Starting Sept. 26, the work of late Atlanta photographer Al Clayton will be on display at the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art.
“Al Clayton Photography: Lost and Found” presents a look at life in 1980s Atlanta with more than 35 black-and-white photographs and contact sheets celebrating drag icons like Mr. Charlie Brown and RuPaul, club kids at Backstreet, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Also on display will be a special selection of Clayton’s own belongings, including cameras, loops, and other equipment, giving a look into his artistic process.
Included in the exhibit are photographs from Clayton’s never-before-exhibited ‘90s series “Lost Things,” seven carefully arranged tableaus composed of discarded items found around Atlanta.
Along with capturing Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community, Clayton photographed historical events like the civil war in Biafra, a Ku Klux Klan rally in Stone Mountain, and the careers of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. He also made an impact on the expansion of the U.S. food stamp program with his photography book “Still Hungry in America,” according to an AJC interview with Jennie Clayton, the artist’s daughter.
“Al Clayton Photography: Lost and Found” opens with a free reception on Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. and runs through Dec. 7. On Nov. 13, the artist’s daughter, Jennie Clayton, will give a lecture about her father’s work in the Skylight Gallery with special guests at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10.
The exhibit is produced in partnership with Lost-n-Found Youth, an Atlanta organization providing service to homeless LGBTQ+ youth.
To learn more about the exhibit and the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, visit museum.oglethorpe.edu.
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