DAVID LEDDICK/DAVID VANCE Double Book Signing at Rizzoli

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

The two Davids, Leddick and Vance,
each one holding on to their books

June 12th at Rizzoli NY, was the place for art lovers of the Homoerotic genre to be. It was there that two legends in the field of Gay Art, David Leddick and David Vance, gathered with friends to promote and sign their newly published books, Leddick's Gorgeous Gallery and Vance's Jungle Fever.

Jungle Fever

Gorgeous Gallery - Bruce Sargeant (1880-1938),
"Wrestler and Boy in Jacket"

Published by Bruno Gmunder, David Leddick's compilation Gorgeous Gallery, offers an overview of the works of contemporary gay artists covering three genres dedicated to the beauty of men: Classical, Contemporary and Avant Garde. One will see everything from pop art to photo-realism. Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Don Bachardy, Peter Flinsch, Wes Hempel, Michael Leonard, Mark Beard, Neel Bate and Paul Cadmus are among the artists featured in this volume.

Leddick with good friend and Rizzoli veteran Ronald Freyberger, Author/Lecturer/Researcher
in the field of Decorative Arts and Collecting

A leading expert on the art of the male nude, David Leddick is the author of several award winning anthologies. He has also written about the mid-century American art world, about gay men who married women, about male escorts and six novels. He is recently the author of a book on Miami Beach, where in addition to France and Montevideo, Uruguay, he makes his home. David Leddick is also a playwright and cabaret artist, touring internationally.

Wes Hempel's "Study for Resolve," 2007

Chef/TV Journalist/Writer Tor Sporreé and David flank
Danielle Hampton as she displays Vance's latest book

For decades one of the best known names in commercial and celebrity portrait photography, David Vance is also a hallowed name in the Queer Universe as a master of Male Figurative Photography (put him on that top shelf along with Ken Duncan, Tom Bianchi, Robert Mapplethorpe and Arthur Tress.)

David Vance self published Jungle Fever, his latest publication of Modern Classical Photography of the male nude. It celebrates the male form in tropical settings and in the studio with a jungle flavor. The photos are warm, lush, sensual and mysterious.

Roberto Garcia, Jr. patiently awaits for his signed copy of Gorgeous Gallery

Homoerotic Master Photographer Tom Bianchi drops by with Model/Photographer/Website Editor, and also partner, both in business and life, Ben Smales, to congratulate both Davids on their new publications. Here with Vance in the middle

Ben, Tom and Leddick with Writer/Editor/Photographer Michael T. Luongo

Commercial Advertiser and also David Vance's business partner, Kyle Plyler with Tor

Leddick and David Noh, of Gay City News, having a
subtle tug of war over Leddick's prized volume

Vance with David Jarrett, photographer and renown collector of Male Figurative Art.

Actress Gwendolyn Bucci and her dearest friend David

Mark Schulte, for many years a tireless and highly regarded Queer Activist in the NY Metro area, meets legendary David Vance, who's homoerotic photography harks back to the 70s' Blue Boy Magazine

Norman C. Stahl and Sys Trier Morch just had to come to congratulate their long time friend Leddick

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