art

Photographer Sage Sohier Captures Same-sex Couples in the 1980s /  by Alex Young

Thanks to the United States Supreme Court's ruling on June 26, same-sex couples have the Constitutional right to marry. This victory for the gay rights movement shines light on the importance of individual equality, acceptance and understanding the world is concerned with today; the victory shows stark contrasts of how far society has come since the Stonewall riots in 1969 and the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. 

In her book, At Home with Themselves: Same-sex Couples in 1980s America, Photographer Sage Sohier examines 1986 when mass media and the public blamed AIDS' outbreak on same-sex promiscuity. She says of her project, "The advent of the disease led me to think about the prevalence, variety and longevity of gay and lesbian relationships... My ambition was to make pictures that challenged and moved people." In the '80s it was common to keep same-sex relationships discreet and away from ridicule due to the persecution and discrimination of the time.

Personally Sohier was impacted upon discovering in the late '70s her Father was gay. Her photographs are sparked by curiosity about homosexual life, set in and around cities in Massachusetts, like Provincetown and Boston, as well as others across the country. Honest, personal images appear depicting natural interactions between couples themselves and other people in their lives, such as parents and children.

Read more on Sage Sohier's book here and explore her other work at www.sagesohier.com.

 

InTheRough Gallery for Life's Goods /  by Alex Young

Today, InTheRough celebrates the opening of "Gallery"-- a space where consumers can browse and purchase selections of art. Gallery compliments ITR's "Life's Goods" and "Projects" pages because it offers tangible creations that comment on popular culture. The marketplace place houses work by multiple artists leaving endless possibilities to what specifically is and will be sold in the future. Gallery will open and close as InTheRough works to showcase new, unique products.

First to display in Gallery is Amani Davis of Kamili and Alex of InTheRough presenting a range of illustration and photography prints. Gallery's first exhibition comes on the cusp of Kamili, an art exhibition that re-purposed wood from torn down Pittsburgh neighborhoods. ITR's work with Amani and Hannibal Hopson now allows the opportunity for a space dedicated to the sale of art.

Amani comes to Gallery with colorful 11x17in illustration prints influenced by hip hop music's current atmosphere. The pieces recognize musicians' popularity as well as their rambunctious lifestyle. While Amani's pieces are pointed, there is an abstract quality that characterizes the illustrations, particularly in "Thuggin Noise".

In documenting Life's Goods for InTheRough, Alex finds he has amassed many photographs of his Pittsburgh environment and images inviting to the eye. He adds an intriguing 16x20 photograph print capturing the city's David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

On July 25th Alex, Amani, and Hannibal took to Pittsburgh's Hamilton Ave where a building covered in pink served as the backdrop to show Gallery's pieces. The area's painted walls substituted for any basic white or black background, the physical gallery we crafted in the building's parking lot  serves as the visuals consumers will see in Gallery. Explore the exhibit here.

Lost Photos of Biggie Smalls Reveal The Man Who Would be King /  by Alex Young

David McIntyre, a Scotsman, moved to New York over 20 years ago as a photographer. His first big break came when Interview magazine, founded by Andy Warhol, tasked him a photoshoot with rapper Notorious B.I.G. Portraits were shot on Jay St. as McIntyre captured Biggie's grand aura the world had not yet noticed, specifically because his debut album 'Ready to Die' would release in the next few months. In September 1994 his album released and in November 1994 Interview published its article including only one of McIntyre's images from the photoshoot. The following three years up to Biggie's death in 1997 saw his music, brand, and persona reach unimagined popularity making him the King of New York, and McIntyre's prints very valuable. Unfortunately for the photographer he lost the negatives from the shoot after delivering a few to Interview's art department. 21 years later McIntyre found them in the inside pocket of a jacket destined for Goodwill.

Today scarcity of original Biggie Smalls photographs motivates David McIntyre to present a KickStarter campaign to create an exhibition for the never before seen photographs of the Brooklyn artist. 15 photos printed larger than life will match B.I.G.'s spirit he accurately describes in "Mo Money Mo Problems", "I'm bigger than the city lights down in Times Square". The intriguing quality of the project is the pictures' minimalist aesthetic, the visuals highlight Biggie before he got big-- McIntyre notes how on the day of the shoot Biggie declined a makeup artist and the two conducted the photoshoot alone, no bodyguards, no management or handlers. In an interview with DJBooth McIntyre says, "No one can deny the pictures of an extraordinary man. Even if the pictures are ordinary he is extraordinary." Learn more and support David McIntyre's Biggie Smalls: The Man Who Would be King exhibition on his KickStarter page.