📰🗞️🎨💕 Thank you @LATimes !
🎨🎉 New @TalkArt podcast! We meet legendary artist Peter Berlin @PeterBerlinSF from his home in San Francisco.
We explore @Mariposa.Drive ’s inaugural Los Angeles exhibition featuring the groundbreaking photography, art, and personal artifacts of #PeterBerlin, an artist who transformed queer self-representation and male eroticism in the 1970s and beyond. The exhibition is now open at 526 N. Western Avenue—in the heart of the Melrose Hill gallery district— curated by actor and host of Talk Art, Russell Tovey, showcasing Berlin’s iconic self-portraits, unique painted photographs, and items from his personal archive including his own clothing designed by Berlin during his years as a self-styled gay icon. This is the first ever exhibition of Berlin’s work in LA.
The exhibition offers visitors a rare view into the life and work of an artist whose influence on LGBTQ+ aesthetics endures. Berlin, born Armin Hagen Freiherr von Hoyningen Huene in 1942, gained notoriety for his daring and meticulously crafted self-portraits, often taken in public spaces across Berlin, Paris, New York, and San Francisco. These images capture Berlin in his skin-tight costumes and signature pageboy haircut, boldly challenging the boundaries of masculinity and public identity.
Berlin’s focus on “cruising as career” drew him to create self-portraits that explored male sexuality and queer expression, which appeared on the covers of numerous gay publications, cementing his image as an international gay sex symbol. The exhibition will also feature selections from Berlin’s ’70s and ’80s media presence, capturing the evolution of gay aesthetics in this era.
“Peter Berlin, the fearless and enigmatic, otherworldly icon of 1970s cruise culture, created work that resonates around the world—sparkling, searing, and blazing with vitality. His images burn with eternal desire, offering us the ultimate permission to stare. It’s a privilege to share his groundbreaking art with new and familiar audiences alike. Peter Berlin remains a profoundly significant yet often overlooked figure in the history of art.” - @RussellTovey
🔗 Follow @PeterBerlinSF and @Mariposa.Drive
🎨🎉 New @TalkArt podcast! We meet legendary artist Peter Berlin @PeterBerlinSF from his home in San Francisco.
We explore @Mariposa.Drive ’s inaugural Los Angeles exhibition featuring the groundbreaking photography, art, and personal artifacts of #PeterBerlin, an artist who transformed queer self-representation and male eroticism in the 1970s and beyond. The exhibition is now open at 526 N. Western Avenue—in the heart of the Melrose Hill gallery district— curated by actor and host of Talk Art, Russell Tovey, showcasing Berlin’s iconic self-portraits, unique painted photographs, and items from his personal archive including his own clothing designed by Berlin during his years as a self-styled gay icon. This is the first ever exhibition of Berlin’s work in Los Angeles. Last chance to visit!
The exhibition offers visitors a rare view into the life and work of an artist whose influence on LGBTQ+ aesthetics endures. Berlin, born Armin Hagen Freiherr von Hoyningen Huene in 1942, gained notoriety for his daring and meticulously crafted self-portraits, often taken in public spaces across Berlin, Paris, New York, and San Francisco. These images capture Berlin in his skin-tight costumes and signature pageboy haircut, boldly challenging the boundaries of masculinity and public identity.
Berlin’s focus on “cruising as career” drew him to create self-portraits that explored male sexuality and queer expression, which appeared on the covers of numerous gay publications, cementing his image as an international gay sex symbol. The exhibition will also feature selections from Berlin’s ’70s and ’80s media presence, capturing the evolution of gay aesthetics in this era.
“Peter Berlin, the fearless and enigmatic, otherworldly icon of 1970s cruise culture, created work that resonates around the world—sparkling, searing, and blazing with vitality. His images burn with eternal desire, offering us the ultimate permission to stare. It’s a privilege to share his groundbreaking art with new and familiar audiences alike. Peter Berlin remains a profoundly significant yet often overlooked figure in the history of art.” - @RussellTovey
🔗 Follow @PeterBerlinSF and @Mariposa.Drive
🎨🎉 New @TalkArt podcast! We meet legendary artist Peter Berlin @PeterBerlinSF from his home in San Francisco.
We explore @Mariposa.Drive ’s inaugural Los Angeles exhibition featuring the groundbreaking photography, art, and personal artifacts of #PeterBerlin, an artist who transformed queer self-representation and male eroticism in the 1970s and beyond. The exhibition is now open at 526 N. Western Avenue—in the heart of the Melrose Hill gallery district— curated by actor and host of Talk Art, Russell Tovey, showcasing Berlin’s iconic self-portraits, unique painted photographs, and items from his personal archive including his own clothing designed by Berlin during his years as a self-styled gay icon. This is the first ever exhibition of Berlin’s work in Los Angeles. Last chance to visit!
The exhibition offers visitors a rare view into the life and work of an artist whose influence on LGBTQ+ aesthetics endures. Berlin, born Armin Hagen Freiherr von Hoyningen Huene in 1942, gained notoriety for his daring and meticulously crafted self-portraits, often taken in public spaces across Berlin, Paris, New York, and San Francisco. These images capture Berlin in his skin-tight costumes and signature pageboy haircut, boldly challenging the boundaries of masculinity and public identity.
Berlin’s focus on “cruising as career” drew him to create self-portraits that explored male sexuality and queer expression, which appeared on the covers of numerous gay publications, cementing his image as an international gay sex symbol. The exhibition will also feature selections from Berlin’s ’70s and ’80s media presence, capturing the evolution of gay aesthetics in this era.
“Peter Berlin, the fearless and enigmatic, otherworldly icon of 1970s cruise culture, created work that resonates around the world—sparkling, searing, and blazing with vitality. His images burn with eternal desire, offering us the ultimate permission to stare. It’s a privilege to share his groundbreaking art with new and familiar audiences alike. Peter Berlin remains a profoundly significant yet often overlooked figure in the history of art.” - @RussellTovey
🔗 Follow @PeterBerlinSF and @Mariposa.Drive
NOW OPEN!
Peter Berlin: “Permission to Stare” curated by Russell Tovey is now open to the public! Come by anytime from 10-6 today or tomorrow to check out the show.
And please join us for the party Tuesday, February 18 from 6-8pm. 🎉 Party open to all!
526 N. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, California
#peterberlin #friezela #hollywood #art #mariposadrive
We are thrilled to announce Peter Berlin: Permission to Stare, curated by Russell Tovey, which will be on view February 14 - 23, 2025 at 526 N. Western Avenue in the Melrose Hill neighborhood of Los Angeles, coinciding with Frieze LA. There will be a reception on Tuesday, February 18, from 6-8pm. We hope to see you there.
Peter Berlin: Permission to Stare features the groundbreaking photography, art, and personal artifacts of Peter Berlin, an artist who transformed queer self-representation and male eroticism in the 1970s and beyond. The exhibition is curated by actor and host of Talk Art, Russell Tovey, and will showcase Berlin’s iconic self-portraits, unique painted photographs, and items from his personal archive including his own clothing designed by Berlin during his years as a self-styled gay icon. This is the first ever exhibition of Berlin’s work in Los Angeles, and the first time many of the works and artifacts from his personal collection will be on view.
“Peter Berlin, the fearless and enigmatic, otherworldly icon of 1970s cruise culture, created work that resonates around the world—sparkling, searing, and blazing with vitality. His images burn with eternal desire, offering us the ultimate permission to stare. It’s a privilege to share his groundbreaking art with new and familiar audiences alike. Peter Berlin remains a profoundly significant yet often overlooked figure in the history of art.” – Russell Tovey
Peter Berlin resides in San Francisco today, where he is still frequently recognized on the sidewalks by his fans. His photographs are represented in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, as part of the Robert Mapplethorpe archive (Mapplethorpe and Sam Wagstaff collected Peter Berlin’s work); in addition to The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University in Bloomington.
Peter Berlin: Permission to Stare, curated by Russell Tovey
On View: Friday, February 14 - Sunday, February 23, 2025
Reception: Tuesday, February 18, 6-8pm
526 N. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90004
#art #peterberlin #russelltovey #losangeles #gallery #photo #photography #gay #1970s #mariposa
