cruising the archive
Cruising the Archive explores the ways that gay men have negotiated finding connection in a world dominated by repressive laws and moralities. The project began by looking at queer underground magazines published in London from the 1970s and ‘80s as documentation of the places where and ways that cruising occurred.
The project then considered location-based hookup apps such as Grindr and Scruff, and how the language of cruising has shifted with the internet’s immediacy. The result was a series of site-specific interventions and a zine.
2022
Young, hairy guy (25) seeks genuine friends under thirty. Box 137.
Taken from the classified pages of Gay News, a magazine published in London from 1972-1980, these advertisements speak to what was one of the few outlets for finding other queer people. I placed these archival classifieds all over London, pops of color catching passerbys’ eyes - cruising across the decades.
Grindr profile created from the text of an old classified ad.
Anonymous Grindr profiles typeset in the style of old classified ads.
