143

Blade (Neel Bate)

1916-1989

Untitled (Unpublished set of 6 prints). Circa 1980.

Photo reproductions on paper
Each 14 x 11 in. (35.6 x 27.9 cm.)

  • Provenance: Private collection, New York

    Publication

    A set of images that were prints for a Stompers Gallery portfolio but it never went into production.

    Bate was known as "Blade," as he signed this drawing. He was an American underground artist of gay erotic art whose career began in the 1930s and is best known for his 1948 series of drawings "The Barn." Like many artists, his work was initially distributed underground as a result of American obscenity laws. His first one-man show was held at the Leslie-Lohman Gallery in SoHo in November of 1980. Its success launched him into greater popularity and his most artistically productive decade. Bate died on June 27, 1989, the twentieth anniversary of the Stonewall riot.
  • Condition:
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August 21, 2025 10:30 AM EDT
New York, NY, US

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