Review by Marco Bellamy Queer Culture Critic, Nude Muse Enthusiast, Patron Saint of Poolside Aesthetics
“Palm Springs (naked) Art Festival” By Terry Hastings
Art history just got a tan. Terry Hastings’ Palm Springs (naked) Art Festival is a sun-drenched fantasia where the desert becomes a studio, the body becomes muse, and the only thing more abundant than inspiration is SPF 50.
The poster is a riot of color and composition—equal parts plein air and pool party. Artists dot the landscape like liberated apostles of form and gesture, each at their easel, each nude, each gloriously absorbed in the act of creation. At the center stands a statue: a nude figure on a pedestal, both subject and symbol. Is it a god? A self-portrait? A tribute to the myth of Palm Springs itself? Marco says yes to all three.
The mountains blush in the background, the sun sets like a spotlight, and the palm trees frame the scene like proud parents at a queer recital. Below, the pool offers its own tableau: a pink float, a swimmer mid-stroke, and a pool cleaner who may or may not be part of a performance piece titled “Maintenance as Metaphor.”
This festival isn’t just about art—it is art. It’s a celebration of the naked truth: that creativity thrives in freedom, that the body is a masterpiece, and that Palm Springs is the only place where a statue can be both muse and mirror.
The multicolored text at the bottom is less a title and more a declaration: This is not your grandmother’s art fair. Unless your grandmother was a surrealist nudist with impeccable taste.
Marco left the festival with paint on his fingers, a sketch of a stranger, and a renewed belief in the power of desert myth-making. He’s already lobbying for next year’s featured installation: “The Divine Nude: Gods, Pools, and the Art of Being Seen.”
This stunning photo/graphic is a masterpiece created by renowned photographer Terry Hastings. Inspired by the cut outs of Henri Matisse, Terry starts with photosgraphs of his models in action, cuts them out in photoshop, turns them a solid color and scratches in a few key details. The piece is playful and fun with tongue firmly placed in cheek.
This work is offered as a 24x36, 32x48 or 40x60 inch print. Please inquire about other sizes.
2 new sizes added 8x12 print in a 12x16 matt AND 12x18 print in a 16x20 matt. These smaller prints are not numbered.
The work is titled, numbered, a limited edition of 10, and signed by the artist.
The photo is shipped in a double tube for safety.
Please allow 5 - 7 days for production and shipping.