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.” Part of what impressed Block about the retirees was their independence and ability to go to stores, movies, or wherever they pleased. Untitled (Wheelchairs) shows this independence and mobility as two people in wheelchairs and a woman walking from the store intermingle at a crosswalk. The woman in green, on the right, is pointing toward something, perhaps to avoid hitting the other wheelchair or to warn of an impending accident. Even in a brief encounter on the street, the sense of community is felt among the retirees.