| Gay Icons: National Portrait Gallery |
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| Monday, 22 June 2009 | ||||
 This summer, London's National Portrait Gallery will be exhibiting 60 portraits of those men and women seen as Gay Icons. The exhibition is the first to celebrate the contribution of gay icons to history and culture and all of the portraits have been selected by public figures from the gay community. These portraits in being shown together will allow visitors to the gallery a rare opportunity to see those men and women who have shaped not only gay culture but have impacted upon culture as a whole, historically. The exhibition runs from the 2nd July - 18th October 2009 at the Porter Gallery in London's National Portrait Gallery. [Which 6 Icons would you choose? Go to the GYC Forums and have your say!]
Gay Icons
National Portrait Gallery, London
2nd July - 18 October 2009
This is an important photography exhibition which will celebrate the contribution of gay people - and the significance of the gay icon - to history and culture. Ten selectors have worked with the Gallery to make their own personal choices of six individuals, their ‘icons’. Not only does this exhibition include many well-known icons, who may or may not be gay themselves, it also reveals some surprises and will encourage a wide audience to think about familiar faces in new ways. The ‘Gay Icons’ shown in the exhibition will include those people, living or dead, whatever their sexual orientation or interests, who the ten individual selectors regard as inspirational, or as a personal icon. The exhibition coincides with the fortieth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York, and focuses on portraits of both historical and modern figures. The choices provide a fascinating range of inspiring figures – some very famous, some heroic, others relatively unknown.  k.d.lang Le Meridien Hotel, Londonby Jill Furmanovsky 1992 Sitters include artists Francis Bacon and David Hockney, civil rights campaigner Harvey Milk, writers Quentin Crisp, Joe Orton, Dame Daphne Du Maurier, Patricia Highsmith and Walt Whitman, composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, musicians k.d. lang, Will Young and Village People, entertainers Ellen DeGeneres, Kenneth Williams and Lily Savage, and Nelson Mandela and Diana, Princess of Wales. Their fascinating stories will be illustrated by sixty photographic portraits including works by Andy Warhol, Linda McCartney, Snowdon, Polly Borland, Fergus Greer, Terry O’Neill and Cecil Beaton. Exhibition Advance booking recommended. Visit www.npg.org.uk. Admission £5. Concessions £4.50/£4. Free for Gallery Supporters. A Senior Citizens Ticket Offer of £4 is available every Wednesday throughout the exhibition. Publication A fully illustrated book featuring the 60 striking selected photographs, with an introduction by Sandi Toksvig and an illuminating essay by Richard Dyer, accompanies the exhibition. Special Gallery price £20 (RRP £25) hardback.
For more information visit the National Portrait Gallery online at www.npg.org.uk
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01-09-2009 09:07 i see john barrowman as a gay icon, mainly because he's everyones favourite person and shows that you can still be gay, sexy and youthful at the age of 40 sommet. He's loed by everyone and has a masculine, charm about him. Registered 24-06-2009 23:12 nice idea... i just hope heteros take it in the right way.. im sure the majority will do  Registered Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6 |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 22 June 2009 ) | ||||
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