By Rose Picón, staff writer

 

Courtesy of ArtRage Gallery, used with permission

It was New York City in the 1970’s and small-town transplant William Knodel was trying to adjust to life amid the hustle and bustle, while also coming to terms with his sexuality. Knodel knew he was gay, but he didn’t know how to cope with it.  One day, he passed an antique shop with an old amateur photograph hanging outside of it. The photo was of young men in swimming attire, lined up outside a tent that said “Men Only.” Knodel bought the photo.

He hung the photo in his tiny apartment, and it gave him a sense of comfort. So, Knodel bought another old photo of men who were posed as though they were partners. Although these men may not have been gay, Knodel had a sense that he and the men were like-minded, and the thought reassured him. The encouragement he felt from these photos is what inspired him to collect photos of men, especially gay men in love. Wherever Knodel went, he began collecting photos to express his identity as a homosexual, and he soon developed a large assortment of images from all over the world.

Knodel now has a collection of 4,000 images dating as far back as the 19^th century, including tin-types, daguerreotypes and photographs.  These photos are not all professionally shot; most, in fact, are shot by ordinary people, and they all focus on the affection between men. These photos will soon be featured in an exhibition called Men Only at ArtRage Gallery.

Last fall, when ArtRage started planning its exhibitions for 2012, Knodel knew he wanted to exhibit his collection there. He was especially eager because the debate over whether or not New York State would pass the marriage equality bill was in full swing. It was a critical time for the gay community. Luckily, Knodel’s causes persevered: the bill eventually passed in New York, and he was able to enlist Nancy Keefe Rhodes to curate the exhibit.

That didn’t mean the roadblocks were over, however. When Knodel wanted to title the exhibition “Men Only,” the idea wasn’t warmly received. Syracuse Cultural Workers, an organization that has close relations with the parent entity of ArtRage, The CORA Foundation, wondered if the title was politically correct. Rhodes assured them it was, explaining, “When you see these images, it’s apparent that it’s not about men hating women, it’s about men loving men. Being gay is not about hating the opposite sex. If you’re with these photos, that becomes clear through the innocence and tenderness of these images.”

Professors on Syracuse University’s campus wanted to recognize this critical time for the gay community and were interested in hosting events that supported the gay rights movement and coincided with the exhibition. Roger Hallas, a professor in the English and Textual Studies department, read about the display and came up with the idea to have David Deitcher, a photographer and author of the book, Dear Friends: American Photographs of Men Together, speak on SU’s campus about his compilation of photos of male affection. Hallas wanted Rhodes to work with him to create events around the topic that would reach both the campus and the community. Rhodes found this a fantastic idea. “It’s a terrific collaboration because Roger brings resources from the University, and we have had great support with donations from many departments at SU.”

With ArtRage’s new exhibition and Deitcher’s lecture, February will be an exciting time to learn more about gay pride. ArtRage will show Knodel’s collection February 4-March 17. An artist’s reception will take place at ArtRage, located at 505 Hawley Avenue, from 7-9pm on February 11. To find out more about the other activities associated with gay pride at ArtRage and on SU’s campus in February and March, check out ArtRage’s website.