles faced by the activists. “The Gay Deceiver” (1939) is Weegee’s striking image of a young man in drag while being arrested. This ambitious and illuminating exhibition explores the history of queer experience and identity through photography, with over 270 works by LGBTQ+ as well as straight photographers, dating from the mid-19th century to the present day.
Known for: Exploring queer identity, history, and memory in Central and Eastern Europe. Tseng Kwong Chi humorously celebrated his “otherness” by posing in front of famous sites in a Mao Zedong costume, while Yasumasa Morimura portrays himself as whimsically androgynous in an image printed on a Japanese fan, an ode to his heritage.
The one in the middle flaunts a phallic racket handle on her crotch.
The Pansy Craze, 1920-1934
During the Prohibition-era, the “Pansy Craze,” helped make female impersonators famous. Out and proud. A very rare image by James Van der Zee (1927) shows Black men wearing female attire.
Here we see celebrated photographers Cecil Beaton and Man Ray dressed in drag.
Martineau chose to include only this image of a patient dying from AIDS in the exhibition. Their courage, creativity, and candor challenge us to be more honest, more inclusive, and more human. Another remarkable example is a highly transgressive 1891 image by Alice Austen showing herself and two female friends, all dressed like men. For the first time, his secret relationship with Gould – the 26-year-old executive at Paramount Pictures – could be told in full with 300 of his photographs.
Globally acclaimed for combining fine art with activism.
Zanele’s Instagram account
Sunil Gupta (India, born 1953)
Documenting gay life in India and the diaspora, often exploring migration and HIV/AIDS.
Known for: His work often blends documentary and staged photography to explore sexuality, migration, and identity.