Untitled, circa 1950's vintage silver gelatin print, 4 x 5" Bob Mizer Athletic Model Guild Wessel + O'Connor Fine Art is pleased to present an exhibit of vintage photographs from the "Athletic Model Guild", the 1950's Physique photography studio run by Bob Mizer (1922-1992) for almost 50 years out of Los Angeles. Originally conceived as a talent agency of male archetypes for the booming film industry, it would manage to survive the heavy-handed morality crusades of the 40's and 50's. With thousands of servicemen idle after WWII, Mizer could find plenty of models on Venice's Muscle Beach or the streets of Hollywood. He created a one-man industry of underground photographs that could be purchased via mail-order, selected from his self-published magazine, "Physique Pictorial". He started it in 1951 after his advertisements were refused by bodybuilder and health magazines of the day. Many actors and muscle men, gay and straight, got their start posing for Mizer. Joe Dallesandro, who would go on to star in Andy Warhol's films and pose for Calvin Klein ads, was one of his models. Ed Fury and Glenn Corbett, of 77 Sunset Strip were among some of Mizer's other more well-known subjects. As the critic Michael Duncan has stated: "Mizer showed his models as young gods, worthy of respect. A homegrown classicist, he presented an idealized side of desire that the ancient Greeks would have understood." The history of AMG and its sociological ramifications were explored in filmmaker Thom Fitzgerald's documentary "Beefcake" in 2000. Mizer would leave behind almost 1 million negatives of the men he photographed throughout the course of his career. Exhibition: June 22 - July 27, 2007 Gallery hours: Tues-Fri 11 am - 6 pm Wessel + O'Connor Fine Art 111 Front Street, Suite 200 USA-Brooklyn, NY 11201 Telephone +718 596-1700 Fax +718 596-1764 Email info@wesseloconnor.com www.wesseloconnor.com |
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