Bob Mizer

Charles Butler and David Stubbs (with snake on cycle), Los Angeles, 1961

10 × 8 ″ vintage large-format black and white negative selenium-toned gelatin silver print USD 2000

Featuring two nude youths with a snake on a cycle, this image from 1961 reflects the shifting ideologies regarding nudity during the transition from the conservative McCarthyism era of the early 1950s to the more liberal climate of the 1960s. This image represents a departure from the repressive attitudes towards nudity, symbolizing the newfound freedom of expression and openness emerging during that time. Mizer's work captures the changing social dynamics and the evolving acceptance of the human body as a subject of art, reflecting the lightening up of societal views on nudity.