Homoerotic Archaeology: Uncut (September 1990), Part Two

Friday, September 24, 2021

Uncut (September 1990), Part Two

A highly reclusive and secretive individual, the artist known as Rex became a major contributor to the homoerotic art scene during the 1970s and 1980s. Inspired by Tom of Finland and the official artist of Wally Wallace’s Mineshaft in New York, Rex paired the hypermasculine aesthetic with leather and sadomasochistic culture to engender a unique style of brawny hedonism. Sadly, in July of 1981, an arsonist’s burning of the Barracks bath on Folsom Street destroyed Rex’s neighboring studio, an event romanticized in both the film Rex Video Gallery (1993) and Jack Fritscher’s novel Some Dance to Remember (2010). This September 1990 issue of Uncut (which had been broken into two parts) features a showcase of the art’s work. Included in the second half (see the first half here) is the short story “The Locksmith” (about a motorist’s encounter with a butch locksmith who balks about safe sex and reinforces gay stereotypes), a Cactus Cooley comic, and photo spreads of models Marco, Randy, and Ricardo. NOTE: THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE WAS FOUND INCOMPLETE AMONG THE BOXES OF MAGAZINES; HENCE, ITS SPARSE PRESENTATION.

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What is Homoerotic Archaeology?

In 2016, I discovered several discarded boxes at an estate sale. Under their flimsy flaps were hundreds of well-worn issues of homoerotic magazines from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. I purchased them out of mild intrigue and, as I perused their pages, I was startled to realize that something commonly disregarded as pornographic smut earnestly chronicled the evolution of gay culture: the social and sexual liberation of the 1970s, the crushing devastation from AIDS during the 1980s, and the gradual strengthening of the community in the 1990s. As a gay man, I was touched by the subtle narrative these publications told. As a historian, I was motivated to digitally preserve their content. And, as an educator, I was driven to create a platform to share that information freely with others interested in the progression of gay society. Homoerotic Archaeology is that venue. Here you will find the advertisements, articles, short stories, and (of course) pictures found in these magazines lovingly preserved and presented for future generations of gay men to enjoy and study.

Why Preserve Homoerotica?

As early as the 1970s, scholars such as June Rook have stressed the need to preserve homosexual history in an effort to combat repression and establish a cultural background for future generations. Much of the preservation process admirably focuses on the substantial works of homosexual artists and thinkers; however, it sadly ignores other elements quintessential to the community’s history, particularly homoerotica. Although frequently labeled obscene filth, homoerotica has, just like the significant creations of artists and thinkers, been a prevalent part of the group’s culture and has played an integral role in shaping identities and perceptions (consider how influential Tom of Finland’s hypermasculinity has been in molding the body ideals of modern gay men). Due to this factor, the conservation of homoerotica is just as essential as the preservation of major artistic and theoretical homosexual works.