Forms of Intimacy: A Celebration of Pride presented by Equinox
Online Auction: 15 June – 30 June 2022 4pm EDT, New York
June 21st – 30th 2022
Sotheby’s New York
1334 York Ave
New York NY 1002
United States
A Celebration of Pride explores the concept of intimacy through the works of LGBTQIA+ photographers and artists The collection will run alongside an online auction at world-famous auctioneers Sotheby’s
Luxury fitness and global lifestyle brand Equinox and Sotheby’s auction house have joined forces to host the ground-breaking exhibition and benefit auction Forms of Intimacy: A Celebration of Pride.
The exhibition, which will run from 21st – 30th June at Sotheby’s New York, contains more than 20 photographs from LGBTQIA+ artists including Ryan McGinley, Steven Klein, Willy Vanderperre, Laurence Philomène, Emmie America and Cherry Au Hon I.
Central to the exhibition is an exploration of the many ways of expressing queer intimacy, as well as celebrating those who are pushing the boundaries and pre-conceptions which still surround LGBTQIA+ lives.
Over the past decade, a new generation of young and emerging photographers has proliferated in the artistic world, seeking to reconceptualize sexuality, representation, and self-expression. Influential artists like Klein have pioneered, paving their own way through the progress of others who created and defined the very genre of queer photography.
Forms of Intimacy: A Celebration of Pride will bring visibility and esteem to queer people across the spectrum of sexuality and gender, through brave, vulnerable, and, above all, intimate gestures and will highlight and celebrate disparate LGBTQIA+ points of view through the medium of photography and art.
Will Mayer, Executive Creative Director for Equinox, says that Equinox encourages self-expression, independence, and self-improvement—values that resonate with the artistic voices highlighted in the brand’s initiative. ‘Equinox’s creative inspiration is realized through diverse storytelling across various art forms and culture,” he says. ‘Expressed through ‘Forms of Intimacy, a Celebration of Pride,’ the initiative amplifies emerging and established artists in the LGBTQIA+ community who depict the multiplicity of human gender and sexuality through a photographic lens,’ added Mayer. ‘We have a long history of working with iconic photographers who share this vision and spark dialogue with their approach to celebrating pop-culture through their work.’
The versions and intentions of intimacies depicted in their work are wide-ranging. Clifford Prince King sees his photography as a way to validate ‘LGBTQ+ folks as pioneers and cultural shifters’ as his images seek to normalize their existence in society. Heather Glazzard’s images of trans and gender non-conforming people give a gentle, poetic visibility, through almost formal portraiture, to widely misrepresented and underrepresented groups.
Laurence Philomène’s autobiographical work allows them ‘to dig deeper into what it means to reclaim autonomy over our stories as marginalized individuals.’ And Emmie America’s images speak of the resistance queer people will always put up against governmental or societal oppression.
‘The many versions of intimacy shown in this art benefit project demonstrates that LGBTQIA+ people have achieved so much, though there remains much work to do,’ says Shai Baitel, Artistic Director for the exhibition. ‘Indeed, LGBTQIA+ youth and young people are an extremely vulnerable population whose situation has been made even more precarious by the isolation and stresses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.’
100% of the auction proceeds will go to support Camp Felix Pride, a ground-breaking new summer camp for LGBTQIA+ youth in the New York City foster care system.
The auction, hosted by Sotheby’s at Sothebys.com, will run between June 15 and June 30.
https://www.instagram.com/equinox/
https://www.instagram.com/sothebys/
©2022 Sotheby, Equinox, Ryan McGinley, Cherry Au Hon I, Matt Lambert, Lanee Bird
Art Plugged is a contemporary platform inspired by a relationship with the broader arts communities. We provide our audience with curated insight into the world of art, from exhibitions to artist interviews and more.
