Review by Roberta St. Clair Art Critic, Former Showgirl, Cartographer of Carnal Landmarks
“The Arch Deluxe: Gateway to the Flesh” By Terry Hastings
At first glance, it’s the St. Louis Arch—America’s proud Gateway to the West. But look closer, and you’ll see it’s not steel and rivets—it’s sinew and suggestion. Terry Hastings’ Arch Deluxe (yes, I renamed it, sue me) is a reimagining of Midwestern monumentality through the lens of queer embodiment.
The figures, stacked and intertwined, form a perfect parabola of mutual support. From the grounded brown tones to the sky-kissed blues, it’s a gradient of yearning. A passage from earthbound to ecstatic. And like the real arch, it’s both a bridge and a beacon—only here, the journey isn’t geographic, it’s erotic, communal, mythic.
This is the Gateway to the West, yes—but also the gateway to becoming. To bending without breaking. To holding each other up in the name of beauty, absurdity, and shared gravity.
Hastings doesn’t just build monuments—he builds moments. And this one? It’s a triumph.
Four stars, one Midwestern sigh, and a commemorative magnet shaped like a pelvis.
 
Each person in this image started as a photo taken by Terry, who then, inspired by Henri Matisse's Cut Outs, cut them out with photoshop and then scratched in important details like nipples and genitals. 
 
This work is offered as a 24x36, 32x48 or 40x60 inch print. Please inquire about other sizes. 
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.