Lawrence Brose: A Tribute
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 part3
Interview part 4
Film 2: "Chemnan"
From the FILMS for MUSIC for FILM series
16mm B&W
14 min
The Original score (for piano, percussion & tape) by Douglas Cohen
Original tape sounds by Lawrence F. Brose
Model: Chamnan Thaiprakob
Piano: Michael McCandless
Percussion: Robert Schulz
Restoration funded in part by Yvar Mikhashoff Trust for New Music
Digital transfer by Gordon Nelson, The George Eastman Museum, Rochester NY, USAFILM DESCRIPTION
In this film, all of the effects, layering of images, and editing were achieved via camera techniques employed during the shoot. However, the rhythms and tempo were all planned and projected before the filming. Chamnan was shot in a single room in Bangkok, in the Reno Hotel, over several days. This film might be the closest I have come to a self-study. It was an extremely emotional time as my brother had just been killed. I left for Thailand to remove myself from the abstractions of daily living and to spend time with my friend Chamnan. His image is present in most of the film. This film is a meditation on being and that vast space between the self and the other, where the gaze is returned in mute silence and the sense of knowing oneself is shattered.
The soundtrack includes live sounds taped during the time of filming: the television in the room, frogs outside the window, the swimming pool, riding in a taxi, the percussive sounds of coins dropping in the cast-iron pots in the temple of the Reclining Buddha, and the ritual chanting during Buddhist Lent. The sounds were then altered, layered, and edited by composer Douglas Cohen and used as the foundation for live instruments' composition.
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
——————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.