The gallery is proud to present vintage photographs
from the 1970's produced by Nova Studios, an early pioneer in gay
male pornographic films. Originally intended for publicity purposes,
they now stand on their own merits as true photographic originals.
Their importance as documentation of the sexual liberation of the
era is indisputable, but judged by today’s critical standards
of composition, lighting and technique, they rival the work of contemporaries
such as Roger Ballen in their tight dynamics.
Founded by Warren Stephens (using the nom-de-porn "Robert Walters")
in Los Angeles in 1976, Nova Studios would prosper for over 10 years.
Earlier, in 1970, he had produced his first film, Drilled Deep.
It was a "loop", an 8 mm short film, roughly 200 feet
in length, designed to run over and over in peep shows.
Stephens is responsible for developing the "West Coast Look"
of gay pornography. It was a very stylized and planned filmmaking
style. The films were like staged plays, with very linear story-telling.
He made viewers feel that they were viewing the action from the
best seat in the house. The lighting was strong, and tended to eliminate
shadows and expose flaws in the performers' skin. Models' hair was
carefully groomed, make-up was used, and cleanliness emphasized.
The photographs reflect all these attributes and more.
Stephens, originally from Illinois, moved to San Francisco in 1966
from Chicago. By 1967 he would print and distribute one-off magazines
featuring the work of Walter Kundzicz of Champion. In 1969 he began
producing hardcore gay male nude magazines (the first being Hard?),
and began taking photographs of nude men to supply them. In 1973
he also founded In Touch magazine (now In Touch for Men). After
being prosecuted in Texas for obscenity, he pled guilty, was fined,
and received a one year suspended sentence. The judge waived the
fine because Masters told him he was putting a child through college,
but he did not reveal that the college-age student was also his
gay lover. He would also work for Catalina and founded Studio 2000
in 1992 (later sold to Falcon) before retiring in 2006.
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