Regarding the Public Intimacy of Others
an exhibition presenting portrayals of affection and tenderness between men, made evident through the proximity of a touch or the allure of a distant gaze.
Concept
Touch is an unmistakable sensation. From the unexpected brush of a bare shoulder in a crowded subway to the chance meeting of a stranger’s knee in a packed theater, to slithery sweaty bodies moving in synchronicity on a crammed dancefloor, a handshake, a hug, a kiss—touch, in its brevity, sensuality, and lust is a definitive reminder of being human. Yet same-sex couples often refrain from sharing affection in public. And research shows that men especially tend to display even less physical intimacy with male friends compared to female friends, whether platonic or romantic. While there were no specific laws in the United States that have explicitly prohibited public displays of affection between homosexual men, such behaviors have often targeted under broader statutes, including those criminalizing sodomy, vagrancy, lewdness, or disorderly conduct. These laws were frequently enforced in a manner that discriminated against homosexual individuals, effectively making public expressions of same-sex affection subject to legal penalties.
Regarding the Public Intimacy of Others would seek to prompt a look at underlying factor regarding displays of affection among men, evident through the proximity of touch or allure of a distant gaze. While the exhibition centers on men, the questions point to wider systemic forces impacting human behavior and our relation to one another.
Touch is an unmistakable sensation. From the unexpected brush of a bare shoulder in a crowded subway to the chance meeting of a stranger’s knee in a packed theater, to slithery sweaty bodies moving in synchronicity on a crammed dancefloor, a handshake, a hug, a kiss—touch, in its brevity, sensuality, and lust is a definitive reminder of being human. Yet same-sex couples often refrain from sharing affection in public. And research shows that men especially tend to display even less physical intimacy with male friends compared to female friends, whether platonic or romantic. While there were no specific laws in the United States that have explicitly prohibited public displays of affection between homosexual men, such behaviors have often targeted under broader statutes, including those criminalizing sodomy, vagrancy, lewdness, or disorderly conduct. These laws were frequently enforced in a manner that discriminated against homosexual individuals, effectively making public expressions of same-sex affection subject to legal penalties.
Regarding the Public Intimacy of Others would seek to prompt a look at underlying factor regarding displays of affection among men, evident through the proximity of touch or allure of a distant gaze. While the exhibition centers on men, the questions point to wider systemic forces impacting human behavior and our relation to one another.
Norbert Bisky
Paul Cadmus
David Bruce Crastley
Louis Fratino
Prinz Gholam
Peter Hujar
Michael Leonard
Joe Mama-Nitzberg
PaJaMa
Paul P.
Jack Pierson
Larry Stanton
Wolfgang Tillmans
Salmon Toor
David Wojnarowicz