In a move that’s both a scholarly deep dive and a poignant demonstration on the historicity of queer identities, "The First Homosexuals" exhibit has elegantly occupied the space of Wrightwood 659 in Lincoln Park. This extensive art survey, featuring same-sex attraction from 1869 to 1939, has been meticulously curated by Jonathan Katz, an art historian and professor at the University of Pennsylvania. According to WGN-TV, the exhibition presents over 300 works by more than 125 artists from 40 countries, each one exploring the nuanced identities and experiences within the LGBTQ+ community before they were recognized as such.
Despite the collection’s potential to richly inform and provoke thought, it's largely been rejected by museums internationally, only to finally find a place to be viewed correctly and critically, in Chicago. Katz reveals the underlying political motive, stating, "It is a political exhibition in part about the moment we are in," as he explains that the focus resides on a time when sexuality began to be categorized by the binaries homo and hetero, which, in turn, diminished the broader spectrum of sexual identities. This rings particularly relevant given the current climate, where federal agencies have been observed to scrub LGBTQ+ references from their websites, an echo of past cultural and political hostilities against queer communities.
The curation takes a critical lens to the intersection of art and queer identity, highlighting how art has chronicled same-sex desire throughout history, with pieces spanning from ancient Greece to feudal Japan. In artwork, Katz argues, we can decode a more fluent expression of queerness, untethered by the confinements of language. This sentiment is shared by assistant curator Johnny Wilson, who told CBS Chicago, "It's about how art captures that transition," referring to how the exhibit includes art that portrays LGBTQ individuals just after the terms "homosexual" and "heterosexual" were first coined.
Museums have traditionally been bastions of culture and history, yet the fear of engaging with queer history appears to have caused many to shy away from hosting such an exhibit—an exhibit that Wilson views as his form of protest. "This is an exhibit that at times challenges you, but that's what art is all about," he expressed to CBS Chicago while disclosing the difficulties in getting other U.S. institutions to showcase the works. His comments highlight the discomfort and censorship that often shadow LGBTQ+ narratives in the institutional art world.
The exhibit, which runs through July 26, not only draws a line connecting the art of LGBTQ+ individuals across history but additionally serves as a contemporary artifact examining today’s socio-political landscape. Through a collection that includes works from figures such as Oscar Wilde to Art Deco master Lempicka, "The First Homosexuals" fosters a dialogue about diversity, representation, and the ongoing struggle for queer visibility. Furthermore, a book on the exhibit is expected to be released next month, allowing the conversation to extend beyond the gallery walls of Wrightwood 659.
