Hujar’s portraits reveal how closely linked the creative networks of NYC’s downtown scene were at the time. Backstage offers a glimpse of Hujar’s personal and professional relationships with prominent figures of the subculture. The main gallery features the portrait images of two queer icons, Divine and John Waters, more or less striking the same pose. Both of them lie down sideways, with their left arms supporting their heads. Divine is, of course, John Water’s number one actor, as the two have collaborated in numerous films including Pink Flamingos (1979) and Hairspray (1988). By replicating the same pose, the two friends diverge from the asymmetric power dynamics of director-muse relationships.















