LGBTQ in 1960 was a taboo, and there were social prohibitions. However, there have been several changes in queer art from the past. For example, the queer groups started using explicit imagery to fight for their rights when queer art was prohibited. One of the historical events that impacted ideas around LGBTQI rights, queer visibility, and artistic expression was when Kehinde Wiley used street casting (17). It is a process that involves approaching young men and inviting them to the studio to look at images and allowing those young men to draw the images. Wiley fought for the women of color to replace the white women while representing art (17). I believe that queer art has effectively furthered the LGBTQI to achieve equal rights and revealed societal prejudices because it has created sensitization on appreciating queer art. I would personally appreciate queer art more.
Catherine Opine was a photographer who lived in Los Angeles and is a lesbian involved in artistic practice. Catherine agrees that she has fought for queer rights through her work, but it is not essential to use her success to define her. Catherine believes that artwork does not define any LGBTQI. In 2008, Catherine released the collection “Catherine Opie: American Photographer” at Guggenheim Museum (6). The collection had landscapes and portraits that she used to explore concepts such as community and identity in terms of sexuality.
I chose this image because it contains images of Catherine’s friends with their assertive gazes on yellow backgrounds (6). The people in the image do not specifically fall under the male or female aspect. The adhesive used to place beards on the faces of female people is a key visual characteristic. This image is vital since Judith Butler later used it, sensitizing queer studies in 1990 (6).
Kehinde Wiley was born in Los Angeles in 1977and displayed naturalistic and heroic images of people of color. I chose this image because it helps explain the goals of Kehinde. Kehinde uses this image to fight for women of color to be used in art masterpieces rather than white women (17). Also, Wiley uses art to praise the gay men in the community and shows the boldness and power through art. The artwork is important since it helps create gay awareness.
Works Cited
“ARTHS.199.LGBTQ ART.SPRING.” PowerPoint, 2019,
