Robert W. Richards, Man in Earrings, 2017, Mixed medium on paper, 14x11 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Robert W. Richards: Couture Érotique
I try to savor the small details that make an outfit worth sharing with the world: the unexpected paillette, some fringe, a sparkly earring, even a tassel or two. These embellishments speak to a soft sensibility, a feminine fantasy of feathers, strings of pearls, and lustrous silks. These elements of accessorizing are devastatingly powerful and act as a channel for escapism or performance in dressing. What’s better is finding these elements in the absence of the clothes they usually accompany. Artist Robert W. Richards, whom we featured in GAYLETTER Issue 1, elevates our understanding of just how glamorous a nude boy can be.
Juxtaposing the hard bodies blindly glorified by the homosexual masses with the fantastic accents of classical opulence is Richards’ game. He writes his own rules by exploring the “relationship between masculine and feminine aesthetics within in the genre of fashion illusion” in his latest show, Couture Érotique.
Ideas of gender and the freedom of expression are not foreign to Robert, who said “Having the courage to wear what a man pleases is the most defining and boldest of male characteristics — true masculinity!”
Robert W. Richard, Pretty in Purple, 2017, ink & gouache on bristol, 11×14 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Robert W. Richards, Man in Sequins, 2017, Graphite on paper, 14×11 in. Courtesy of the artist.
The work is up at the genre-pushing Leslie-Lohman Prince Street Project Space of the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art. The exhibition is comprised of beautiful illustrations of beautiful boys wearing beautiful wardrobe accents — you don’t want to miss it.
“Robert W. Richards is a legend in the worlds of art and fashion in New York. Couture Érotique is a series of works combining his beginnings as a fashion illustrator and his love of beautiful men. His drawings integrate years of observation and attention to detail with the playful sense of humor for which Richards is so well known. For decades, he has been an ambassador for the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art and will donate a portion of all proceeds to the Museum.”
Robert W. Richards, Neck Tied, 2017, ink and gouache on bristol, 11×14 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Robert W. Richards, Dominated in Drag, 2017, ink on vellum, 11×14 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Couture Érotique is on display Oct. 20-24, 12:00pm-6:00pm at the Leslie-Lohman Project Space at 127 B Prince St. NY, NY.
