Gay Block Houston, Texas, b. 1942

Gay Block’s Love: South Beach in the ‘80s are photographs of Jewish retirees in Art Deco hotels on South Beach in the early 80s. Block grew up in a strict reform Jewish household in Houston and found the retirees on 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.” Untitled (Man in Blue Bikini) shows a man with a confident smile, gold necklace, and blue bikini standing with his shoulders, back and chest drawn out on the beach. He is unconcerned with the scar on the side of his abdomen and most likely has a story to tell about it. He is looking out past the camera, toward the ocean¾behind him a backdrop of sand, palm trees, and buildings. It is the quintessential beach photograph.