What the world needs now
The art community is increasingly important in a society losing its way
Samson's youth (1891): by León Bonnat, oil on board — 83” x 99.5”
We live in perilous times.
There’s no sense pretending otherwise.
Unaccountable para-military forces invade our cities, attack — and now kill — unarmed citizens exercising their fundamental First Amendment rights.
Innocent people are literally drug from offices, cars, even schools, and locked up or shipped off without trial.
News stations have been taken over by pro-administration cronies and journalists’ homes are searched without warrant or cause.
And now the U.S. is threatening to take over Greenland — who knows the ramifications of such an outlandish action?
You would think I were writing about conditions inside Russia or some other third-rate autocracy. But, no, I’m writing of the United States as we begin 2026.
The art world hasn’t escaped this onslaught. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been dismantled and dissolved. The Kennedy Center has been reduced to a mockery. And a chill has descended upon media companies as they seek to curry favor with a self-serving administration bent on enriching itself at the expense of the public good.
But as in all previous “dark times” in history, now is the time to shine our lights even brighter.
Take the new collective Art of Flesh, which has banded together to fight censorship in their more conservative Bakersfield community. Now they’re about to open a months-long exhibition.
There’s our cover artist, Jude Ribisi, whose work behind the camera brings the nude male body out of the shadows — and whose collage work celebrates all the vibrant colors of the world.
Or Aedan Roberts, who uses his art to connect with our “inner demons” and who uses common cultural languages — like gaming characters — to highlight hypocrisies and to challenge our prudish society.
And there’s AJ and Djavan, who each use art to explore their inner selves while adding more light and color to an increasingly black and white world.
A Candle for Alex Pretti (2026), digital photograph
These artists, and many other gay creatives out there, inspire me to rage against the doom and gloom that could so easily drag me down into despondency.
That’s why it’s so important for us all — artists and collectors — to continue to nurture a vibrant and thriving global artistic community.
Artists: Keep making your stuff and sharing it with the world.
Collectors: Keep engaging with the art and artists you find in these pages and beyond.
Supporting each other reminds us we aren’t alone, and that, in and of itself, is an act of defiance against a mad, mad world.
Keep going!
Download the full “Quarteros Review” issue
FREE FOR LIMITED TIME #RESIST
Made for other adult queer artists and LGBTQ+ art collectors, “Quarteros Review” is a vibrant showcase of queer creativity.
In this third, 48-page issue: photographer and collage specialist Jude Ribisi; body positivity illustrator Djavan; gamer and fine art illustrator Aedan Roberts; and digital artist AJ the Otter.
Beyond the artist profiles, readers will find a roundup of must-see LGBTQ art shows, thoughts on choosing the right framing method, info about the 2026 Venice Biennale, and a historical look at German artist and academic Paul Hoecker.
“Quarteros Review” is all about elevating and celebrating gay art and the queer community.
