From Sodomy to Intimacy

This painting was acquired by the Walker Art Gallery in 2016 as part of the installation art work ‘Alien Sex Club’. The 24 component parts of the installation can be shown individually or displayed together as an immersive experience. ‘From Sodomy to Intimacy’ combines several design elements that are repeated throughout ‘Alien Sex Club’. The graphic panels in the background recall the brightly coloured cardboard walls that created the ‘cruise maze’ layout of the original exhibition. The character on the left, shown ‘taking his pill’, reappears in other art works throughout 'Alien Sex Club'. The pill referred to could be any of those listed along the length of the painting; Kivexa, Stribild, Trizivir and Combivir, all medications used to treat HIV. Alternatively it might refer to PrEP, a new type of medication that, when taken correctly, can prevent HIV infection if the user is exposed. The figure on the far left of the painting is based on Raphael’s famous work ‘Young Woman with a Unicorn’, painted in 1506 (now in the Galleria Borghese, Rome). For Walter, like Raphael, the unicorn is a potent symbol, suggestive of magic, fantasy and ritual. Does its inclusion here suggest that there is something superstitious about our attitude to sexual risk in the 21st century? The painting’s title can be interpreted to refer to changing social attitudes towards same-sex relationships between men. The term ‘sodomy’ was derived from the Biblical story of God’s destruction of Sodom and commonly used to describe ‘unnatural’ sexual behaviour, including masturbation, sex between men and bestiality. Social attitudes have shifted somewhat and the Sexual Offences Act 1967 decriminalised homosexual acts between some men in private in 1967. More recently, the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 has enabled same sex couples to marry and receive the same legal rights as heterosexual married couples. These legal changes reflect that society, at least in much of the West, now increasingly accepts same sex relationships on the same terms as heterosexual ones, recognising their intimacy. Not everyone in the LGBT+ community is supportive of same sex marriage. Some feminists see it as enabling the continuation of an institution which serves the interests of men and subjugates women. Others argue that same sex marriage forces queer relationships to fit into society’s expectations of a relationship and reinforces the idea that heterosexuality is the preferred and normal sexuality. Walter has previously said: ‘I don’t feel like I should see the ability to get married as some kind of gift to me. I’m not grateful for having an institution that makes me more heteronormative and solidifies the disappearance of Queerness from Gayness.’ ‘Alien Sex Club’ was the first work acquired by the Walker using its New Collecting Award from the Art Fund. The Award is providing the funds for the gallery to expand its collection of fine art works representing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) themes.