My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys! Painting

"My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys!" I've always said i'm inspired as much by Tom of Finland and the artists of the old pulp fiction books as I am by Titian or Turner. This piece harks back to 1950's America - particularly to the gay community of the time. It's reminiscent of a well thumbed physique pictorial type magazine. Sure it's got the beefcake on the front, but look at the birdies, and the flowers - wth this added 'culture' it's sure to get past the censors. And for the consumers picking this guy up at the newsstands. Well, nothing to see here, officer, just admiring an all-American cowboy. What could be more masculine than that? The mask though, well, it's there to remind us of the way many gay people were forced to live at the time. One face in public and another for when the front door closes. The aim of this piece is to remind us of our journey. The rights that we have fought for, and the battles we are still facing today. The oil painting itself is suitably 'distressed' on the surface to reflect the printing process of the old magazines and add some 'age' to it, however, under the surface it's shows the scars and scratches of living the gay life. But, if you look at the cowboy, well, he's still standing proud. As a gay man it's my intention to ensure that lgbtq people are represented in as much of my art as possible. I think visibility is key to ensuring that our hard won rights do not get eroded under these current governments in the US and UK. *This piece is also available as a limited edition print.