• Log in
    PoliticsBusinessA&ETransgenderBisexualityReligionFamiliesVoicesVideo
    OUTPrideOut TravelerPLUSADVOCATE CHANNEL
    SubscribeSubscriber ServicesEmail Newsletter Signup
    CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
    © 2023 Pride Publishing Inc.
    All Rights reserved
    Advocate.comAdvocate.com
    Scroll To Top

    By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.

    Accept

    Don and Victor: Love and Art Together

    Christopher Harrity
    | 05/05/21

    Don and Victor: Love and Art Together

    Portraits of Don and Victor

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    Artist Don Hershman is set to exhibit his latest collection of original pieces, as part of a retrospective series inspired by the late Victor Arimondi. In the spring show, "Donald and Victor: Under The Influence," the inventive artist will embody his visceral need to pursue interests and creative expressions as he pays loving tribute to his former partner who succumbed to AIDS in 2001. Hershman's paintings will recognize the unique attributes of Arimondi's work, featuring a display that is compassionate and reflective of our modern times, as we emerge from yet another pandemic. An opening reception will take place at Salomon Arts Gallery in Tribeca on May 13, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Space is limited, and the event will be carried out in strict adherence to all NY State COVID protocols. The exhibit runs May 14 through June 3, 2021, viewing on Wednesdays through Saturdays 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., or by appointment.

    Arimondi was a famed Italian-American model and art photographer whose unique eye and sensuous style captivated the world. At the time of his death, Hershman inherited his estate, including his vast collection of photography and art.

    Don and Victor in assemblage

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    "During our 17 years together Victor steadfastly guided and molded me, and after his sudden death in 2001, I became solidly dedicated to my art, his presence more powerful than ever - a driving force to create something that is no longer a choice for me, but a necessity," says Hershman. "Today, I'm an active part of the art community in San Francisco, a patron of ART SPAN and mission artists." In 2020 one of Hershman's paintings won a jury selection at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco. "This show at the Salomon Gallery brings mine and Victor's work full circle with 20 new selected paintings from 2019 to 2021, along with a carefully curated selection of 38 photographs, taken between 1972 and 2001, four of which I interpreted into my own paintings, called the D & V Series."

    Epidemiology Quarantine Series, acrylic and pencil on wood panel. 30"x24"

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    The upcoming exhibit will serve as a love letter to a luminary who graced the pages of fashion magazines including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Esquire, and appeared on the runway for many top designers, predominantly Valentino and Cerruti. Arimondi's determination to turn the camera lens from his face onto the world he saw before him led to famously shooting the likes of Grace Jones, Liv Ullman, and Norman Mailer as well as several portraits of male nudes captured during the pre-AIDS culture of the early 1980s. He also notably focused imagery of the plight of the homeless of San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood suffering during the height of the AIDS epidemic. In his words, "Since I posed in front of the camera for so many years, my experience with talented photographers made me realize a way to express my inner world."

    In addition, on May 22, 2021 at 4 p.m. - 6pm, there will be an Art Talk with guest speaker Adam Stoltman, a former New York Times and Time, Inc., photography editor, will be in conversation with Hershman and share remarks on the legacy of Arimondi's work.

    Portrait of Victor

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    "I first met Don around 2005 or 2006, a few years after Victor's passing. One of the things which struck me the most was the degree to which Don was motivated, as if carrying a sacred trust, to preserve Victor's work and legacy, a challenge for any surviving spouse of an artist, and also how tender the wound still was from losing a companion, life partner, and creative force," states Stoltman. "It is fitting that Don and Victor are showing their work together through this exhibit. United as artists, continuing to hold that space, special energy and love."

    About Don Hershman

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    Driven by a desire to continually improve the state of the world, Don Hershman lives out a fascinating dual life in grand succession that inspires his own artwork. He holds unique combined positions as both an illustrious artist and a renowned podiatric surgeon. Equal satisfaction is found when he paints and produces photos, as well as when he performs surgery on patients.

    With a keen sensibility to interpret any subject into a more vibrant dimension, Hershman draws inspiration from other creators like David Hockney and photographer Victor Arimondi. Processing references of photographic images he creates freestyle pencil drawings. Then applications of several layers of color help finalize the process. While these become the fundamental building blocks of his work, the final vision always remains a mystery until completion. Hershman's artwork ranges from stylized portraits of people he knows, to still life paintings with flowers, to animal portraits and occasional abstract work.

    Tulips - Quarantine Series, Acrylic and Pencil on Wood Panel, 30”x24"

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    Born in 1954 and raised in New York City, he received his BA in Pre-Med with Psychology from State University of New York at Buffalo, and trained in Podiatry at the College of Podiatric Medicine in San Francisco before establishing his own private practice there in the early 1980s. As the painter was building his medical practice, he was also evolving a body of artwork, exploring various media in the form of drawings and paintings, and finding his voice as an artist.

    In 1992, Hershman was personally invited by the Spectrum Gallery in San Francisco to participate in a group show. Selling all of his displayed collection, confidence was gained and sequentially inspired his future creative endeavors. He went on to great accolades including the accomplishment of having a painting win in competition at the 2019 Jury Selection at the DeYoung Museum.

    Victor Arimondi; Self-portrait, archival print 12"x9"

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    Vittorio Maria Arimondi was born in a convent in Bologna, Italy in November of 1942. Later in life while in art school, Arimondi was discovered by an ambitious modeling agent, began fashion modeling to make a living, and soon became a notable member of the international fashion world - first in front of the camera, then behind it.

    Arimondi was a genuine artist and ahead of his time. It is impossible to look at many of his photographs and know when they were made. His artistic integrity remained evident throughout his commercial work, and although he occasionally reverted to modeling for a living, he did so only out of financial necessity. More important to Victor than the fame acquired throughout his modeling career was recognition for the singularity of his vision. From a tumultuous childhood haunted by war and abandonment, growing up in the sexual revolution, and experience of the ravages of the AIDS epidemic, Arimondi distilled graceful images reflecting his art, his life, his passions and aspects of the society of which he was a part.

    Victor Arimondi: Self-portrait

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    While living in Stockholm during the mid 1970s, Victor and his photography, keenly exploring the male form, were discovered and utilized by Editor William Como, who was creating a new genre of magazines as After Dark arrived on the scene. Andy Warhol's Interview Magazine, to which Victor often contributed photography, quickly followed. Subsequently, Victor relocated to New York, and in 1979 he was commissioned to provide images for a book of male nudes reflecting the emancipation of America's sexual revolution - The Look of Men, published by Color Library Int., in 1980. Victor had arrived in San Francisco to shoot the book during a time of new growth and exploration in the gay community, and he became well known, both in his community and worldwide. This prompted increased demand for his photography from magazines, such as ongoing contributions and covers for The Advocate.

    After devoting much of his creative energy to the male figure, Victor shifted his focus to the streets, where he photographed workers, homeless and other struggling people in San Francisco's Tenderloin District, and his approach to this work belied his inherent gift for social commentary.

    Still life, archival print, 8"x8"

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    About Salomon Arts Gallery: In 2003, Salomon Arts Gallery was created to showcase the works of emerging artists. The center hosts talented artists in many fields including painting, sculpture, drawing, and printmaking. They also serve as a venue for dance, music, poetry, and film. Salomon Arts Gallery has supported the creative arts industry and those who have been living and working in Tribeca for over 40 years (since 1975). Instagram: @salomonartsgallery, Facebook: salomonartsgallery.

    SALOMON ARTS GALLERY
    83 Leonard Street, 4th Floor,
    New York, NY 10013

    VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.
    please contact at (212) 966-1917
    or via email at gallery@salomonarts.com

    Don Hershman

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    Male nude, archival print, 12"x9"

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    Quarantine series, acrylic and pencil on wood panel, 30"x24"

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor
    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    Red Vase with Flower - Quarantine series, acrylic and pencil on wood panel, 30”x24"

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    Victor Arimondi

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    Victor Arimondi

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    Don Hershman

    Under the Influence, Donald and Victor

    Latest Stories

    Tan and Rob France
    People
    Badge
    gallery

    Queer Eye’s Tan France Welcomes Baby Number 2 With Husband Rob

    8h
    60 Photos of Your Favorite Celebs Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth at GLSEN Respect Awards
    Activism
    Badge
    gallery

    60 Photos of Your Favorite Celebs Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth at GLSEN Respect Awards

    12h
    Girls Like Girls, Stars Collide, and Leg book covers
    Books
    Badge
    gallery

    13 LGBTQ+ Books to Read and Enjoy Before Spring Is Over

    May 30 2023 11:00 AM
    Joe Locke and Kit Connor from Heartstopper
    television
    Badge
    gallery

    5 First Look Photos from 'Heartstopper' Season 2

    May 30 2023 8:00 AM
    Nico Tortorella, Janelle Monáe, and Brandon Urie
    Pansexual
    Badge
    gallery

    12 Pan Icons to Celebrate Pansexual Visibility Day

    May 24 2023 7:17 PM
    'Red, White, and Royal Blue,' the Gay R-Rated Rom-Com, Debuts Key Art
    film
    Badge
    gallery

    'Red, White, and Royal Blue,' the Gay R-Rated Rom-Com, Debuts Key Art

    May 24 2023 11:06 AM
    Jake Daniels
    People
    Badge
    gallery

    Gay Soccer Star Jake Daniels, 18, Shares About His Partner, 46

    May 22 2023 1:35 PM
    5 Victims of Club Q Shooting Remembered
    Crime
    Badge
    gallery

    5 Victims of Club Q Shooting Remembered

    May 19 2023 10:03 PM
    30+ Images Celebrating Out Magazine's Kim Petras Pride Cover Drop
    Slideshow
    Badge
    gallery

    30+ Images Celebrating Out Magazine's Kim Petras Pride Cover Drop

    May 19 2023 4:45 PM
    Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
    Activism
    Badge
    gallery

    Meet the L.A. Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

    May 19 2023 4:30 PM
    Honorees at the GLAAD Media Awards in NYC
    Media
    Badge
    gallery

    69 Photos Celebrating the Star-Studded GLAAD Media Awards in NYC

    May 18 2023 11:19 AM
    Selfies at the Little Gay Pub in DC and the bar’s owners Dusty Martinez, Benjamin Gander and Dito Sevilla
    Business
    Badge
    gallery

    51 Steamy Selfies from The Little Gay Pub, D.C.'s Hottest New LGBTQ+ Spot

    May 16 2023 5:00 PM
    Gio Benitez and the hosts of GMA weekends
    People
    Badge
    gallery

    23 Pics to Help You Get to Know Gio Benitez, the New Gay Co-Anchor of ‘GMA’ Weekends

    May 16 2023 4:01 PM
    Colton Underwood and Jordan C. Brown
    People
    Badge
    gallery

    Gay 'Bachelor' Star Colton Underwood Marries Jordan C. Brown

    May 15 2023 12:55 PM
    mothers
    Families
    Badge
    gallery

    More Than 50 of Our Favorite LGBTQ+ Moms

    May 14 2023 10:27 AM
    15 Sensual and Intimate Paintings of Male Relationships by Dani Torrent
    Art
    Badge
    gallery

    15 Sensual and Intimate Paintings of Male Relationships by Dani Torrent

    May 11 2023 4:16 PM
    Stranger Things and Yellowjackets
    television
    Badge
    gallery

    Here Are 9 LGBTQ+ Shows Shut Down By the Writers Strike

    May 10 2023 6:00 PM
    Images from the WeHo Drag March
    Drag
    Badge
    gallery

    ​19 Spectacular Photos of the Inaugural L.A. Drag March

    May 10 2023 4:11 PM
    Drag isn’t dangerous participant queens
    Drag
    Badge
    gallery

    41 Photos of Drag Isn’t Dangerous Fundraiser That Raised the Big Bucks for LGBTQ+ Rights

    May 09 2023 10:00 AM
    Cast of Drag Me to Dinner
    television
    Badge
    gallery

    Neil Patrick Harris and David Burka Serve Up New Series 'Drag Me to Dinner'

    May 08 2023 7:00 PM