Gay Block Houston, Texas, b. 1942

Gay Block’s Love: South Beach in the ‘80s are photographs taken of Jewish retirees in Art Deco hotels in South Miami Beach. Block grew up in a strict reform Jewish household in Houston and found the retirees in South Beach to be easy going and relaxed. She fell in love with the Yiddish accents and carefree demeanor, saying that they were “the bubbes and zaydes (grandmothers and grandfathers) I had longed for.” One of the things that Block admired most was the way that many people sat on the porch and socialized. In Untitled (Earlobe), a proud, dignified woman looks out into the distance. A beautiful gold and pearl earring dangles from her elongated earlobe, and her hair is coiffed on top of her head which adds to her powerful presence.