Gay Art: A Historic Collection

by Felix Lance Falkon, Thomas Waugh

When originally published by Greenleaf Editions in 1972, A Historic Collection of Gay Art was the first book of its kind to document expressions of gay male sexuality as depicted in visual art, from antiquity to pop culture. Its frank and unapologetic survey of the pleasures of the flesh was, for gay men, unprecedented, and it remains the starting-point for modern-day discussions of erotic gay male artwork and comics.


This new edition has been updated by the original author, Felix Lance Falkon, and Thomas Waugh, author of the similarly themed bestsellers Out/Lines and Lust Unearthed. It features erotic line drawings and other artwork from ancient Greece to 1970s America, by artists both anonymous and infamous (including Tom of Finland, Graewolf, Blade, and Aubrey Beardsley), as well as an insightful narrative that provides a fascinating historical context for these images, including their production and dissemination.


Gay Art also provides a modern-day discussion about pleasure and permission: questions about how we define erotic imagery and what we should and should not be allowed to see. Subversive, smart, and sexy, Gay Art takes erotic images from the past out of the closet and into the light of present day.

Genres: Art, Queer

255 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a damn shame this book is out of print now because queer erotic artists need a resource like this. Looking at a wide range of gay male visual artists, Felix Falkon has assembled a vital and relevant collection that profiles the erotic gay male art movement and how each artist has explored the sexual dynamic between men. Whether it's attention to linework, experimentation with the male form, or even simple repetition of sexual actions Gay Art: A Historic Collection is a chance to observe how sex between men has been explored by male artists in the past and how each of these creators has impacted the next generation which is continuing to explore human sexuality through visual mediums.

Gay Erotic Art is a tradition that goes back to ancient civilizations and books like this are a chance to see how humans have translated their desires, their humor, their passion, their phobias, and their sexuality into a material reality that has allowed men (and women) the chance to recognize that they are not alone in their desires.

[R.J. Gilmour · Rating 5 out of 5]

A republication of Felix Lance Falkon 70s classic study of homoerotic art.