Jasper Briggs, Legend in My Living Room, George, 2016, Archival pigment print, Courtesy of the Artist
“As a black gay man I’ve learned you have to fight the fear. The fear of life. The fear of existing in the world. My creative energy and art has made me fearless.” – Beau Mccall
Six portraits of LGBTQ adults between the ages of 56 and 84 hang on the walls of the Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art as an homage to those who fought for queer rights. Commissioned by Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) and shot by Jasper Briggs, “Legend in my Living Room” features these legendary social heroes, from activists to military personnel, in the comforts of their own living rooms.
Briggs’ role as a photojournalist, rather than just a photographer, allows the subjects to be in their most candid form, portraying the pain and perseverance they went through over the past decades in order to push progression and freedom forward. “Too often the experiences of black LGBTQ individuals are erased out of history” says Steven Fullwood, one of the co-curators. “So with this photography project we aim to empower them as they take control of their narrative and public representation.”
Jasper Briggs, Legend in My Living Room, Alex, 2016, Archival pigment print, Courtesy of the Artist
“I was young we didn’t think about getting old. Most of us never made it that far. I am shocked I made it. I proudly see myself as somebody who lived the life” Tina Moet
Photo courtesy of Jasper Briggs
“Legend in my Living Room” is currently on display at the Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in Manhattan, New York, until 12 August 2016