'If Our Walls Could Talk' photography by Damon McLay July 6, 2012

Opening: July 6, 8-10pm; Exhibit: July 1-31

An exhibition of Damon McLay's evocative, vulnerable and powerfully emotive gay male photography will be displayed for the month of July with an opening reception on Friday, July 6th, 8-10pm.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT: As a gay male photographer I've found San Francisco has no shortage of beautiful men with amazing bodies. I often feel I should have flawless six-pack abs, impressively bulging biceps and an even more impressively bulging jock. Somehow it's easy to believe that if I could achieve those 'perfections' I would be free of insecurity and in control of my life. I've photographed some of these "perfect" men and I've discovered that, like me, they struggle with insecurity, depression, the complexity of relationships, and trying to decide "what they want to be when they grow up."

My photos reveal moments of raw vulnerability, tell deeply personal stories and portray the beautiful range of our experience as human beings. This work urges the viewer to not only look at the beauty of a man's body, but to also acknowledge that man's inner experience: the moments of playful abandon, passionate connection, unsettling fear, dark rage, crippling loss... What is he experiencing in this moment? What circumstances have brought him to this place? Inside that sexy body is a person who laughs, cries and is profoundly impacted by the ebb and flow of life.

These works were birthed from my personal experiences as a gay man growing up in Alaska where I spent far too many years trying to carve myself into the role of a "normal" man... Since establishing my new life in SF I strive to embrace every moment of my new life and boldly express the complexity of it all through my art.

These are my experiences. These are, in fact, all of our experiences. And these photographs are an appeal for us to acknowledge one another as the complete individuals we are. If our walls could talk... how would that influence the way we interact as a community?

Official Website: http://www.facebook.com/events/372171406172207