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Seeking Stories of Queer California: A Hidden Histories Online Exhibit

Y Que, 2007

Artist: Ruben Esparza. A deliberate flat artwork with limited colors boldly represents a shirtless, masculine, queer Chicano in a powerful stance. Y Que (translates to So What). The tattoo utilizes a decorative type treatment used in gang culture; the pearl necklace is a gay code representing a particular body fluid. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.

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Visual arts are creative expression in pictorial, graphic, sculptural, and other two-dimensional and three-dimensional form. They include painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and installation art. Different eras in history have had their own standards for defining art and beauty, and queer painters, artists, cartoonists, muralists, and photographers have taken these definitions and remade them in their own image time and time again.
Contents of this tag:
1. Portrait of Dr. Evelyn Hooker by Don Bachardy, 1960
2. Spider and Office Johnson, 2007 Artist: Alex Donis. Spider and Officer Johnson is a print from the painting series titled WAR, depicting police officers dancing with gang members with humorous yet tension-filled imagery elevating the homophobia and racial intolerance that exists in our social and justice system. Originally scheduled to be exhibited at the Watts Towers Arts Center in 2001, this painting series was threatened with protest and possible violent actions by members of the Watts community, prompting the exhibition's censorship by the Cultural Affairs Department of Los Angeles. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
3. I Lied, 2021 Artist: Alex Donis. I Lied is the culmination of an unfinished work that began in the mid-1990s after completing a single lithography poster of the same image. The edition depicts the Virgin Mary in her iconic contemplative stare and delicate hand gestures but with the words, I Lied subtly placed before the sacred heart. Through these simple words, the artist forces the viewer to see Mary beyond her divinity, but her humanness. A human with faults who perhaps may have lied to protect her loved ones, or to hide a secret or a painful truth. However, the criticism here heavily lies on the religious institutions who through the prevalent imagery, authority, and doctrine, have exploited and harmed many with minimal accountability. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
4. Portrait of Morris Kight by Don Bachardy, 1980
5. Tit Print, by Annie Sprinkle, 2004
6. Shroud of Curad, by Jerome Caja, 1993
7. Painted Rocks by Ray Lowen, undated
8. Intertwined, 2007 Artist: Luciano Martinez. As real and imagined borders separate same-sex partners, the artist considers a new obstacle Gay Latino men face: gay marriage. Intertwined addresses the forbidden love between two men, sometimes complicated by geographic and cultural differences, trapped by an invisible cell that confines yet separates them. The prison-like bars that separate the lovers in the artwork are not only geographic, racial, and cultural but ominously political, highlighting the cross-national restrictions on gay marriage and the difficulties of recognizing same-sex partners within conservative societies. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
9. Excerpt from Sketchbook 11, Morris Scott Dollens, undated
10. Laura Aguilar, #19, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
11. Clark Library vestibule ceiling, 1925
12. Laura Aguilar, #20, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
13. Butch/Top, 2007 Artrist: Miguel Angel Reyes. Influenced by oddly-toned color ads from 1970's fashion magazines, play with the labels men use to describe themselves for "sex hook-ups" internet personal advertisements. Though proudly gay, the butch-top asserts his sexually dominant role as a man, dispelling the commonly-held notion that homosexual men are feminine and passive. His attitude challenges any question of machismo. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
14. An article on Miguel Criado in the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia, 1993
15. Laura Aguilar, #6, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
16. Y Que, 2007 Artist: Ruben Esparza. A deliberate flat artwork with limited colors boldly represents a shirtless, masculine, queer Chicano in a powerful stance. Y Que (translates to So What). The tattoo utilizes a decorative type treatment used in gang culture; the pearl necklace is a gay code representing a particular body fluid. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
17. Sister Karen Boccalero, circa 1990
19. Don Bachardy, portrait of Truman Capote, June 26, 1961
20. Remembrance for Teddy & Arnie, 2008 Artist: Joey Terrill. The image is taken from a 1989 painting created by Terrill titled Remembrance, exhibited at the Santa Monica Museum of Art for an art auction to raise funds for agencies working on the AIDs pandemic in the Latino Community. The serigraph Remembrance (For Teddy and Arnie), printed in 2008, honors the artist's friends, Arnie Araica (who designed the shirt the central figure is wearing) and the artist Teddy Sandoval, who died of Aids. The central figure is a self-portrait standing alongside his past partner, Robert Ward, during a dark period when friends had or were dying of AIDs. The two figures, the younger figure following the steps of his older partner, are in a garden surrounded by plants, white gladiolas, and birds of paradise. The garden, a reflection of life and beauty, can be likened to Terrill's friendships and their loss. The artist reflected on being alive 19 years after creating his original painting, having lived with HIV. Celebrating another 15 years since the creation of this print, the artist continues to champion health rights for the LBGTQ+ community. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
22. Don Bachardy, portrait of Stephen Spender, June 21, 1976
23. Queerios, 2015
24. Kenneth Anger, hand drawn card and envelope, December 23, 1946
25. Connie Samaras, #11 from the series Edge of Twilight, 2013
26. LXS Guia, 2018 Artist: Cynthia Velasquez. Cynthia Velasquez was born to a Chilean mother and a Guatemalan father, but her household was never strictly one culture. Like the city of Los Angeles, her household was diverse, influencing how she views herself and creates art. Her journey to find herself as an artist and a descendant of displaced people began at home, as did her understanding and introspection of her roots and ancestors in Chile and Guatemala. Her work references her search for lost parts of her identity, exploring that loss to understand her grounding as an artist and a queer womxn. Lxs Guía is a portrait of a womxn’s moment connecting with the spirit of the elder and the spirit animals, honoring the direction of the buffalo, the elder, and her ancestors. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
27. Old Love Story, 1986
28. Connie Samaras, #16 from the series Edge of Twilight, 2013
29. Cover of Future Imperfect, 2010
Contents of this tag:
1. Blue check women's suit by Gilbert Adrian, 1946-48
2. Lavender Godzilla: Voices of the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance, April 2003
3. Rock Hudson
4. Membership card to the 1350 Club, 1981
5. Matlovich for Supervisor, undated
6. Poster and Call sheet for Making Love, 1981-1982
7. Ron Douglas (left) and Jack Wilson cut their wedding cake at the private marriage ceremony, 1970
8. My Beautiful Laundrette, circa 1985
9. Tan Suit Ensemble by James Galanos, 1962
10. Joseph Hansen, “Why I wrote Early Graves,” circa 1987
11. Dorr Legg at drafting table, circa 1936-1942
12. Kenneth Anger, undated
13. The Gay Times, interview with Joseph Hansen titled “Simple Lessons,” January 1987
14. Gay Men's Chorus 25th Anniversary concert poster, 2004
15. Gay Dating Service Head, 1982
16. Jeff Horton, Larry Pickens and their son at Los Angeles gay pride, 1995
17. A celebration of adult Bar and Bat Mitvahs at Congregation Kol Ami, 2000
18. Robert Arthur, Ivy Bottini, Quentin Crisp, Morris Kight, and Patricia Nell Warren, 1994
19. Photo of William Haines at his holiday home, taken by Ruth Harriet Louise for Metro Goldwyn Mayer, circa 1925
20. Asian Pacific group at the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, 1993
21. The Golden Bull, 2023
22. Portrait of Morris Kight by Don Bachardy, 1980
23. Charles Pierce and Virginia Grey
24. Butch/Top, 2007 Artrist: Miguel Angel Reyes. Influenced by oddly-toned color ads from 1970's fashion magazines, play with the labels men use to describe themselves for "sex hook-ups" internet personal advertisements. Though proudly gay, the butch-top asserts his sexually dominant role as a man, dispelling the commonly-held notion that homosexual men are feminine and passive. His attitude challenges any question of machismo. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
25. Mr. Muscle Beach Contest, 1950
26. Salome, 1922
27. Gown by Gilbert Adrian, 1948
28. Photo booth photographs of Don Bachardy and Christopher Isherwood, March 30, 1953
29. Y Que, 2007 Artist: Ruben Esparza. A deliberate flat artwork with limited colors boldly represents a shirtless, masculine, queer Chicano in a powerful stance. Y Que (translates to So What). The tattoo utilizes a decorative type treatment used in gang culture; the pearl necklace is a gay code representing a particular body fluid. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
30. Crystal Beach Bathhouse, 1943
31. Lesbians and Gay Men The Grand Jury's In Town, 1979 All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of Library and Archives, North Baker Research Library, California Historical Society, 678 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Consent is given on behalf of the California Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner. Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.
32. Newspaper clipping from photograph album showing Christopher Isherwood and W.H. Auden, ca. 1930s
33. The World Book of Naders, undated
34. Don't Give Him Anything But Love, 1973
35. Ramon Novarro, circa 1920s
36. Souvenir featuring Don Bachardy from a party thrown by producer Allan Carr in honor of Truman Capote, December 13, 1979
37. Excerpt from Sketchbook 11, Morris Scott Dollens, undated
38. The Word is Out, 1977
39. Data Boy, Issue 136: Film, January 1976
40. Don Bachardy, portrait of Truman Capote, June 26, 1961
41. Cover of manual for "Civil Rights for Lesbians and Gay Men: A Reference Manual for City and County Officials", 1990
42. Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, circa 1954
43. Magpie of California, May 1969
44. Gay Fathers Group, 1981
45. Don Bachardy, portrait of Stephen Spender, June 21, 1976
46. Portrait of William Andrews Clark, Jr., 1925
47. Tea and Sympathy, 1953-1956
48. Gregg Araki
49. Gay Sunshine no. 6, March 1971,
50. Gay Marriage Case in Court, 1979 Rob Brown, Herald Examiner Collection/Los Angeles Public Library. Photograph caption reads, "From left, attorney David M. Brown, plaintiffs, Anthony Corbett Sullivan, Richard Frank Adams. Sullivan and Adams are married, Adams a US citizen and Sullivan an Australian citizen. Both were issued a marriage license in Bolder [sic] Colorado and were married in Bolder [sic]. When Sullivan reapplied in Los Angeles in November 1975, the District Director of Immigration and Naturalization Service an immigrant visa. 'You have failed to establish that a bona fide marital relationship can exist between two faggots', Dist Director."
51. Portrait of Harrison Post, 1920
53. Flier advertising A Different Light bookstore's 1989 Gay Writer Series events
54. Designer Rudi Gernreich in His Office, 1969
55. Painted Rocks by Ray Lowen, undated
56. Intertwined, 2007 Artist: Luciano Martinez. As real and imagined borders separate same-sex partners, the artist considers a new obstacle Gay Latino men face: gay marriage. Intertwined addresses the forbidden love between two men, sometimes complicated by geographic and cultural differences, trapped by an invisible cell that confines yet separates them. The prison-like bars that separate the lovers in the artwork are not only geographic, racial, and cultural but ominously political, highlighting the cross-national restrictions on gay marriage and the difficulties of recognizing same-sex partners within conservative societies. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
Contents of this tag:
1. 3a Marcha Lésbica, 2006
2. I Lied, 2021 Artist: Alex Donis. I Lied is the culmination of an unfinished work that began in the mid-1990s after completing a single lithography poster of the same image. The edition depicts the Virgin Mary in her iconic contemplative stare and delicate hand gestures but with the words, I Lied subtly placed before the sacred heart. Through these simple words, the artist forces the viewer to see Mary beyond her divinity, but her humanness. A human with faults who perhaps may have lied to protect her loved ones, or to hide a secret or a painful truth. However, the criticism here heavily lies on the religious institutions who through the prevalent imagery, authority, and doctrine, have exploited and harmed many with minimal accountability. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
3. De todas partes, de todos colores, somos raza : third anniversary awards ceremony, Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos, 1984 Text continues: "September 14, 1984, 8pm, Friendship Auditorium, 3201 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles." Red text and images on gold background. Image depicts eleven people wearing various headdresses and standing on top of a structure resembling a pyramid with the names of North American, South American and Caribbean countries listed.Poster is numbered and signed in pencil on the lower right corner.
4. Five Latinos dressed for the Orange County Gay Pride Festival, 1991
5. Laura Aguilar, #19, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
6. LXS Guia, 2018 Artist: Cynthia Velasquez. Cynthia Velasquez was born to a Chilean mother and a Guatemalan father, but her household was never strictly one culture. Like the city of Los Angeles, her household was diverse, influencing how she views herself and creates art. Her journey to find herself as an artist and a descendant of displaced people began at home, as did her understanding and introspection of her roots and ancestors in Chile and Guatemala. Her work references her search for lost parts of her identity, exploring that loss to understand her grounding as an artist and a queer womxn. Lxs Guía is a portrait of a womxn’s moment connecting with the spirit of the elder and the spirit animals, honoring the direction of the buffalo, the elder, and her ancestors. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
7. Laura Aguilar, #20, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
8. Laura Aguilar, #6, from the series Plush Pony, 1992
10. Intertwined, 2007 Artist: Luciano Martinez. As real and imagined borders separate same-sex partners, the artist considers a new obstacle Gay Latino men face: gay marriage. Intertwined addresses the forbidden love between two men, sometimes complicated by geographic and cultural differences, trapped by an invisible cell that confines yet separates them. The prison-like bars that separate the lovers in the artwork are not only geographic, racial, and cultural but ominously political, highlighting the cross-national restrictions on gay marriage and the difficulties of recognizing same-sex partners within conservative societies. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
11. Pete Jimenez Memorial, 2012
12. The Gay Latino Alliance, Market St., June 24, 1979
13. Butch/Top, 2007 Artrist: Miguel Angel Reyes. Influenced by oddly-toned color ads from 1970's fashion magazines, play with the labels men use to describe themselves for "sex hook-ups" internet personal advertisements. Though proudly gay, the butch-top asserts his sexually dominant role as a man, dispelling the commonly-held notion that homosexual men are feminine and passive. His attitude challenges any question of machismo. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
14. Every 10th Jesus is a Queer, circa 1990
15. Y Que, 2007 Artist: Ruben Esparza. A deliberate flat artwork with limited colors boldly represents a shirtless, masculine, queer Chicano in a powerful stance. Y Que (translates to So What). The tattoo utilizes a decorative type treatment used in gang culture; the pearl necklace is a gay code representing a particular body fluid. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
16. Ramon Novarro, circa 1920s
17. Remembrance for Teddy & Arnie, 2008 Artist: Joey Terrill. The image is taken from a 1989 painting created by Terrill titled Remembrance, exhibited at the Santa Monica Museum of Art for an art auction to raise funds for agencies working on the AIDs pandemic in the Latino Community. The serigraph Remembrance (For Teddy and Arnie), printed in 2008, honors the artist's friends, Arnie Araica (who designed the shirt the central figure is wearing) and the artist Teddy Sandoval, who died of Aids. The central figure is a self-portrait standing alongside his past partner, Robert Ward, during a dark period when friends had or were dying of AIDs. The two figures, the younger figure following the steps of his older partner, are in a garden surrounded by plants, white gladiolas, and birds of paradise. The garden, a reflection of life and beauty, can be likened to Terrill's friendships and their loss. The artist reflected on being alive 19 years after creating his original painting, having lived with HIV. Celebrating another 15 years since the creation of this print, the artist continues to champion health rights for the LBGTQ+ community. Part of the exhibit "At the Heart of It: LGBT Representation at Self Help Graphics", curated by Ruben Esparza.
18. Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos Office, 1983
19. Queerios, 2015