Nuit Rose: Legends of New York Nightlife

John Simone, Toronto-based artist who was part of a post Studio 54 era sure has been around the world and back, so to speak.  His Legends of N.Y. Nightlife as part of his Nuit Rose photography exhibition really captures the insight of the goings on in the LGBTQ nightclub, and entertainment scenes between 1987-1990.  Being that I was a little kid at that time, I was oblivious and barely conscious of what was going on around me in the world that I had lived in.  I can honestly say that seeing these photographic depictions of nightlife many ions ago makes me want to praise those who were part of it and therefore would have stories to tell.  This is definitely not the world I would have ever learned from mom and dad who were both the more conservative types who roamed the earth.

John started his career with the original Details Magazine as a promising young photo-journalist where he photographed club events and what he liked to call Subterranean Society.  Here is where he had the opportunity of a lifetime to really get into depths of what could really take place out of this world during an especially conservative time, more specifically, during the Bush administration when the echo era, the children of the baby boom generation were being encompassed with family-friendly values post-deregulation.  Subterranean Society really lets one’s imagination run wild in a world outside of reality that only took place at night and slept during the day.  I’m a night owl so I consider it fitting to make the joke.  This was truly a time for Simone to reinvent himself whilst challenging the socially acceptable fashion trends of the mainstream by emphasizing the beauty of the ‘untamed’.  There is so much more to see and you can all find this particular installment at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre from Saturday June 21-Sunday June 29.

Submitted by: Ninsen Lo

Happy WorldPride all.

 

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theBUZZ Features is written by theBUZZ editorial staff. Check back often for news on the latest LGBTQ arts, entertainment, and events.