Coinciding with Pride Month, the Getty Center's exhibition titled 'Queer Lens: A History of Photography' explores the evolution of queer representation in photography. Curator Paul Martineau has carefully selected 300 images, spanning from the 19th century to the digital present, despite the historical challenges of finding pre-1970 imagery often lost or censored due to societal repression. This exhibition showcases significant artists alongside anonymous photographers, illustrating the diverse narratives of queer identities and the ongoing fight for visibility within both art and society.
"Photography has allowed for the gradual proliferation of homosexual and homosocial pictures," says Paul Martineau, underpinning the power of the medium in documenting queer identities.
Martineau acknowledges the particular challenge of finding pre-1970 queer imagery, censored or lost due to societal repression, reflecting on the historical necessity of preserving these narratives.
"Families often destroyed letters and photographs showing evidence of homosexual relationships," highlighting the challenges of archiving queer history amidst societal stigma and censorship.
The exhibition features a range of artists, including Claude Cahun, showcasing the evolution of queer representation within the historical context of photography.
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