Working Class Heroes: The Homoerotic Art Of Neel Bate aka Blade

Carlyle Kneeland Bate (1916-1989), who signed his works as Neel Bate, is a far less known figure of homoerotic art than Tom of Finland, though, not less iconic. During his lifetime, Bate's drawings were destroyed thrice, but he never stopped producing risky depictions of truckers, sailors, and farmboys engaged in passionate intercourse.

Fig. 1. Nude torso of Neel Bate by Douglass Juleff, 1960s (leslielohman.org)

Fig. 2. Barn Revisitied, 1970s, pen on paper (leslielohman.pastperfectonline.com)

Fig. 3. Yakima, 1983 (leslielohman.pastperfectonline.com)

Fig. 4. Sketch (leslielohman.pastperfectonline.com)

Fig. 5. Untitled, ca 1970s (leslielohman.pastperfectonline.com)

Fig. 6. tumblr.com

Fig. 7. Untitled, 1981 (leslielohman.pastperfectonline.com)

Fig. 8. Untitled, 1984, pen on paper (leslielohman.pastperfectonline.com)

Fig. 9. Born to Rise Hell, 1980 (leslielohman.pastperfectonline.com)

From A Rural Place To Hollywood

Carlyle Kneeland Bate was born in Canada. Shortly after, the family relocated to the rural outskirts of Seattle. The childhood impressions shaped Bate's artistic personality as local farmboys would remain one of his favorite subjects. In high school, Bate received a scholarship enabling him to study at what's now known as Seattle's Cornish College of Arts, yet the Depression made him search for a job instead of attending art classes. For some time, the artist worked as an illustrator in California. Then, in 1936, he settled in Hollywood as a designer and an active participant in the local homosexual underground. In times of the Second World War, Bate enlisted in the Merchant Marines after destroying all his drawings as they may put an end to his service. When the war was over, the artist moved to New York, where he stayed for more than forty years until his death.

Fig.10. Meadow, 1985 (leslielohman.pastperfectonline.com)

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Click HERE for the homosexual prints of the Mexican artist Felix d'Eon

Sources: Wikipedia.org; leslielohman.org; Jim Eigo. The Art and Life of Blade (Neel Bate)