Ms. Flash, who has spent years challenging stereotypes, puts her camera down to walk, nap, go to church and be with friends instead.
Ever since Lola Flash joined the protest group ACT UP in the 1980s, she has made a career, to great acclaim, of photographing people in ways that challenge stereotypes. Her portraits of gay, lesbian, transgender and queer people are now part of the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Brooklyn Museum, and most recent, the Museum of Modern Art. Ms. Flash, who is “62 and a half — and I count the half proudly,” she said, lives in Kips Bay, Manhattan, in affordable housing. She calls her one-bedroom apartment on the 33rd floor “the ghetto penthouse.”
DOWN BY THE RIVER I try to get my 10,000 steps in on Sundays, so the first thing I do after getting up at about 7 and brushing my teeth is take a long walk. I’ll head up to 60th or 70th Street, toward the East River. When you get there it’s almost like you’re on holiday, you see so many colors. I sort of take it all in before looping back. I was a real gym bunny before the pandemic, so my body’s been like, what are you doing to me? I’ve got the Covid weight gain thing going on. But I love the walking. It’s very good for my head and body and soul.
WORDS AND PICTURES I make a cup of PG Tips tea, then I sit on my couch and try my best not to do too much social media. My mom used to like to play Scrabble, and both my parents are gone, so I try to bring them into my apartment in different ways. Words With Friends brings my mom to me. And every other Sunday I have my Kamoinge meeting. Kamoinge is a group of African American photographers that started in New York a long time ago. Now the meetings are over Zoom. I’m the secretary, so I have to get set up early and let everybody in, then I take the minutes. Sometimes we show our work during the meeting, and sometimes it’s just business. After that I’ll have a little breakfast, maybe oatmeal or eggs and grits and veggie sausages. Every once in a while I’ll treat myself to French toast made with challah.
GODDESS WORSHIP I go to Middle Collegiate Church on Second Avenue. It’s the minister, Jackie, I love. She’s just amazing. Before my mom passed, she really wanted me to have a church I could belong to. Growing up, I went to a Baptist church where there was not any hint of any politics or any differences. It was all, what do you call it? Brimstone. This one is socially conscious and accepting of queer people. All of March they used “she” and “her” pronouns for God. And the church is the most beautiful old building, but a couple months ago it burned down. We were already having online services when it happened. I think they’re going to rebuild. For now we’re still online.
MS. FLASH Sometimes I’ll have a little nap. I’m a teacher at the Williamsburg High School of Art and Technology, and I’ve been doing that from home, so I’ve gotten into the habit of napping every other day. The principal of our school is amazing. She’s always working to keep our energy up. And she’s very excited about my career. She’s always like, “You’re the art in Williamsburg Art and Tech.” And I love my students. They are so sweet. I’ll show up wearing a bow tie and it’s obvious I’m a big old dyke, but they’re just kind of like, “That’s Ms. Flash.”
NO JACKET NECESSARY Sunday is a giving-back day for me. I really try not to look at emails or do any photography. I’ll usually visit someone, like my friend Jim or lately, Sharon, who has pulmonary fibrosis and just moved to the East Village from the Bronx, so now she’s not too far from me. I met her in Provincetown in the ’80s, and she ended up getting me one of the best jobs I ever had in my life, working at Spiritus, an ice cream place. I worked there for 12 years. I think about her a lot, and how important she’s been to my trajectory. If her home attendant can’t make it, she’ll call me and say, “Can you bring me some food? I’ll give you a leather jacket.” I tell her to keep the leather jacket and I bring her some food.
WINE, ONLINE Happy hour has become an important part of my Sundays. That’s online too. Anywhere from three to eight women come together, and we talk and have a glass of wine. Sometimes I’ll show them photographs I’ve taken. Or I’ll show my students’ work. That goes on until about 8, and after that I’m pretty pooped. I make sure the dishes are washed, and I moisturize my hands, the tattoos on my forearms, my feet, my neck and face. Sunday is a school night, so I’m in bed by 9:30 or 10. I need to be ready on Monday for the young people.
Sunday Routine readers can follow Lola Flash on Instagram @flash9 or Twitter @lolaflashphoto.
"Flash" - Google News
June 25, 2021 at 04:00PM
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How Lola Flash, Photographer, Spends Her Sundays - The New York Times
"Flash" - Google News
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