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Penny Wolin
Nice Jewish Butch
, 2005
Photograph
7"
x 7"
For the past 25 years, Wolin has used photographic
portraits along with oral interviews to research
Jewish culture in America. In this portrait, the
subject is presented in her preferred, masculine
wardrobe, sporting a tattoo and holding a photo-
graph in memory of her beloved grandmother.
There is no divide in her self-identity. She is nice,
Jewish, butch, and a granddaughter – a complete
human being. Faced with the struggle for accept-
ance, the terror of closeted individuals who would
rather hide their identity than lose the esteem of
their loved ones, and of queer youth being ejected
from their homes, the photographer offers a far more
positive image of a family embrace.
Martin Wong
I Really Like the Way Firemen Smell
, 1988
Acrylic on canvas
14"
x 11"
Courtesy of P.P.O.W. Gallery, New York
Wong’s mature work ranged from gritty, heartfelt render-
ings of the decaying Lower East Side, to playful, almost
insightful depictions of New York’s and San Francisco’s
Chinatowns. His affinity for firemen was well-known. At
one point, Wong’s then-boyfriend said Wong was only with
him for his looks. Wong denied the claim: he was far more
attracted to his boyfriend’s scent.
