REX at Fey-Way Studios, 1978.

Lithographic poster.

An original poster for the legendary one-man exhibition of REX at Robert Opel's Fey-Way Studios, April 8-19, 1978. Fey-Way Studios was a short-lived but incredibly influential San Francisco gallery founded by Robert Opel (1939-1979) in 1978. Fey-Way held some of the earliest shows for Robert Mapplethorpe, Tom of Finland, and Rex. Fey-Way Studios closed abruptly during its First Anniversary show, after Robert Opel was tragically murdered in the gallery on July 7, 1979. Due to Fey-Way's abrupt closure, art and ephemera from the gallery are extraordinarily rare.

17 1/2 x 10 5/8 in. (44.4 x 27 cm.)

Notes:

Rex was an American illustrator whose black-and-white, pen-and-ink drawings presented and codified the visual aesthetic of the gay S&M and leather subcultures during the 1970s and 1980s. Based in San Francisco, Rex’s artwork is defined by depictions of masculine archetypes such as policemen, prison guards, and bikers, often exploring the raw and unapologetic elements of gay male sexuality. Through his art, Rex documented the pre-AIDS cruising culture of dive bars, alleyways, bathhouses, and motels in both New York and San Francisco.

Rex first came to prominence in 1978 with a one-man show at Fey-Way Studios in San Francisco, a gallery opened by Robert Opel to showcase the talent of the city’s gay art scene. His work had a notable impact on photographers like Robert Mapplethorpe. As historian Jack Fritscher recalled, “Rex is to drawing what Mapplethorpe is to photography.” [1] Tellingly, Rex designed the hardcore interior decor of New York’s infamous Mineshaft club just two years prior to Mapplethorpe’s appointment as its resident photographer.

His unique pointillist style became virtually synonymous with the visual culture of the gay community. He designed postcards, pulp novel covers, and publicity materials for leather stores, sex shops, and gay nightclubs including a notable campaign for the poppers brand BOLT. Most famously, his graphics were featured in the 1980 movie Cruising, starring Al Pacino, and on a T-shirt worn by Freddie Mercury.

[1] Jack Fritscher, “Rex Inventing Rex”, “Rex Requiem: Corrupt Beyond Innocence”, in Inventing the Gay Gaze: Rex, Peter Berlin, Arthur Tress, and Crawford Barton (San Francisco: Palm Drive Publishing, 2025), p. 15.

Some graphite residue on the bottom right and top right. Minor abrasions along surface of the poster.

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