Lot 256

Lemon Boy (Richard Gallo), An archive of more than 50 photographs documenting two performance art pieces in New York City. 1970s.

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Lemon Boy (Richard Gallo), An archive of more than 50 photographs documenting two performance art pieces in New York City. 1970s.

Estimate: $700 - $1,000

Starting Bid: $550

(0 Bids)

by Swann Auction Galleries
August 13, 2026 10:30 AM EDT
Live Auction
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY, US 10010

Lemon Boy (Richard Gallo)
1946-2007
An archive of more than 50 photographs documenting two performance art pieces in New York City. 1970s.
Silver prints (52) and 2 contact sheets
With Gary Wright's credit stamp on verso of all but 6.

  • Provenance:
    The Estate of Gary Wright; to the Present Owner

    Notes:
    Richard Gallo was an experimental theater director and performer based in New York City during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to traditional stage performances, Gallo engaged in street performance, adopting the pseudonym "Lemon Boy" to reference the lemons he used to delineate his makeshift stages. He became known for provocative, uninvited street performances in prominent New York locations, frequently staging his work near or within upscale Fifth Avenue shops. Gallo's distinctive style was characterized by queer, overtly sexual, and hyper-masculine camp.

    Gallo's performances, which challenged prevailing conceptions of identity, masculinity, and sexuality, were documented by prominent photographers of the era, including Christopher Makos, Peter Hujar, Sylvia Plachy, and Gary Wright.

    Gallo recounted the typical flow of his performances in a diary entry: "First the crowd would build up, and then the traffic would slow to see what was happening. Then the police would show up. When I heard the siren, I knew the show was over. It was a good ending."
  • Dimensions: The images 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.8 x 16.8 cm.), and slightly smaller, the sheets slightly larger, the mounts (4) approximately 10 7/8 x 14 in. (27.6 x 35.6 cm.)
  • Medium: Silver prints (52) and 2 contact sheets
  • Condition: Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

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