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(SHEYLA BAYKAL) (1944-1994)
Performance photograph of the theater troupe The Angels of Light.
Chromogenic print, the image measuring 304.8x457.2 mm.;12x18 inches, the sheet slightly larger, with Baykal's embossed copyright blind stamp on recto. Circa 1970; printed 2000.

[400/600]

"The Nocturnal Dream Show," Pat Hearn Gallery, New York, July, 2000.
The photographer, Sheyla Baykal, was a staple in the Lower East Side underground scene. She is known for her intimate portraits of close friends often dressed in drag including Peter Hujar, Candy Darling, Jackie Curtis, etc.
 

One of the first mainstrem drag figures George Harris III, also known as Hibiscus, started the avant-garde theater troupe The Angels of Light. The group was founded in San Francisco and first went by the name The Cockettes. The free-spirited, extravagant, gender blending shows featured glittered beards, intricate homemade costumes, and acid inspired plots. Performing members consisted of disco icon Sylvester, Alan Ginsberg, and Divine. The group moved to New York and was renamed The Angels of Light when the founding member Hibiscus wanted to return to an unmonetized platform. The groups ornate & Vaccaro inspired theater continued to thrive in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.