Workshop Artists Create a "Living Archive" of Erotic Art
By Christian Bain

Inspired by a proposal by Workshop artist Leonard Todd, The Queer Men's Erotic Art Workshop has enthusiastically embraced the idea of creating a "living archive" of erotic work created by the workshop's more than 60 participants.

"Because we feel that the Workshop is important both artistically and historically, we are proposing that a collection be established to preserve examples of art created during the workshop's two weekly sessions," says Todd, who has been a regular participant since the Spring of 2001. "As Workshop artists, we can each help form this record by donating one drawing or painting each year."

The new collection, to be known as the Workshop Collection, will be presented to the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation each year at the time of the annual Workshop exhibition, the next of which will open on September 9th.

"We've been very pleased to be able to host the Workshop over the past two years," says Charles Leslie, who with Fritz Lohman founded the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation's gallery in 1969. "Creating this new collection as an integral part of the Foundation's over 2,000 piece archive of gay art will provide a living archive of new gay erotic work like none anywhere else in the world."

"The new Workshop Collection is a tangible expression of our gratitude to the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation for its supportive role in hosting the Workshop in its gallery space," adds Workshop founder Harvey Redding. "During the past two years we've created literally thousands of drawings, paintings and collages in the Gallery's congenial environment. The new Workshop Collection will help us to contribute to the Foundation as well."

Work to be included in each year's donation will be selected by the curatorial committee of the Workshop's annual exhibition.