Cruisin' Book Release: Aaron Michael Skolnick in Conversation with Ryan Filchak

Institute 193 is pleased to invite you to the book release and talk for Aaron Michael Skolnick's Cruisin', Friday, July 30 at 6 pm. The talk will feature a conversation between Skolnick and Ryan Filchak, the Director of Institute 193. The event will be streamed via Instagram Live from the Institute 193 instagram account.

If you are unable to attend the event, books are available to order through the Institute 193 shop.

78 pages

8.5 " / 11 "

Four Color Digital Print

Mylar cover

Double wire O bind

Publication Date: 2021

Publisher: MARCH

Design by Ethan Fedele

Cruisin’ is a presentation of and commentary on 27 paintings made by Aaron Michael Skolnick, featuring contributions by Tag Christof, Edward Gómez, and Stuart Horodner. Set in rural America, this series of works explores the practice of gay-male cruising beyond the bounds of online apps and permissive city streets. Here, the moon observes the subtle pursuits of the artist’s subjects, while nature reveals its carnal disposition, with moths and branches glistening in the silver twilight. Men bathed in lush colors pause in untamed meadows, anticipating those who may soon arrive. In such vulnerable pursuits, pleasure is never guaranteed; still, these moments of suspense offer a unique kind of delight. In confronting these scenes of electrifying tension, Skolnick’s paintings capture powerful moments that would otherwise be concealed from outsiders. Filled with dreamlike portraits and lavish flora, they evoke an atmosphere alive with hidden longing and silent thrills.