Jimmy De Sana

AMERICAN (1949–1990) 101 NUDES, 1972 Photographer Jimmy De Sana was part of the countercultural “punk” community of artists and musicians living in New York’s East Village in the 1970s and ’80s. Jimmy De Sana was born in Detroit on November 12, 1949, where he lived until his family relocated to Atlanta in 1955. De Sana studied art in high school and at the University of Georgia in Atlanta. In 1972, before moving to New York City, he published 101 Nudes, a lithographic portfolio. This first mature work, comprised of nude photographs of himself and his friends in suburban settings, introduced themes that remained important throughout his career. The figures, which include De Sana’s friends as well as himself, are photographed from a variety of viewpoints. Although the series shows the influence of “grainy” pornography from the 1950s, the postures of the figures do not seem to suggest or invite sexual engagement; the artist noted that they are “without eroticism.” Sometimes the photographs feature only a fragment of the body, such as the pelvic area or buttocks. De Sana died of AIDS in New York City in 1990. Lithographic print Stamped on the reverse with the Jimmy De Sana Trust Edition 21/50 in pencil 15.25 x 11 in. (38.74 x 27.94 cm.) PRICE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST