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Photos: Art, Sex And Sunbathing On The West Side Piers
By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 5, 2012
Modified Apr 5, 2012
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 5, 2012
Modified Apr 5, 2012
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Once upon a time the piers on the West Side of Manhattan weren't filled with trees, kids, bicyclists and joggers. In the good old days they were a hotbed of homosexual activity—remember this video? Still, for further evidence the Leslie/Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art this month is hosting an exhibit called THE PIERS: Art and Sex along the New York Waterfront. It is, they say, the first show to "focus exclusively on the uses of the Hudson River docks by artists and a newly emerging gay subculture." Times have really, really changed.
The show has more than 70 works focusing on the scene, and it really is like looking at a different world of people running amongst the ruins. You can check out a few of the works on display above, and there are few more images (along with a whole lot more information about the works and artists involved) in the guide here [PDF]. For example, if you look in the background of Stanley Stellar's Peter Gets His Dick Sucked on the second page you might even spot a bit of Keith Haring graffiti. Or you can just go check out the show, it runs through May 10 and the gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday from noon-6 p.m.
26 Wooster Street // 212-431-2609
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