Bodybuilders and Beauty Queens

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The "Bodybuilders and Beauty Queens" are a group of paintings that explore the feminine characteristics found in the extremely masculine world of bodybuilding.  In my research of vintage bodybuilding magazines I was able to uncover a hidden universe of gay male pin-ups that existed prior to the creation of contemporary venues of male poser magazines.  I examine the subtleties of the poses and scrutinize the language of this arena to find fodder for the creation of a series of paintings that plays with these elements.