encourage varied interpretations, navigated a delicate balance between visibility and defiance. Both artists also created mythological images, another popular trope with which to depict alluring males on the pretext that their nudity was taking place in the realm of fantasy. Wonner’s 2007 painting Five Models as Bacchus is another example. Their portrayal of nudes in arcadian settings, a long-standing tradition among gay artists and writers, also hinted at samesex desires. Wonner created his own version of Arcadia in a series of modern-day park scenes in which male figures enjoy an environment of absolute peace and freedom, a gay paradise. Meanwhile, Brown’s arcadian images celebrated hetero- and homosexual relationships alike in scenes that he called “Fantasies of a beautiful, harmonious world.” Brown created dreamlike or surreal scenes in settings such as beaches, which provided a pretext for nudity. (He got inspiration from photos in nudist magazines, which were cheaper than paying a model and featured people interacting.) Christian images were also a common smokescreen. Wonner created multiple sensual images of angels, Saint Sebastian, St. John of the Cross, and even Christ—in a scene in which he’s tempted by a naked man. He also gaveDaniel in the Lion’s Den a homoerotic twist, portraying Daniel as young, beefy, and naked. Most of these mystical scenes have a tinge of surrealism that encodes their obvious homoeroticism. Both artists also mastered the art of hiding gay imagery in plain sight. Early in his career, Brown painted football scenes infused with male intimacy. What’s fascinating is that Brown didn’t know anything about sports. WhenLife magazine ran an article about these paintings, the writer noted that “Brown was unconcerned with the tactics of a game, even putting a samecolored jersey on members of opposite teams.” He was right; all Brown cared about was men in close quarters in a way that was acceptable to heterosexual viewers. Brown, who was the most symbolist artist of the Movement, infused his work with tension and a sense that there’s more here than meets the eye. The totemic figures in his arcadian compositions are not distinct individuals but archetypes imbued with psychological and sexual undertones. The poses in Nude Figures on a Beach with Horse and Dog (1986) create a charged atmosphere in which intimate connections are established among certain figures while male nudes are presented as outsiders, reflecting his personal journey as a gay man. Once again, critics avoided discussing their homoeroticism, choosing to highlight instead how “the human figure seamlessly integrates into nature.” Wonner and Brown frequented the Yuba River, indulging in naked swims. Wonner’s paintings of nude bathers went unquestioned because they aligned with the established tradition of men bathing together. Drawing inspiration from Paul Cézanne, Wonner portrays the bathers as a dynamic mass of interwoven, predominantly male figures. Wonner sent a touching Christmas card to Brown in which he referred to himself as “Paul Cézanne,” an acknowledgment of the influence of the French artist on their work. In contrast to Wonner’s approach, Brown’s bathers, such as Standing Bathers (1993), which is the official image of the exhibition, stand as iconic, solitary figures within a surreal frieze reminiscent of classical and neo-classical artists. David Park, another member of the Movement, also explored nude bathing motifs that exuded sensuality but avoided overt eroticism. While they may seem tame to our eyes, Park’s portrayal of male nudes amid the stifling atmosphere of the 1950s was an act of defiance. Early in their careers, Wonner and Brown came to the conclusion that the division between abstraction and figurative art was largely arbitrary. Rather than eliminate one or the other, they broke artistic boundaries by fusing these seemingly disparate styles into a new form of painting which, in Wonner’s words, “offered a psychological experience.” A case in point is River Bathers (1961), in which the semi-abstract features of two sitters engaged in an ambiguous relationship allow Wonner to hint at homosexuality, providing a glimpse into his world while keeping us at a distance. Their prolific depiction of swimming pools, a motif they explored upon moving to Malibu in 1963, predated David Hockney’s iconic pool paintings. What’s more, their style diverged sharply from that of Hockney with his inviting turquoise waters. Compare that to Brown’s foreboding, shadowladen scenes in works like Swimming Pool (1963). Wonner and Brown employed an array of coded imagery to convey same-sex desire, such as flowers, a historical symbol March–April 2024 13 Theophilus Brown. Standing Bathers, 1993.
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