EYE CANDY

Celebrate Pride Month With a Very NSFW Appreciation of “Boys! Boys! Boys!”

by Steph Eckardt

Dario Exploring Klimt © Thibault Gaëtan Dubroca .jpg
© Thibault Gaëtan Dubroca

Originally a time to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots, Pride Month has since come to commemorate much, much more, from the AIDS crisis to the violence and discrimination that still come with being LGBTQ+ today. As you no doubt know from the fabulous rainbow crowds that kick off their heels and flood the streets each June, however, it’s also turned into an all-out celebration of the queer community—and, for some, its ultratoned butts. Those are exactly what you’ll find, anyway, in the second selection of unapologetically provocative photos by Tom Bianchi, Andy Warhol, Greg Gorman, and Matt Lambert up for auction until June 25 on Paddle8, quite appropriately titled “Boys! Boys! Boys!” Its curator, Ghislain Pascal, is no stranger to getting NSFW; he’s a cofounder of London’s Little Black Gallery, which is known for its annual “Girls! Girls! Girls!” exhibition that showcases “some of the sexiest girls in the world,” many of whom are stripped down and objectified. What’s so welcome about “Boys! Boys! Boys!” is that it not only exposes its male subjects to that same objectifying gaze, it also subverts it; shot by mostly queer and gay photographers, the images showcase some of the still all too rare opportunities that the community has been given to represent—and unabashedly appreciate—itself. Take a peek, here.

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© Tyler Udall

Tyler Udall, Bum, 2010, featured in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Volume II – Pride.

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© Matt Lambert

Matt Lambert, Bel-Ami series, featured in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Volume II – Pride.

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© Iakovos

Iakovos, RED (3), 2016, featured in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Volume II – Pride.

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© Mariano Vivanco

Mariano Vivanco, Jump, 2014, featured in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Volume II – Pride.

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© Ferry van der Nat

Ferry van der Nat, Kim 3, 2012, featured in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Volume II – Pride.

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© Tom Bianchi

Tom Bianchi, Untitled, 533, from the series Fire Island Pines | Polaroids 1975-1983), 1975-1983, featured in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Volume II – Pride.

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© Kevin Osepa

Kevin Osepa, Barbulete, 2017, featured in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Volume II – Pride.

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© AdeY

AdeY, Ascension, 2015, featured in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Volume II – Pride.

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© Greg Gorman

Greg Gorman, Donny Lewis, LA, 2009, featured in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Volume II – Pride.

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© Florian Hetz

Florian Hertz, Jock, 2016, featured in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Volume II – Pride.

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© Greg Gorman

Greg Gorman, 3 Boys Jumping, Kelso Dunes, 1991, featured in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Volume II – Pride.

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© Gerardo Vizmanos

Gerardo Vizmanos, Boys, 2017, featured in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Volume II – Pride.

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© Thibault Gaëtan Dubroca

Thibault Gaëtan Dubroca, Dario Exploring Klimt, 2017, featured in BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Volume II – Pride.