Acclaimed, gay photographer Ron Amato had already fallen in love with Provincetown in 1999 even though, at the time, he had no idea where he was going. "A friend told me that he had a room share available before my first time coming to Provincetown," Amato tells PRIDE. "It was 1999 and we were photographing on film still. So, I said yes with no idea what to expect and grabbed a bunch of film. That began my first foray into Provincetown and capturing its magical spirit, light, and male subjects."
While he may have arrived in town without any plans, he had the good fortune of meeting actor Jimmy Shaw and another subject who had become an intimate short-term friend (as is what often happens in Provincetown). "This really began my journey into capturing the different aspects of Provincetown and the individuals who have left an indelible mark. It was really a search for beauty," said Amato.
Amato's new retrospective features images dating back to his first time here, along with an evolution of this approach through the years paralleling his now routine trips to Provincetown. His image and how they chart digital advancement can be seen beginning July 27 at E.lesh Gallery, 237 Commercial Street at Whaler's Wharf, Provincetown.
Ron Amato
The show is appropriately called, "Playing in the Sunlight: Provincetown 1999 to 2022." The images capture all different types of backdrops famous (and not-so-famous) in Provincetown along with the magical times of day when the sun brings Provincetown alive.
Like the locations, the subjects range from well-known like Shaw to locally known ones that are part of the fabric in town. "The male subjects were selected not because of perfection of their physical form, but because they called to me with beauty on many levels," said Amato.
Ron Amato
Amato wants all people gay and straight to feel the nature, summer vibes, and energy of this time of year by the subjects. "What emerged without planning in the collection are images that speak to the universal experiences of summer memories and nostalgia of times from your own experiences on the beach and hazy days of summer that quickly move out of reach when the seasons change," said Amato.
Amato has chronicled the LGBTQ+ experience over his 40-year career with his profound, authentic work of gay men, locales, and times that many of us recognize. If you miss Amato's show in Provincetown, you can view and procure his work online here. Also, be sure to regularly check ronamato.com for more exhibitions and work. And scroll through for more examples of his work.
Ron Amato
Ron Amato
Ron Amato
