Go forth, and be Gay!
With the LGBTQ+ community under renewed attack, we must celebrate our artistic stories and each other
Quarteros Review – A New Gay Art Magazine for Queer Creators
One of the last things my grandfather told me before he passed was to not give up on my art. i was a sophomore in college at the time, but decades later, his words have remained with me.
Why?
Because he believed in me, in my creativity, in my voice — and in that human spirit in each of us that longs for expression.
Playfully swapping produce for a fig leaf, erostakles blurs the line between still-life, self-portrait and queer eroticism.
Years ago, as i dealt with my dad dying of cancer in the middle of a pandemic, while my partner and i were isolated in an apartment, i decided to take that part of me — which i’d put somewhere in a corner of myself — out of the closet and onto the canvas.
It was like breathing or seeing for the first time. i felt connected to something inside that i didn’t know i was hiding.
Last year, i hopped on a new social app, Bluesky, and was immediately met with an entire community of amazing Queer artists, blossoming all around us — each person connecting with something deeper than themselves.
Over the last months, i have loved to share and promote others’ work, which led to my Sunday round-ups. As i’ve learned from my grandpa, it’s amazing what can happen when you have someone in your corner, and i want to encourage others in their art journeys.
Let me be clear: i’m no art expert. i have no art degrees or curatorial experience. i have a background in photography, graphics, and publication design, but that’s as far as my formal knowledge goes.
But as i got to know and follow some of my favorite artists, i started feeling out their stories — shared both in their day-to-day posts, and through their awesome work.
And “stories” ARE something i know a bit about.
So i decided to tackle a really ambitious idea: expand my Sunday roundups into an indie art zine focused on the gay male art community i’ve come to care a lot about, and create space for you to share your amazing stories.
Take our cover artist, Hank Wandle, one of my favorite artists and one of my first Bluesky buds. Who knew a random painting of a silicone copy of his cock would lead him down a road to self-discovery — and some truly amazing art?
Or ESHcetera, an artist-activist whose artistic path led them through recovery and on a mission to create opportunities for various LGBTQ+ communities who are often marginalized.
Then there’s photographer Bill Pusztai, who came of age during the AIDS crisis and has used his talents to showcase the range of raw humanity in front of his camera.
And Dylan Pynk, a self-taught digital artist who enjoys bringing his queer fantasy worlds to life, while advocating for greater inclusivity within the Queer art community.
i want to thank all four of these wonderful artists for being willing guinea pigs on this gay art magazine project.
In addition to their questions-and-answer profiles, i want this to be useful.
my hope is to have four recurring sections in each quarterly queer art publication: the Calendar, listing as many calls for LGBTQ+ artists as i can track down; On Display, with a roundup of queer art exhibitions to catch around the world; the Legal Corner, to discuss pertinent legal issues during these scary times; and Knowledge Base, hopefully a monthly topic that all artists — beginners and pros — can take something from.
i wouldn’t have guessed that i would use my journalistic training to create a magazine about gay art; i also wouldn’t have predicted the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation sweeping the United States — and the globe.
Yet here we are.
So, that’s the story of this Queer art publication: Quarteros Review. i hope it inspires you and continues to connect and build our community, even in a small way, in a world in need of both.
INSIDE VOL.1, ISSUE 1
CALENDAR: A roundup of art calls for LGBTQ+ artists
ON DISPLAY: A list of showing or upcoming Queer art exhibitions
LEGAL CORNER: A focus on censorship and what to do if your art is being censored
KNOWLEDGE BASE: The importance of cataloging and preserving your gay male art
HANK WANDLE:
U.K. artist Hank Wandle rediscovers his creative spark during lockdown, turning isolation into self-expression, healing, and bold queer portraiture—and proving it’s never too late to find your voice or your community.
ESHcetera:
Artist-activist ESHcetera transforms personal history, queer identity, and kink into vibrant, meditative works that celebrate beauty beyond convention. From printmaking to digital MANdalas, their art is a bold act of visibility, healing, and joy.
BILL PUSZTAI:
With a lens that captures both leather-clad intimacy and the quiet grace of wildflowers, Bill Pusztai invites us to witness beauty in all its forms. His portraits — of people, places, and petals — reveal raw honesty, quiet humor, and a reverence for the sacred in the everyday.
DYLAN PYNK:
Digital artist Dylan Pynk is calling out the world’s obsession with sameness — and building a body of work that celebrates the beauty in every kind of body. From a busted Android app to a fully realized fantasy portrait series, Pynk proves that DIY grit, queer pride, and a refusal to conform can look damn good.
