Written by All Images © Ron Amato 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andy Reynolds, Popular Publicity, andy@popularpublicity.com
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Jump to the Gay In Trumpland gallery (40 images)
(New York, NY) October 22, 2018 – Trump’s election not only spurred political action in the form of editorials, protests, and marches, but also as an explosion of Resistance Art. One artist who expressed his dismay and frustration with the current administration is New York City photographer and Fashion Institute of Technology professor of photography, Ron Amato.
His stunning 40 photograph “Gay In Trumpland” series depicts nude men enshrouded, separated and obscured—and in several images, hooded and noosed—by fabric. He describes the photo series as “a visual expression of our community getting pushed back, denied basic protections under the law and being expected to forego the basic human rights of loving and community building.”
Spurred by the election of President Trump, Amato recalls, “As a gay man I became frightened that the civil rights gains the LGBTQ community had fought so hard for, might be in danger of being reversed. I felt helpless. I am first and foremost an artist. I took to the studio to express myself.”
“Using Mike Pence’s history of anti-LGBTQ actions as an indication,” he adds, “I came to the conclusion that Pence and his ilk didn’t just want to send us back into the closet, they wanted to eradicate homosexuality. I then set out to visually communicate this by not allowing the men in the photographs to connect. To thwart the fulfillment of their sexuality, if you will.”
“Gay In Trumpland,” certainly some of the most beautiful Resistant Art created, is at home spiritually amongst myriad works by a diverse group of artists, which includes painters Kenny Scharf, Judith Bernstein, and Danielle Siegelbaum, street artist Hanksy, graphic designer Matt Bonner (those Trump matryoshka doll balloons), and even actor Jim Carey.
View and purchase Gay In Trumpland photographs, read Ron Amato’s statement and interview about the series, as well as a list of actions taken by the administration which have negatively affected the LGBTQ community at www.ronamato.com •
Read/Download a Q&A with “Gay In Trumpland” photographer Ron Amato here.
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