Love Is (Hate)
2026
Two men touch but cannot meet each other's eyes. The rainbow colours of the original pride flag overlay the photograph — celebration and constraint in the same frame. Stitched across the surface, the phrase Love Is remains deliberately unfinished; beneath it, almost hidden, the word HATE persists in the threads. The work doesn't argue that hatred underlies acceptance so much as it makes that persistence visible — the way prejudice doesn't disappear but goes quiet, waiting beneath the slogans and the rainbow affirmations. The legacy of homophobia is still felt in the body. This piece asks what it means to love inside that inheritance.
The models are Pat Burnham and Kenny Owens, photographed by the Western Photography Guild. Gilbert Baker created the rainbow flag for the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade; the eight-stripe version debuted on June 25, 1978.
Love Is (Hate) was been exhibited in Chicago (Jackson Junge Gallery) and Mexico City (The Bureau of Queer Art).
$795 CAD
Two men touch but cannot meet each other's eyes. The rainbow colours of the original pride flag overlay the photograph — celebration and constraint in the same frame. Stitched across the surface, the phrase Love Is remains deliberately unfinished; beneath it, almost hidden, the word HATE persists in the threads. The work doesn't argue that hatred underlies acceptance so much as it makes that persistence visible — the way prejudice doesn't disappear but goes quiet, waiting beneath the slogans and the rainbow affirmations. The legacy of homophobia is still felt in the body. This piece asks what it means to love inside that inheritance.
The models are Pat Burnham and Kenny Owens, photographed by the Western Photography Guild. Gilbert Baker created the rainbow flag for the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade; the eight-stripe version debuted on June 25, 1978.
Love Is (Hate) has been exhibited in Mexico City (The Bureau of Queer Art) and in Chicago (Jackson Junge Gallery).
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Love Is (Hate) 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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Shipping is included in the price of each piece. Works are carefully packaged and shipped via courier with tracking. All pieces ship from Vancouver, Canada. Delivery times vary by destination.
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International buyers may be subject to import duties, taxes, or customs fees. These are determined by your country's regulations and collected by the carrier on delivery. The Queer Thread does not collect or remit these charges.
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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.
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