Arthur Tress – Robert Sherer – Bob Damron – The AIDS Memorial Quilt
Curated by Matthew Terrell at Apexart, NYC
June 6 – July 26, 2025
Cruising in the Shadows at Apexart is a mix of history and art that connects queer life in the 60s, 70s, and 80s to contemporary times. The show’s curator, Matt Terrell, is a queer writer and artist whose work focuses on queer culture, and fighting HIV stigma. For those who may not know, cruising is discreetly looking for sex in public places such as bars, bath houses, or parks that are known cruising spots. Queer people developed ways to signal their identity and desires to others looking for a similar connection, such as hanky code. Because homosexuality was not legalized in New York City until 1980 and not decriminalized until 2003 in the US, these discrete signals became integral to how gay people hooked up and created relationships.
When entering the exhibition, the viewer is greeted by a nearly life-size photograph of a gay man flashing in Central Park in the 60s by Arthur Tress. This photo sets the tone for the show – open sexuality and unabashed queerness. Arthur Tress has many other photos on display from the late 60s to early 70s that display gay cruising in New York City. These works, which may seem innocuous now, would have been scandalous at the time because of their implications of gay identity. Many of Tress’s photos use high contrast to give them a sculptural quality or play with light to create an ethereal atmosphere around the figures.
Robert Sherer’s illustrations, made for the exhibition, bring cruising into contemporary times. The scenes depict everyday life as a mix of the intimate and the erotic. Many of the works display identifiable spots around the city, creating a realistic narrative that is relatable for local audiences. The illustrations are uniquely created through wood burning, and painted with stain on birch panels, giving them a 3D quality and texture from the paneling.
Cruising in the Shadows is not only an homage to queer culture, it is educational. The exhibition features a large map showing cruising spots throughout the city with their active years. The effect of the AIDS epidemic is evident through the map, as many of the cruising spots were closed or shut down in the 80s. To drive this point home, a portion of the AIDS Quilt is on display. This particular piece is from The Saint, a gay dance club that was active in the 80s, and like the AIDS Quilt as a whole, was handmaid in memory of loved ones who worked at or frequented the club.
Queer culture and relationships have been influenced by our history having to exist “in the shadows”. Even now, cruising lives on. We may be able to live our lives a little more out in the open at this current moment in time, but cruising has had a long lasting effect in how queer people signal their identities to each other. Cruising in the shadows is on view at Apexart until July 26.
