Greer Lankton

      

Greer Lankton was an iconic trans artist known for creating lifelike dolls, resourcefully crafted out of soda bottles, panty hose, coat hangers, layers of paint and glass eyes obtained from a taxidermy shop. Her dolls were usually modeled after friends, icons and after herself. Greer's dolls would sometimes undergo changes, some dolls lost or gained weight, others had sex-changes and some were chopped into torsos or heads to be mounted on walls. "Greer's dolls reflect her unique, isolated vantage point on both sexes, and her exploration of gender, outcasts and norms of beauty meshed perfectly with art world trends."

The first two images above are from Greer's final installation, "It's about Me... Not You",  at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh. Greer passed away only a week after the opening of her installation.

Look at little Andy!

source

Felix Gonzalez-Torre

Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.)

Untitled (Perfect Lovers)

Cuban American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres known for his minimal and conceptual art installations. His creations are personal, political and often addressed loss caused by AIDS. The first piece above shows a pile of sour gummy bears in a corner of a room. This piece is an allegorical representation of the artist's lover Ross Laycock. Laycock died of AIDS related illness. The pile of candy weighs 175 pounds, Laycock's ideal body weight. Viewers are encouraged take a piece of candy, turning into a smaller and smaller pile of candy. This is meant to represent Laycock's dwindling weight due to AIDS. 

Food for Thought: Thinking about Warhol

Annie Leibovitz

A photographer known for producing intimate and sometimes provocative portraits. Her photographs have appeared in numerous magazines and publications. Many of Leibovitz's photographs reveal a personal side of her subjects life, much like the Andy's work during his Silver Factory era. In both cases the subject's nature slowly unravels itself once the camera is on.  Leibovitz's more personal work such as her portraits of her late friend and lover, Susan Sontag, reveal a lesbian artist. 

3 images

Felix Gonzalez-Torres. "Untitled" (Perfect Lovers). 1991. 

Clocks, paint on wall. Overall 14 x 28 x 2 3/4" (35.6 x 71.2 x 7 cm)

David Kirby on his deathbed, Ohio, 1990. Therese Frare

United Colors of Benetton, Unhate ad

Statements and Questions

10S

• The gay world is a sad and sordid world

• Homosexuality is much more harmful than abortion and adultery.

• Homosexuality is social disorder and a problem society must suppress.

• Homosexuality is a learned behavior and/or the result of a domineering mother and absent father.

• Homosexuals are unable to have stable and long lasting relationships.

• There is no such thing as a "happy homosexual." 

• Homosexuality is most prominent in large cities

• Large cities offer established homosexuals societies to join, plenty of opportunity to meet other homosexuals.

• The "straight" world in late cities are more tolerant and maybe even accepting of homosexuals than in smaller communities. 

• Professions favored by homosexuals are in the arts, such as interior decorating, fashion design, hair styling, the dance and theater. 

10Q

1. Why are many homosexuals geared towards artistic professions?

2. Why is the art field more accepting of homosexuals?

3. Why were homosexuals so heavily punished for showing public affection?

4. Why was homosexuality considered a mental illness?

5. Why was homosexuality synonymous to perverted?

5. What other things were thought to have caused homosexuality?

6. Is there a way to identify a homosexual? 

7. Why was homosexuality considered more harmful than adultery?

8. Why are cities more accepting of homosexuals? 

9. What was it like being a homosexual in a small community?

10. How do we change our preconceived notions of marriage?