Hector Silva

Hector Silva has been drawing the homeboys of East LA for twenty years, now. But he doesn't draw just any homeboys - he draws the queer ones, which suits me perfectly. His style is photorealistic, and absolutely stunning - drawn in black and white with occasional bold splashes of color. And his choice of subject matter pushes the edges, and challenges misconceptions.

Reading his interviews in preparation for this post, I was struck by his insistence that keeping a distance between edgy, controversial art and the acceptance of the mainstream is a necessary part of keeping erotic art real. "The cultural space carved out by proponents of erotic art is a place where the obscene and the perverse don't have to ask for permission. I put a high value on that space." - Frontiers Magazine

Wow. I think that quote belongs at the top of this blog.


Note: Click on the images to see the full sized pictures.

BJ #4

My Homeboys (jay papi!)

Latino Power #2

Miguel Angel

Rope

Latino Power #1

What Jaime Saw at the Park

FF #3

El bautismo

My Homeboys (w/red hanky)

BJ #1

Showers of Gold

BJ #2

Man at Work

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His website: The Art Works of Hector Silva

His MySpace: Hector Silva

I found a few pieces of his art on the Tom of Finland Foundation's site - all of which I've posted here. But other than that, I found only individual pieces here and there. Most everything else came from his site, or his press - so I don't have any other links to his art. If you have any to add, please let me know.


I really like Hector Silva. I like his style, I like his attitude, I like the way thinks. I just like him. But since this blog is all about the art, and not about personalities and politics, I'll leave you links to his interviews and articles, and you can check them out if you're interested.

Articles on Hector Silva:

Brown Man's Dilemma: "Hector has given gay brown men power through his art."
(blog of DeadLee, a gay Latino Hip Hop artist)

Frontiers Magazine interview
(For some reason, the interviewer had an agenda of his own, which he tried to push on Silva. I love the way Silva just refused to be led, and kept to his own beliefs.)

Bullfighter's Cafe article

There are more articles in the Press section of Silva's site.


Upcoming event:

If anyone is going to be in LA in the next month or so - between April 12th and May 20, 2008 - there will be a retrospective of his art at the One National Gay and Lesbian Archives entitled Visions and Voices.



Enjoy!


All images © Hector Silva.
I just admire the art.