Adam, ca. early 1980s.
Gelatin silver print.
Signed in graphite on the verso.

A photograph taken by Holder and later published in his 1986 book, Adam​, in which the artist celebrated the natural beauty of the male form through the biblical figure of Adam. Pairing together quotations from Genesis with dynamic compositions featuring the male nude, Holder's Adam showcases the transcendent qualities of man's physical features. The artist described his compositions in Adam as body landscapes, drawing a direct parallel to the biblical figure's origins in the earth.

Image: 14 x 11 in. (35.6 x 27.6 cm)
Frame: 21 5/8 x 18 3/4 in. (55 x 47.5 cm)

Literature:
Holder, Geoffrey. Adam. New York: Viking Books, 1986. Illustrated.

Notes:
A male nude portrait by the Trinidadian-American artist Geoffrey Lamont Holder. Holder was a man of many talents, known for his work as a dancer, actor, choreographer, director, photographer, and painter. He first moved to New York in 1953, quickly making a name for himself in Broadway productions and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Amongst his many other achievements, he is known for directing The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1975) for which he would win two Tony Awards. Holder was an equally accomplished painter and photographer, having received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1956, with his work now held in the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum, the Studio Museum in Harlem, and the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture.

Nothing adverse to note.

For further condition details or additional images, please contact info@vallots.com

Swann Auction Galleries. New York, NY. LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History. August 22, 2024, lot 350.

Property of a Wisconsin Estate, acquired from the above.