Lawrence Brose: A tribute to his creative work and contribution to Western New York. Over the month of February 2025 VASA and CEPA Gallery in Buffalo New York, USA, will publish interviews and four films of Lawrence Brose.

About Lawrence Brose

Interview part1

Interview part 2

 

Film 1: "Individual Desires"

Dedicated to Kevin Wakefield Cristy, November 12, 1957 - October 26, 1985.
Digital transfer by Gordon Nelson, The George Eastman Museum, Rochester NY, USA.
Considered the first experimental film to come out of the early years of the AIDS crisis.

FILM DESCRIPTION

Individual Desires is a structural cinematic poem concerning the mystery of death through the struggle for answers and survival of my boyfriend Kevin, who passed away on my birthday in Sussex, England. Before Kevin died, he asked me to redefine the acronym AIDS as An Individual Desires Solution – hence the title. The titles of text in the first section are transcriptions from the frantic phone calls with Kevin as he describes his life with the disease, searching for treatments as well as coping with ignorance, acceptance, and suffering. The sound in the second section is of Kevin’s voice, recorded over long-distance telephone lines and then re-recorded on multiple tracks. This distortion transcends language by focusing on the sound of the struggling voice while also creating a rhythmic and atmospheric counterpoint to the images.

The second section consists of images of Kevin in his apartment and images taken from a train window. These images are in constant motion, mutating and dissolving and always abstracting into light. Structurally bound together and materialist in nature, the images function metaphorically for the absolute terror and pain experienced by Kevin and myself. The journey was indescribable, and all I could do was hold onto Kevin and the camera as he suffered far away from me. All I had were the images to edit through the helplessness.

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Lawrence Brose VASA Introduction, January 24, 2025

Lawrence Brose is a filmmaker whose life and work are rooted in resilience, creativity, and defiance of societal norms. His groundbreaking film DE PROFUNDIS, inspired by Oscar Wilde’s prison letter of the same name, premiered in 1997 at the Public Theater in New York. The film is not a traditional narrative—it’s an artistic exploration of suffering, self-discovery, and liberation, blending vintage gay porn, family films, and music into a mesmerizing hand-manipulated, color visual collage.

Brose’s art draws from Wilde’s bold refusal to conform to heteronormative expectations and his own experiences growing up in scrappy, rough and tumble South Buffalo, under the heavy influence of the Catholic Church. A rebellious spirit, Lawrence even endured blindness in one eye—a challenge that shaped his life and unique perspective as an artist.

Starting as a piano tuner, Lawrence became so skilled at restoring Steinways that his business
flourished and was eventually bought out by Steinway itself. This allowed him to pursue his passion for filmmaking. His projects, such as An Individual Desires Solution (1986), a poignant story about his lover’s struggle with AIDS, making this the first personal film about AIDS.

In DE PROFUNDIS, Lawrence worked with a collective of Radical Faeries—daring individuals who celebrate alternative queer identities. From Keith Gemerek, Ken Cooper, and Mark Miller sharing stories of public sex to Agnes de Garron’s intense performances of repression and freedom, their contributions highlight the richness of gay subculture. The film is layered with contemporary music, rituals, and even a haunting reading of Wilde’s text set to piano by respected American composer Frederick Rzewski. Together, these elements reject simple resolutions, questioning masculinity, gender, and the very idea of normalcy.

Brose drew on all these experiences during his tenure as a CEPA Gallery executive director and curator who oversaw several groundbreaking projects.

Lawrence’s life has not been without struggle. In 2006, he was falsely accused by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security of possessing illegal images. He was targeted because of his art work that included 80 images from DE PROFUNDIS, which had been screened at venues such as the George Eastman Museum. Despite no evidence, Brose endured a six-year battle that drained his reputation and resources. Ultimately, he took a plea deal for the possession of a single obscene image. However, Brose was widely supported by a global community that recognized his integrity.

Today, Lawrence continues to fight—this time against cancer. He’s preparing for a major exhibition at the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo New York in 2025, celebrating his collaborations with composer and dear friend Douglas Cohen on his film about the avant-garde music theorist John Cage. His enduring artistry, strength, and the unwavering support of his community stand as a testament to his incredible life journey.

For more information visit: www.lawrencebrose.com & www.cepagallery.org
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About CEPA Gallery
Located in Buffalo New York’s historic Market Arcade Complex, CEPA is a contemporary photography and visual arts center with impact in both local and national communities. With three galleries of changing exhibits and events, multimedia public art installations, arts education programs, and an open-access darkroom and digital photo lab, CEPA creates a vibrant presence in the heart of downtown Buffalo, New York (USA).

About Light Research
To learn about the photo-based visual and written projects done by Light Research, visit: www.lightresearch.net

About VASA
VASA Exhibitions provides a online viewing and research environment by archiving all of the exhibitions in their entirety. VASA supports photography exhibitions, film/video screenings, the Jounral on Images and Culture (VJIC) and interviews with artist.