THE BETHESDA BROTHERHOOD (2014-2018)
The Bethesda Brotherhood is a mixed media project that emerged out of a series of intergenerational relationships with HIV positive men that I met and fell in love with on a cruising website.
The pool of Bethesda, referred to in biblical narratives of Jerusalem, is a literal site of regeneration and exchange where Christ healed the sick.
Nick, 2014
Gerry, 2014
FOREVER YOUNG (2014)
single-channel video
:40 sec.
w/ Gerry
STITCH, POP-POP, STITCH (2014)
single-channel video
2:51 sec
w/ Allan
Collage (before the needlepoint) and back of Fire Island Needlepoint
Needlepoint (after the collage)
FIRE ISLAND BOOK (click here for full PDF)
Chapter 1
How They Didn’t See
Allan: Larry probably molested the Latino guy. He was underage. Larry was a high school English teacher in a city - in a very famous New York City school. And he was one of Larry’s students. Now, I don’t know how old you were when you go to high school, but… you know, pick a grade.
And he wasn’t the first one. He used to nurture these - Larry was quite the character. He used to nurture these relationships...
These were very poor kids from the ghetto. Larry lived in the Upper East Side in New York and he used to romance them. And they would do pretend. They came over to his house and he would dress them up...
Chapter 2
Who Could I Ask?
Jonathan: Do you remember the doctor’s name?
Allan: No.
Jonathan: No?
Allan: They don’t have anything in writing… I’m trying to think if they ever wrote anything.
Hm… Larry and his little boyfriends. I’ll see what I can do about this one. I’m intrigued now.
And everybody’s dead. There’s nobody I could ask. Who could I ask?
