Taking place at New York’s 80WSE Gallery now through February 2013 is a live excavation of unknown works by legendary photographer Bob Mizer, whose work spans five decades beginning in the 1950s. Mizer’s work was produced by his company, Athletic Model Guild, and was often featured in his publication, Physique Pictorial. He is widely known as a pioneer in male erotica photography, but much of his other photography and films were put aside by Mizer and went unseen until now.
Mizer’s controversial male erotica, which often landed him in the hot seat with the law at a time when there was very low tolerance for explicit art, especially homoerotic, has been his most visible. Consequently, this exploration and expression of subculture has earned a significant place in history.Mizer was gaining visibility in the 50’s for his sexually evocative work of all-American male symbols like cowboys, military men, cops, and others in sexual situations and fantasy. The prolific Mizer sometimes created juxtapositions in his work highlighting raw sexuality and power in less traditional and conventional ways, revealing a complexity beyond the ‘beefcake.’
Among the 45 prints being presented at the gallery’s DEVOTION exhibit are tables with archivists unearthing the million plus never before seen slides and negatives while trimming, scanning, printing, and then displaying sneak peeks of them in rotation throughout the show. The gallery’s rooms show a chronological succession of the collection. Some of the show’s highlights are in the rear two rooms, which contain production stills from Mizer’s videos and then his color photos from the late 1980s. His composition and art design flourish here, and with a lot more depth as opposed to the more innocent period. Costumes from his films are also in the mix. Giving insight into Mizer, quotes from his journals as well as Physique Pictorial, in which he engaged in deep analysis of power, sexuality, and homosexuality are etched on the galleries interior walls. Outside, artist and designer, SALVOR, has created Mizer inspired works which are displayed 24/7 at the galleries satellite space, Broadway Windows, on 10th Street.
The high volume show, which runs until February 15th, is presented by the gallery’s director, Jonathan Berger, in collaboration with the Mizer Foundation, which is overseen by one time friends of Mizer’s, Billy Miller and Dennis Bell. “Essentially,” Miller explains, “the process of live archiving inside the gallery is an effort for preservation and further discovery and, at the same time, for further exploration and exposure of Mizer’s never before seen work.”
As for the arrangement of the displayed work, Berger explains, “We wanted to present a sampling of what could be considered different genres from the mass of work Mizer produced which ranges from documentary photos of archetypes and, sort of, Americana to the theatrical to the somewhat surreal color work.” Referring to those color works, the gallery’s director describes the selection as one with an intent to provoke with “different ideas of desire – that question of ‘what beauty is’ and how complicated and infinite that answer can be. It makes that conversation happen.”
Miller emphasizes the importance and relevance of the project: “This is an archeological dig in progress,” he says. “We are taking someone who is known for something else and showing other sides to him. And this is just a drop in the bucket. We are finding things totally unfamiliar to Mizer’s fans. Like in these production stills – I have seen this photo before – but nobody ever knew that this is Tyrone Power! As you uncover these things you make new connections.”
Mizer Foundation President, Dennis Bell, and Miller first presented a selection of Mizer’s collection in Berlin and then in New York City in recent years. It has increasingly gained footing with the contemporary art community. Currently, Mizer is part of the Masculine/Masculine exhibit in Paris’ Musee d’Orsay, and at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, both Mizer’s and Tom of Finland’s (Touko Laaksonen) work are being presented in a single featured exhibit that runs until January 26th. It is an apropos pairing. Six years after Mizer’s Physique Pictorial magazine began in 1951, and after multiple convictions for publishing obscenity, Mizer published now subculture icon Tom of Finland’s illustrations. Finland regularly continued to contribute his erotically provocative sketches of exaggerated uniform clad masculine figures in homoerotic situations. Visually, and in conjunction of each of these artist’s themes, the two remain entwined.
In an upcoming showcase put together by Anthology Film Archives, some of Mizer’s 3000 films that range from the 1950s to the 1990s will be presented in 80WSE Gallery’s auditorium. The yet to be determined dates slated for next Spring, will be announced in the coming months on the 80WSE Gallery website. The underground, or vintage, films are a collection that range from suggestive nude narratives with athletic models to abstract with risqué material. Predominantly filmed at his AMG Studio in LA, they include such titles as TV Repairmanand Dr. Bigelow’s Monster. Most of the films have not been widely circulated as of yet. Those that have been seen are cult classics. Also in the works for the collection is a fully illustrated book which will document the gallery’s Mizer project and will likely include some of the diverse discoveries of the excavation project.
