(originally posted on 11/20/08)
We had great fun on Saturday evening at the debut of the Arts & Sciences PROJECTS Trunk Show at the Hotel Chelsea.
To celebrate the launch of the JOSH, we decided to pay homage to the pioneering gay photographer Bruce of Los Angeles by re-embracing and re-contextualizing his 1950s-era traveling hotel trunk shows. Bruce’s private, invitation only trunk shows not only offered a venue to sell his magazines and risque photographs, they nurtured a sense of community and connection for gay and closeted men in a time of repression and post-war machismo.
With the debut of our new trunk show we continue Bruce of LA’s tradition of promoting a community of men by coming together at the Hotel Chelsea to launch the JOSH and enjoy great art.
For those who have expressed interest and/or didn’t get a chance to pick up a copy of the essay to accompany the trunk show exhibit, here it is:
On the Road Again: Bruce of LA’s Hotel Trunk Show at the Hotel Chelsea, New York, November 15, 2008
Go West Young Man
Before embarking on his career in male figure photography, Bruce Bellas, more famously known as Bruce of Los Angeles, worked as a chemistry teacher in Nebraska. In 1947, he moved to Los Angeles and began photographing male bodybuilders on the beach.
Over the course of a highly productive three decades of capturing the beauty of the male form, Bellas fused technical mastery, classical elegance, and campy wit into a distinct visual style. His aesthetic paved the way for contemporary explorations of the male form as seen in the work of Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, and Bruce Weber.
From 1956-1966, Bellas edited and published The Male Figure, a quarterly magazine featuring wholesome young men with toned, muscular bodies. Ostensibly marketed towards physique enthusiasts, art students, and artists, The Male Figure gained a loyal following among gay men and men with a secret passion for the male form. Indeed, with the success of The Male Figure, Bellas was able to buy a home on Kensington Road in a suburban community outside Los Angeles, where he set up a studio in his garage and staged his models in his private and perfectly manicured back yard.
In addition to the physique pictorials featured in The Male Figure, Bellas offered readers the opportunity to purchase more risqué photographs, 3-D slides, and films through mail order. His Private File catalogue offered male nudes, some with clear evidence of erotic arousal. Distribution of this type of material became problematic in the 1950’s due to strict U.S. postal restrictions against mailing images deemed to be “obscene” because of male frontal nudity.
Hotel Trunk Shows
As a clever and motivated entrepreneur, Bellas overcame this obstacle by personally delivering his work to customers via hotel “trunk shows”, where he transformed common hotel suites into gallery spaces to exhibit, promote, and sell his work. The rooms also served as a safe place for men to convene and share in their passion for Bellas’ work.
Bellas meticulously planned the details of the hotel trunk shows. Interested men would write to Bellas and ask to be added to the mailing list for his special gatherings. In preparation for his road trips, Bellas would send a note to his clients, notifying them of the approximate dates that he would be in town. If interested, the client would respond to Bellas by letter and include a telephone number. Shortly after checking into his hotel suite, Bellas would contact his clients, informing them of the hotel name, room number, and time of gathering.
Little is known about what transpired at these private hotel events. Nevertheless, the spirit of risk-taking, adventure, and community fostered by Bellas continues to prevail today as a new generation of photographers and artists employs novel techniques and technologies to capture and share the beauty of the male form.
Historical documents in this exhibit include a copy of a 1964 letter written by New Yorker David Strand, requesting to be added to Bruce’s “select” list; a form letter sent to David Strand announcing a Bruce of LA trip to New York City in “approximately early September”; and a handwritten note that reads “Bruce Belles (sic), Park Sheraton - 7th + 55th, Room 210.”
Also featured are vintage copies of Male Figure, and Kensington Road and Private File catalogues.
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Archival documents courtesy of the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation, New York, NY. Bruce of Los Angeles vintage prints courtesy of Clampart, New York, NY. Male Figure, Kensington Road, and Private File catalogues courtesy of a private collection.
