Dear Shaded Viewers,
This will be the first major institutional solo presentation of Bob Mizer's work to be shown anywhere in the world. The exhibition is organized by Billy Miller and Jonathan Berger in collaboration with Dennis Bell of The Bob Mizer Foundation and students and faculty from the NYU Steinhardt Department of Art and Art Professions. Bob Mizer was born in 1922 and died in 1992. Mizer is known for pioneering "beefcake" photography via his company the Athletic Model Guild (AMG) and his publication Physique Pictorial, however that was only one of the many genre's that he pursued over the course of almost 50 years.
Since Mizer never shared the other parts of his work, this exhibition will contain unknown, unseen and often unprinted images. DEVOTION serves as an unprecedented document of American cultural history, recording popular and subcultural "types" and "scenes" between 1940 – 1990's. You will find "nature boys", beatniks, greasers, female and male body builders, beauty queens, hippies, soldiers, religious figures, magicians, circus performers, Hollywood actresses, gang members, hustlers and their girlfriends, punks, new wavers, drifters, farm boys, surfers, druggies, construction workers, artists, activists, ex-cons, and would be politicians, among others.
80WSE is an extension of the Department of Art and Art Professions in NYU Steinhardt. Under the direction of faculty member Jonathan Berger, 80WSE presents experimental contemporary and historical exhibitions, produced exclusively by and for the gallery, through unique collaborations between faculty, students, and noted artists and curators.
The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
Located in the heart of Greenwich Village, NYU’s Steinhardt School prepares students for careers in the arts, education, health, media, and psychology. Since its founding in 1890, the Steinhardt School's mission has been to expand human capacity through public service, global collaboration, research, scholarship, and practice.
DEVOTION is made possible through the generous support of ITS Academic Technology Services and the Advanced Media Studio (AMS). www.nyu.edu/its/ams
Concurrent with DEVOTION: Excavating Bob Mizer, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art will present “Bob Mizer & Tom of Finland” from November 2, 2013 until January 26, 2014. For more information, please visit: www.moca.org
Gallery Hours
The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10:30am – 6:00pm. Admission is free.
