Hide/Seek

Yesterday I saw Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture at The Brooklyn Museum. This is an exhibition of portraiture by gay artists exploring coded depictions of gender and sexuality through time.

The show was presented chronologically, starting with Thomas Eakins and ending with Keith Haring and David Wojnarowicz.

All the chosen works had an element of coded homoeroticism or gay identity, and together Hide/Seek presented an interesting narrative of homosexuality in American art. But perhaps for me it was too coded, too genteel. Also, I was not familiar with about a third of the artists, and would have liked some biographical information. Instead, the wall text (which weirdly was displayed at knee level) directed the viewer on how to read each image, which I found intrusive.

It was interesting to see an Agnes Martin portrait, and one of my favorite pieces was Romaine Brooks' haunting and shadowy self-portrait. I would have liked to see more lesbian desire in the show, and strongly felt the dearth of women.

The final gallery addresses the AIDS crisis and included AA Bronson's dramatic "Felix".