“Every time we kiss, we confirm the new world coming.” Marlon Rigg’s (1957-1994) experimental music video Anthem (1991) proclaims these words of revolutionary love. During the peak of the AIDS epidemic, many creatives used art to confront the harmful public discourse around the LGBTQ+ community. One such was Riggs, an American educator, filmmaker and gay rights, who created Anthem three years into living with HIV and used it as a space to challenge and redefine prevailing images of Black masculinity through film, poetry, music. Today, LGBTQ+ creatives are also using media to subvert narratives of despair from this time period. Channel 4 mini-series, It’s a Sin (2021), explores the dynamics of the period in relation to a London friendgroup whose lives are transformed by the epidemic. As well as the tragedy, writes The Guardian, the show captures “the exhilaration of youth – the laughter, the lust, the dreams.”
Enter the works of photographer Sunil Gupta (b. 1951). The New-Delhi born artist moved to the UK at a time when the 1960s Gay Liberation Movement was finally gaining mainstream attention, and, as an openly gay man, he felt empowered by its presence. His work opens eyes to the nuances and intersections of race and sexuality. In 1984, these explorations gave way to a series of compositions that form Lovers: Ten Years On (1984-1994). Simple portraits, shot within domestic environments, emboldened subjects and reframed perceptions of queer romance. From 1986 onward, the emerging disease gave the work a vital urgency. Despite being mundane and minimal, these shots opposed homophobic narratives of the time. Gupta shows that these people were not alone, but rather strengthened by their lovers.
Now, the artist makes his debut in Yorkshire at The Art House, Wakefield in the exhibition, Lovers Revisited. It marks the artist’s return to this powerful series, framing a selection of older works alongside modern, large scale photographs. These newer portraits were made in collaboration with his husband and fellow photographer Charan Singh (b. 1978), whose image-making also explores subaltern queer identity. Singh’s first major solo exhibition in the UK – The Promise of Beauty – will be presented alongside the display until 17 August. For Lovers Revisited, the couple elaborate the original dialogue through playful comparison, employing the same camera lens used in the older portraits. Queer couples from all over the world take the spotlight whilst one exciting piece shows a pair of past participants reshot in the present.
Separating the past and present is Gupta’s use of full colour photography. A striking monochromatic example from the past, Lisa and Emily (1984) depicts a mixed-race lesbian couple inside an unpainted apartment; their forward-looking gaze suggests defiance, determination, whilst their postures hint toward their natural chemistry. Yet, the atmosphere within the image feels destitute – a canvas half-finished by social complications of the day. As a visual counterpoint, Renée & Emily (2024) trades the black-and-white interior for a rejuvenating garden; colour is plentiful, nature is prominent, and the final composition suggests finality. Digital quality provides a defined flourish, bringing this love story into the Instagram age.
Across Lovers: Ten Years On and Lovers Revisited, the mirroring of old and new invites reflection. It reminds the viewer of historical struggles, past lives, and the role of visual representation in forming forward-thinking narratives. The final works provide a pillar of connection between the lost, found and those still finding their way. Emboldened with new hues and experiences, the same defiant gaze remains strong.
The Art House, Lovers: Ten Years On | Until 30 August
The Art House, Lovers Revisited | Until 30 August
The Art House, Charan Singh: The Promise of Beauty | Until 17 August
Words: Kyle Boulton
Image Credits:
- Images courtesy the artist and Hales Gallery, Materià Gallery, Stephen Bulger Gallery and Vadehra ArtGallery. © Sunil Gupta
