My Romantic Ideal
A Queer Photography exhibition curated by Slava Mogutin
May 1 – August 31, 2025
Opening reception: Thursday, May 1, 6-8 PM
Bureau of General Services—Queer Division
Room 210 of The LGBT Community Center
208 W 13th Street
NYC 10011
Featured Artists
Alejandro Ruiz (US-Mexico) @alexandroruixx
Ben Prince (US) @benprinceusa
Benjamin Fredrickson (US) @benjaminfredrickson2
Brian Kenny (US) @briankennny
Bruce LaBruce (Canada) @brucelabruce
Cameron Lee Phan (Vietnam-US) @cameronleephan
Carter Peabody (US-Mexico) @carter_pbd
Donovan Quiroz (Mexico) @dnvn1
Francis Schichtel (US) @francis_schichtel
Gerardo Vizmanos (Spain-Germany) @gerardovizmanos
Gio Black Peter (Guatemala-US) @gioblackpeter11
Jan Wandrag (South Africa-US) @janwandrag
Łukasz Leja (Poland-US) @lukaszleja
Luke Abby (UK-Germany) @lukeabby
Matt Lambert (US-Germany) @dielamb
Miguel Villalobos (Venezuela-US) @miguelvillalobosnyc
Paul Mpagi Sepuya (US) @pagmi
Quil Lemons (US) @quillemons
Robert Flynt (US) @robertflyntfoto
Ross Collab (US) @rosscollab
Scott Hug (US) @mr._hug
Slava Mogutin (Russia-US) @slavamogutin
Stanley Stellar (US) @stellar.fse
Stuart Sandford (UK-Mexico) @stuartsandford
Tom Bianchi (US) @tombianchi
Tony Solis (Mexico) @tonysolisyosoy
Tyler Matthew Oyer (US) @tmostudio
Victor Jeffreys II (US) @victorjeffreysii
Curatorial statement:
My Romantic Ideal is a queer photography exhibition that explores the intersections of intimacy, desire, and identity in the contemporary landscape of escalating culture wars, with state-sponsored, religious and corporate homophobia and censorship on the rise on both sides of the Atlantic.
As queer artists, we occupy spaces where love and lust collide, where fantasy and reality dissolve, and where the body becomes both a site of pleasure and protest. This collection of work from 28 emerging and established photographers—each with their unique vision, background, and experience—offers a kaleidoscopic view into the multifaceted and often contradictory nature of queer romance.
The title of the exhibition reflects the tension between societal expectations of romance and the deeply personal, rebellious, and liberating expressions of love and desire that queer artists present. Romantic ideals have historically been dictated and shaped by heteronormative frameworks, but here, we subvert and redefine them through a queer lens. Each artist challenges, queers, and reclaims the concept of romanticism in their own way, whether through intimate portraiture, raw documentation of lived experiences, or surreal, dreamlike compositions.
As a curator, I aimed to gather a selection of artists whose work resonates with the complexities of queer love, desire, and identity in their many forms. These photographers are not simply documenting a queer reality—they are creating new paradigms of romanticism, fueled by their journeys and passions. Together, their works form a vibrant intergenerational dialogue about the politics of love, the performance of romance, and the transformative power of queer eroticism.
My Romantic Ideal is not just an exhibition of photography, but a declaration of the many ways we, as queer artists, claim and redefine love—on our own terms, with all its contradictions, joys, and struggles.
