Interview
Alan Lyon
Alan Lyon has never missed out on life - he’s been too busy capturing it. Born in Rochester, New York, his passion for photography developed at an early age. He had his first camera at 8, and by 15, he had his own darkroom.
Throughout his many travels and incarnations - from being a disco bartender in San Francisco at the height of everything gay, to earning an MBA and becoming an accomplished businessman - Alan’s cameras have always accompanied him. Capturing his vision of the world, his passion for sharing stories, his striving to seize people’s essence.
Because Alan’s life encompasses various pathways, and as a true creative soul, his thirst for new experiences never falters, his artistry can only be fully understood in hindsight. Shapes and tastes might shift, feelings can be twisted and love shatters. And life happens. Alan catches what endures.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I have a business background, with an MBA. After college, I moved to San Francisco and worked at the End Up bar as a ‘disco bartender’. In 1977, San Francisco was a gay playground.
I had done some ‘art’ modeling when in college at the university's art school. It paid for my gas money. I started my business career when I entered my 30s, and quickly moved up the ladder. I was never in the closet, so the fact that I had a boyfriend was known. I did meet a lot of very successful gay people in the business world who stayed in the closet. Some of them had very unhappy stories. I started to understand internalized hate. At this point my photography was strictly for fun.
I then decided to retire early, and start my next profession as a protest artist!”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“This is very important — my work is a mirror where men can see themselves. The issue is men's health and well-being. I have an eye for the array of movement that radiates from all sorts of men in spite of sexuality, captured in their most vulnerable state: nude.
My art is a protest against the objectification of the male body, and against commercialism. It allows the viewer to see themselves in the art, and to be part of the world around them, to feel included. It is realistic, non-commercial. Nothing is ever photo-shopped - not a body part nor a background element. This allows the viewer to be present in the real world, to picture themselves there. It shows different people, different body types, different energies, thereby allowing the viewer to see themselves in the culture.”
Which current art world trends are you following?
“I combine gay vintage photography presented in today’s form. In doing so, I do not Photoshop people or places, ever!”
“There’s too much shame in the world. I want people to be able to see themselves as whole. To be comfortable in their own skin. My art is a way of screaming this message. My art is scream therapy.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“My work is very expensive to create. I pay my models top dollar, and some locations can be very expensive. Sometimes, there is travel and hotels involved. So planning is very important, and the work is done in a very deliberate way. I am always shooting models within a space, versus just at a space. Each shoot is part of a story. In terms of improvisation, it’s really using the same concept as modern dance. The models are free to interpret using their own creativity. It’s true collaboration.”
What process, materials, techniques, etc., do you use to create your artwork?
“The most important part of the process is getting the right people to work with. I pay attention to who I decide to work with. In terms of materials, I use the highest quality that fits in with my values. For example, the packaging I use to send out my artwork is recycled, and I use plant-based sleeves instead of plastic. In terms of techniques, I see them as value-based, such as clear communication, paying people well and on time, keeping my commitments, and listening during the collaboration process. It seems to work just fine. I’ve sold over 14,000 images to collectors because the work is valued.”
What does your art mean to you?
“I wish I could say I am happy with my sales, which I am. And I certainly work with the best collectors and artists. Still, my work is truly protest art!”
What’s your favorite artwork and why?
“I actually met Herb Ritts in New York in 1979. He was excited about his work and showed me some images he took of Richard Gere, and he talked about the upcoming movie American Gigolo. My favorite of his was ‘Fred with Tires Male Physique Poster 1988’. That poster hung in my room as inspiration. At the time, it gave me a sense of male masculinity. Of course, that was 1988. Today it’s vintage. Herb Ritts has been gone for twenty years. What I’ve done is taken the garage space and freed the hands. No longer holding an outdated social construct. It’s a great vintage example, that my work has grown enough to allow men to experience a broader range of themselves.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I showed my work in New York city last year at the Superfine art fair. My work will also be in the Superfine art fair in Los Angeles this October, 2022.”
Website: www.alanlyonphotography.com
Instagram: @alanlyonphotography
