Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 8

Charles Gatewood
Squid Tattoo, black and white close up photographic portrait by Charles Gatewood

c. 1980s

About the Item

"Squid Tattoo" a black and white close up photographic portrait by Charles Gatewood depicting a man with a Studio stamp in black ink, verso Gelatin silver print 11 x 14 inches, sheet 6.5 x 10 inches, image Charles Gatewood was a groundbreaking photographer known for capturing both mainstream celebrities and the fringes of society, especially the underground subcultures of the late 20th century. Born in 1942 in Illinois, Gatewood's career spanned over five decades, during which he photographed an array of notable figures, from Bob Dylan, whose photograph catapulted his career, to Beat poets like William S. Burroughs and civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. However, his legacy extends beyond celebrity portraits; Gatewood became deeply invested in documenting alternative lifestyles, particularly the BDSM and body modification communities, as well as events like the Folsom Street Fair and Burning Man in San Francisco. His early career began in Stockholm, where he worked as a darkroom technician and earned access to high-profile events, including jazz concerts. However, it was his iconic photograph of Dylan in 1966 that led to syndication and global recognition. Despite this early success, Gatewood veered away from celebrity photography, seeking instead to explore the darker, more taboo corners of human experience. He described his work as an effort to "take photographs that kill," aiming to reveal truths often ignored by mainstream media. Gatewood moved to San Francisco in 1987, where he continued to document the eccentricities of the city’s underground scene, working with publications like Skin and Ink magazine. His work was often seen as controversial, pushing boundaries with explicit depictions of sex and countercultural practices. Yet, Gatewood saw himself as an anthropologist of sorts, capturing the raw, unfiltered reality of these communities. His body of work includes numerous photography books, including Wall Street and Badlands, as well as several documentary films that showcased his explorations into fringe cultures. Tragically, Gatewood passed away in 2016 following a fall from his balcony, which is believed to have been a suicide attempt. His death marked the end of a life dedicated to documenting both the celebrated and the marginalized, leaving behind a vast archive of images that UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library has preserved for future generations
  • Creator:
    Charles Gatewood
  • Creation Year:
    c. 1980s
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 11 in (27.94 cm)Width: 14 in (35.56 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU932315215732

More From This Seller

View All
Migrant Strawberry Picker in Tent Near Hammond, Louisiana April 1939
By Russell Lee
Located in New York, NY
Migrant Strawberry Picker in Tent Near Hammond, Louisiana April 1939 Inscribed with artist’s name and title in pencil, verso Also stamped, “Reproduced from the collection of the Li...
Category

1930s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

American Legion Wrestling Match, May 1938
By Russell Lee
Located in New York, NY
American Legion Wrestling Match May 1938 Inscribed with artist’s name and title in pencil, verso Also stamped, “Reproduced from the collection of the Library of Congress” in black ...
Category

1930s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Metal Workers
Located in New York, NY
Metal Workers c. 1940 Stamped, verso Vintage gelatin silver print 10.75 x 8.5 inches, image Contact gallery for price This work is offered by ClampArt in New York City.
Category

1940s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Monroe Wheeler and Margaret French Near Stoneblossom
Located in New York, NY
Monroe Wheeler and Margaret French Near Stoneblossom Titled in pencil, verso; Also stamped “Collection of Jon Anderson” in green ink, verso Vintage ge...
Category

1930s Contemporary Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

University Tutorial
By Arthur Tress
Located in New York, NY
Signed, titled, numbered, and dated, recto Gelatin silver print (Edition of 50) 14 x 11 inches sheet 10 x 10 inches image Contact gallery for price. This work is offered by Clamp...
Category

1970s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait of Jeremy Jackson
By George Platt Lynes
Located in New York, NY
1935 Stamped “Collection of Paul Cadmus,” verso; Stamped “Collection of Jon Anderson,” verso; Stamped “George Platt Lynes,” verso Vintage gelatin silver print 8 x 7.5 inches (20.3...
Category

20th Century Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

You May Also Like

Elton John at Dodger Stadium-(EJ002)
By Terry O'Neill
Located in Mount Pleasant, SC
Elton John at Dodger Stadium. 1975 Limited Edition of 50 Estate Stamped Posthumous photograph
Category

20th Century Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Backlighted Aspen, Telluride, Colorado
By David H. Gibson
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Born in 1939 in Louisville Kentucky, David Gibson is primarily a self-taught photographer. Years of developing and refining his photographic technique have afforded him much recognition, especially for his panoramic landscapes of Texas and the Four Corners region. Gibson's luminous black-and-white landscapes demonstrate a remarkable sensitivity to light and mood. Dramatic clouds, imminent storms and an occasional lighting strike...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Aspen Grove, Delores River, Rico, Colorado
By David H. Gibson
Located in Sante Fe, NM
Born in 1939 in Louisville Kentucky, David Gibson is primarily a self-taught photographer. Years of developing and refining his photographic technique have afforded him much recognition, especially for his panoramic landscapes of Texas...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Black and White Photography Set of Nine
By Richard Heeps
Located in Cambridge, GB
A set of nine black and white photographs by Richard Heeps. They can be hung in a grid, or spaced out throughout your interior. Richard Heeps, primarily known as a colour photographe...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

West 28th Street (from the series A Story of the New York Subway)
By Kazuo Sumida
Located in New York, NY
14 x 11 inch gelatin silver print. Edition 15. Signed on verso. Kazuo Sumida first visited New York in 1995. He found the city to be one of “both bustle and silence,” particularly the underground world of the subway, where he encountered “a place full of characters.” By 2002, he had produced a large body of work of images taken in this subterranean metropolis – tender scenes of lovers and children; gritty portraits of beggars for whom the subway is home; artists, musicians, commuters, and others who pass through the tunnels on their daily journeys. The resulting monograph, A Story of the New York Subway, was published in 2002, and this image appeared on the cover. Sumida was born in 1952 in Kochi Prefecture in southern Japan. Although photography was not his formal career, Sumida has pursued the art throughout his life. He graduated from Osaka Photography Graduate School in 1983, and also studied at the International Center of Photography in New York, on a fellowship from the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs. He lives in Japan, and continues to visit New York frequently. His work has been shown at the Tokyo Ginza Kodak Photo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

The Race by Monica Denevan. Silver gelatin photograph. Dark wood frame
By Monica Denevan
Located in Coltishall, GB
The Race by Monica Denevan - Photography, Silver Gelatin Print with Wooden Frame Monica Denevan studied photography at San Francisco State University. She has travelled extensivel...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Photography

Materials

Paper, Silver Gelatin

Recently Viewed

View All