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1967 and all that… physique era photography exhibition

Model Men

I curated the exhibition Model Men to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act.  On 27th July 1967 the Act legalised (in England and Wales) gay sex in private .

This, rather than Stonewall (1969), began the process that would eventually lead to homosexual equality in Britain.

The exhibition was at the Menier Gallery near London Bridge and Tate Modern from 24 July -12 August 2017.  Tate Britain were showing Queer British Art 1863-1967 at the same time.

Publication

cover flaps

 

The exhibition was accompanied by a fully illustrated 64 page publication detailing the history, social context, legal issues and the individual photographers and artists. Copies are available direct at £15 + p&p. email modelmen@guyburch.co.uk 

https://www.guyburch.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/4-Lon-of-London-Churchill-1_forweb-1.jpg
Spencer Churchill by Lon of London
dobing cat602_edited-3
Short video of the private view on 27th July 2017
Quaint print_edited-1
Gearge Quaintance
Muscles a Go Go768_edited-1
James Bidgood cover
Muscleboy1770_edited-2
james Bidgood cover
Muscleboy769_edited-2
Neil Edwards cover
Mr America760_edited-1
Peter Poulton cover
modern classics729_edited-2
Tony Sansone by Edwin Townsend
maurice640_edited-2
body builder by Maurice Seymour
mans world736_edited-2
Man's World cover
male classics755_edited-1
Male Classics magazine
hofman621_edited-2
Hoffman of Edinburgh
kellet608_edited-2
Kellet of Lancashire
kovert635_edited-2
Kovert of Hollywood
kris biker cards675_edited-1
Kris Studios
kris cat693_edited-2
Bruce Bellas
larry knight669_edited-1
Festus Francis by Baron Horder
lon lond bikers808_edited-2
Lon of London wrestlers
lon london624_edited-2
Spenser Churchill by Lon of London
lon ny804_edited-2
Lon of New York
greenwood arnold615_edited-2
Schwarzenegger by George Greenwood
Grecian Guild740_edited-1
John Palatinus cover
graham signed2698_edited-2
John Graham
graham signed1697_edited-1
John Graham
graham north613_edited-1
John Graham
gebbe signed822_edited-3
Gebbé
foto grafo798_edited-1
body builder
Ferrero-RickWayne02
Ricky Wayne by Jean Ferreo

The Exhibition focusing on photography produced during what could be called the Physique Era (1945-1970).  Stylistically recognisably gay, the resulting ‘posing pouch’ images are not sexually explicit: in most – but not all – genital nudity was highly circumscribed by the authorities. Postal and other censors, and the laws against homosexuality were deployed to stop the homosexual from picturing desire both here and in America. There, probably the most well-known practitioner was Bob Mizer (as the Athletic Model Guild) who influenced gay artists such as Andy Warhol and David Hockney. British practitioners have had an equally important effect, little examined, on figures such as Tom of Finland and Keith Vaughan.

 

AMG shower scene
AMG shower scene

An underground of photographers, often working as or in conjunction with erotic illustrators, made photographs that used body building culture magazines or ones mimicking them, to construct a network to supply the emerging gay culture after the war.  Restricted by threat of prosecution or exposure they were risking ruin in pursuit of the right to publish near harmless nudes. Many had their entire output and equipment destroyed by authorities sometimes with no actual successful prosecution.  The definition of obscenity and freedom of speech were directly aimed at prosecutions around sending material through the post because it was aimed at homosexuals.

Despite this the photographers again and again pilloried, subversively nibbled away at, and turned to advantage the restrictions and used the existing imagery of masculinity to circumvent the officially circumscribed areas of depiction (and life). Some of the studios actively campaigned against homophobic discriminatory actions by the authorities.  The subject rules that these photographers worked to undermine, produced a modern gay male image that was an alternative to the accepted view that homosexuals were weak, sad effeminate deviants to be feared and locked up. The classic out Stonewall gay man was invented in these images only to be superseded by queer culture in the wake of AIDS.

John Palatinus was amongst those prosecuted
John Palatinus was amongst those prosecuted
douglas695_edited-2
Douglas of Detroit
dobing596_edited-2
Pete Dobing
dobing cat1603_edited-2
Pete Dobing
dobing cat602_edited-3
Pete Dobing catalogue
desbonnet1606_edited-2
nude by Desbonnet
desbonnet605_edited-2
two body builder by desbonnet
arax609_edited-3
balancers by Araxh
arax ward797_edited-3
Swordsman by Bruce
amg5814_edited-1
ANG cowboy
amg4813_edited-2
AMG bikers
amg2810_edited-1
AMG black & white
amg1809_edited-2
AMG punk
amg sailor_edited-2
AMG bike thief
amg vince818_edited-2
Vince Gironda by AMG
amg mass_edited-3
ANG boys
amg cat816_edited-2
AMG catalogue
al urban788_edited-2
AL Urban trio
al urban pair583_edited-2
Al Urban pair

An underground of photographers, often working as or in conjunction with erotic illustrators, made photographs that used body building culture magazines or ones mimicking them, to construct a network to supply the emerging gay culture after the war.  Restricted by threat of prosecution or exposure they were risking ruin in pursuit of the right to publish near harmless nudes. Many had their entire output and equipment destroyed by authorities sometimes with no actual successful prosecution.  The definition of obscenity and freedom of speech were directly aimed at prosecutions around sending material through the post because it was aimed at homosexuals.

Despite this the photographers again and again pilloried, subversively nibbled away at, and turned to advantage the restrictions and used the existing imagery of masculinity to circumvent the officially circumscribed areas of depiction (and life). Some of the studios actively campaigned against homophobic discriminatory actions by the authorities.  The subject rules that these photographers worked to undermine, produced a modern gay male image that was an alternative to the accepted view that homosexuals were weak, sad effeminate deviants to be feared and locked up. The classic out Stonewall gay man was invented in these images only to be superseded by queer culture in the wake of AIDS.

John Palatinus was amongst those prosecuted
John Palatinus was amongst those prosecuted
1962

Although I will address American photography, my focus will be vintage silver gelatine photographs by British and European studios (primarily) of nude and semi-nude males.  There will be contextual examples of heterosexual and lesbian erotica and ephemera, including vintage magazines, original mailings and court documents.  My aim is a museum standard exhibition of vintage photographs but also of social history.  The social conditions and prejudices that the 1967 Act addressed are mirrored in the control and oppression of these photographers and of how the male nude could be depicted and distributed to consenting gay adults.  The exhibition will explore the social history of restrictions and prohibitions inherent during the period.

Model Men@guyburch.co.uk

Royale Studio
Royale Studio

The imagery was used by and influenced artists such as Hamilton, Bacon, Hockney, Minton and Vaughan.  I will be including invited individual images by contemporary artists that reflect – under the same restrictions as the original photographers – to the legacy of these pioneers.

Recent Exhibition – Menier Gallery, 7-19th September Folsom Berlin & the legendary erotic artist Rex

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