David Meade Walker (1948-2012)

Dancing Nudes

Pastel and ink on paper, 23 x 17.25”, 1979

Private collection of Sharon Eisenhour

"And the Dancing Nudes, another fave of mine, was done before the shit hit the fan. When all was well and joyful."

— Sharon Eisenhour, sister of David Meade Walker
 
 
 

Gabriel Martinez

Jockstraps (negative)

Silver gelatin print on paper, 55 x 42”, 2021

"Through experimental processes within an analogue darkroom, I seek to create transformative representations of the summer of 1981; I'm interested in the vibe of that particular moment, the energy and information it reveals."

— Gabriel Martinez
 
 
 

John Laub (1947-2005)

Self Portrait, Frontal View

Oil on linen, 30 x 39”, triptych, circa 1979

Courtesy of Woodmere Art Museum, Gift of Bruce Kingsley and the Estate of John Laub, 2014

"He is making some sort of statement about his body. John wasn't too sure about his sexuality. I don't mean in terms of sexual orientation. I mean him as a sexual person. I think this series of portraits has a lot to do with resolving that."

— Bruce Kingsley, John Laub's partner, in The Journeys of John Laub: Fire Island and Beyond, 2017
 
 

Susan DiPronio

Claudia - Club Girl

Silver gelatin print on paper, 4 x 6”; 9 x 12” framed, mid 1970s

"The unknown of 'the gay plague': Who will be next. Those words, 'they’re sick', increasingly repeated. This photo — the ritual of ‘getting ready’ before the club. Sharing make-up, clothes, stories, laughter — in the house where a group of us lived."

— Susan DiPronio
 
 
 

Joel Kaylor

AIDS Has Taken Its Toll On MY Gay Family

Mixed media (paper bag, pencil rubbing, xerox printouts, paint), 19 x 26”, 25.5 x 31.5” framed, 1995

"In April of 1995 Paul Woodyard, my life partner, died of complications due to AIDS. His death was not peaceful. I created this work to memorialize his death and its nature."

— Joel Kaylor
 
 
 
Rami George
Untitled (Stanley, my second lover)
Video, color, sound, 8:13 mins, 2012
"Untitled (Stanley, my second lover) exists as an attempt to honor my queer and political predecessors (so many lost during the ongoing AIDS crisis), while also thinking towards a present moment, and a constructive future."

—Rami George
 
 
 
 

William Way LGBT Community Center

1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
P: 215-732-2220