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Matthew Leifheit

To Die Alive

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Edited by Elisabeth Biondi. Essays by Jeremy O. Harris and Jack Parlett


Description

'To Die Alive' conjures a hedonistic fever dream of Fire Island’s historic gay communities. The book contains 77 photographs by New York artist Matthew Leifheit taken by night over the...

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Details

  • ISBN: 9788862087704
  • Language: English
  • Pages: 144
  • Illustrations: 77
  • Binding: Hardbound
  • Release: April 2022
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'To Die Alive' conjures a hedonistic fever dream of Fire Island’s historic gay communities. The book contains 77 photographs by New York artist Matthew Leifheit taken by night over the past five years. The pictures show a world of desire layered in history, including the Ice Palace bar’s infamous underwear party, the men-only Belvedere Guesthouse, clandestine encounters in the Meat Rack, and landscapes in all seasons of the island’s delicate maritime forest. The wide-ranging subjects of Leifheit’s portraits are the intergenerational community who come to the island for refuge or employment, ranging from sugar daddies to bartenders and sex workers. The series takes the form of a tragedy, combining many nights and many histories to form an endless night of sex, death, and evolution towards new definitions of queerness. As homosexuality gains mainstream acceptance, many queer Americans no longer need to go to geographic extremes like Fire Island, Provincetown, Palm Springs or Key West to express themselves. But what is the cost of assimilation? 'To Die Alive' is both romantic and grotesque, challenging the sun-bleached history of homoerotic representation on this fragile island, which itself is under constant threat of erosion into the sea.

Matthew Leifheit is an American photographer, writer, magazine editor and professor based in New York. A graduate of the Yale School of Art, he was formerly the photography director of VICE and is currently on faculty at Pratt Institute. Leifheit’s photographic work has been exhibited internationally and is held in public collections. His photographs have appeared in publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, Aperture, Time, and Artforum.

Shipments are made worldwide by express courier.

Delivery is expected within 7 working days after registration of payment.

Shipping costs vary depending on the weight of the shipment and the country of destination, and are calculated automatically when the order is placed.

Pursuant to Article 5 of Legislative Decree No. 185 of 22 May 1999, if the customer is a consumer (i.e. a natural person who purchases goods for purposes not related to his or her professional activity, or who makes a purchase by omitting a VAT number from the order form), he or she has the right to withdraw from the purchase contract for any reason whatsoever, without the need to provide explanations and without any penalty, within 14 working days from the day of receipt of the goods.

The right of withdrawal shall be exercised by sending, within the aforementioned term, a written notice to the geographical address of the supplier's registered office by means of a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. The communication may also be sent, again within the same deadline, by means of a PEC or facsimile.
The consumer shall enclose with the communication all the references of the order (order date, order number, precise references identifying the party concerned, company or private individual.
The goods you wish to return must be undamaged and in their original packaging.

The consumer must also supplement the communication with his or her complete bank details in order to obtain reimbursement of the sums paid (current account number, ABI and CAB, CIN code; for foreign countries, the BIC and IBAN codes), which will be carried out as quickly as possible and in any case within fourteen days of the date on which the supplier became aware of the consumer's exercise of the right of withdrawal. As the only charge for exercising the right of withdrawal, the consumer shall bear the direct cost of returning the goods. In the case of payment by credit card, the sums shall be returned net of bank commission charges (2.5%).

In the event of a dispute, reference will be made to the competent court.

  • Description

    'To Die Alive' conjures a hedonistic fever dream of Fire Island’s historic gay communities. The book contains 77 photographs by New York artist Matthew Leifheit taken by night over the past five years. The pictures show a world of desire layered in history, including the Ice Palace bar’s infamous underwear party, the men-only Belvedere Guesthouse, clandestine encounters in the Meat Rack, and landscapes in all seasons of the island’s delicate maritime forest. The wide-ranging subjects of Leifheit’s portraits are the intergenerational community who come to the island for refuge or employment, ranging from sugar daddies to bartenders and sex workers. The series takes the form of a tragedy, combining many nights and many histories to form an endless night of sex, death, and evolution towards new definitions of queerness. As homosexuality gains mainstream acceptance, many queer Americans no longer need to go to geographic extremes like Fire Island, Provincetown, Palm Springs or Key West to express themselves. But what is the cost of assimilation? 'To Die Alive' is both romantic and grotesque, challenging the sun-bleached history of homoerotic representation on this fragile island, which itself is under constant threat of erosion into the sea.


  • The author

    Matthew Leifheit is an American photographer, writer, magazine editor and professor based in New York. A graduate of the Yale School of Art, he was formerly the photography director of VICE and is currently on faculty at Pratt Institute. Leifheit’s photographic work has been exhibited internationally and is held in public collections. His photographs have appeared in publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, Aperture, Time, and Artforum.


  • Shipping

    Shipments are made worldwide by express courier.

    Delivery is expected within 7 working days after registration of payment.

    Shipping costs vary depending on the weight of the shipment and the country of destination, and are calculated automatically when the order is placed.


  • Return and refund

    Pursuant to Article 5 of Legislative Decree No. 185 of 22 May 1999, if the customer is a consumer (i.e. a natural person who purchases goods for purposes not related to his or her professional activity, or who makes a purchase by omitting a VAT number from the order form), he or she has the right to withdraw from the purchase contract for any reason whatsoever, without the need to provide explanations and without any penalty, within 14 working days from the day of receipt of the goods.

    The right of withdrawal shall be exercised by sending, within the aforementioned term, a written notice to the geographical address of the supplier's registered office by means of a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. The communication may also be sent, again within the same deadline, by means of a PEC or facsimile.
    The consumer shall enclose with the communication all the references of the order (order date, order number, precise references identifying the party concerned, company or private individual.
    The goods you wish to return must be undamaged and in their original packaging.

    The consumer must also supplement the communication with his or her complete bank details in order to obtain reimbursement of the sums paid (current account number, ABI and CAB, CIN code; for foreign countries, the BIC and IBAN codes), which will be carried out as quickly as possible and in any case within fourteen days of the date on which the supplier became aware of the consumer's exercise of the right of withdrawal. As the only charge for exercising the right of withdrawal, the consumer shall bear the direct cost of returning the goods. In the case of payment by credit card, the sums shall be returned net of bank commission charges (2.5%).

    In the event of a dispute, reference will be made to the competent court.