Days of 1957 #1
2026
Titled in a nod to C. P. Cavafy's memory poems, this work echoes his way of holding specific years as charged containers for youth, risk, and erotic looking. Like Cavafy's young men, sunburnt "at the baths and on the beach," this magnificent model appears briefly redeemed by light and water within the fragile safety of a walled enclave where queer desire could surface without scrutiny. The embroidered water's surface recalls Cavafy's "images of sensual pleasure," the way a stretch of sea or shore can ignite memories and fantasies of touch. Held in a state of luminous suspension, the model becomes a quiet act of remembrance that refuses to let the hidden summers slip out of history.
Bob Mizer took this photograph of Richard Dubois posing in the Mediterranean-style patio and pool of a Hollywood Hills home owned by an astrologer/philosopher friend of Mizer.
Titled in a nod to C. P. Cavafy's memory poems, this work echoes his way of holding specific years as charged containers for youth, risk, and erotic looking. Like Cavafy's young men, sunburnt "at the baths and on the beach," this magnificent model appears briefly redeemed by light and water within the fragile safety of a walled enclave where queer desire could surface without scrutiny. The embroidered water's surface recalls Cavafy's "images of sensual pleasure," the way a stretch of sea or shore can ignite memories and fantasies of touch. Held in a state of luminous suspension, the model becomes a quiet act of remembrance that refuses to let the hidden summers slip out of history.
Bob Mizer took this photograph of Richard Dubois posing in the Hollywood mansion featured in Sunset Boulevard.
$795 CAD
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Days of 1957 #1 is 5 × 7 inches (12.7 × 17.78 cm.). The vintage photograph is transferred to a tight weave cotton and embroidered with cotton thread. The image is mounted on art board and floated on a mat board and behind glass.
The black wood frame is 11" x 14" (approximately 30 cm x 36 cm). The piece is ready to hang with D-rings and wire on the back. A hook and nail is included.
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Works are carefully packaged with two boxes and thick foam.
Pieces are shipped via courier with tracking. A flat rate price will be applied after the destination country is entered into the address form.
All pieces ship from Vancouver, Canada. Delivery times vary by destination. -
Shipping costs take into account taxes/tariffs/duties as much as possible.
The fees are determined by your country's regulations and are subject to change. Additional import fees, not already included in the flat rate shipping cost, may be levied by the local authority. Any additional charge is the responsibility of the purchaser.
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Each piece is framed and ready to hang. The length of the hanging wire can easily be adjusted. A hook and nail is included.
The glass and frame can be cleaned with a cloth dampened with clean, soapy water or glass cleaner solution.
Display your artwork away from direct sunlight and heat sources.
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A Certificate of Authenticity is provided with each piece.
The vintage images are sourced from online archives, collectors, and dealers. I credit photographers, studios, and models whenever the record allows.
Queer art has a long history of appropriation, largely because overt self-expression was not possible for gay people. Appropriation allowed artists to code messages in their work and, in many cases, pay tribute to those who came before them — artists who were unable to fully express themselves openly.
My work continues this tradition. It is grounded in the work of pioneer photographers and models; to these images I add new expressions of meaning that comment on the history of queer culture and people.
The source photographs are black and white. I apply a digital colourization before the image is transferred to cotton — not to modernize it, but because the contrast of black and white against coloured embroidery thread is too stark. The colourization is deliberately unrefined; I want the image to retain its age. Beyond this, I make no alterations to the photograph.
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All sales are final. In the unlikely event your piece arrives damaged, please photograph the packaging and artwork immediately upon receipt and contact me within 48 hours. I will work with you to find a resolution.