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Anthony Garrett Hurd and his tender and sensitive side of queer love in art
Anthony Garrett Hurd and his tender and sensitive side of queer love in art
Interview by Steven Skelley
Anthony Garrett Hurd is a man contemplating life. Living with his partner and stepdaughter in a New Mexico home with mountain views, he never expected to live this long or this well. After working in advertising for two decades, he is now creating amazing, heartwarming paintings depicting queer romance. I discovered his art on Facebook and instantly fell in love with his talented creations.
Interview by Steven Skelley
Anthony Garrett Hurd is a man contemplating life. Living with his partner and stepdaughter in a New Mexico home with mountain views, he never expected to live this long or this well. After working in advertising for two decades, he is now creating amazing, heartwarming paintings depicting queer romance. I discovered his art on Facebook and instantly fell in love with his talented creations.
How did you fall in love with this art form?
I’ve been creating art my entire life but recently I shifted my work dramatically to depict queer romance. I had a major solo show in January in Los Angeles and on the drive back to New Mexico I was listening to podcasts and audio books. One posed the age old question on how would you comfort your inner child. Despite the large amount of traumatic experiences in my life, the one thing that came to me was queer representation. How different my life would have been if I’d had real representation of queer couples. Not sexual, but loving, romantic, and especially older couples showing me that it’s a possible life for me, and everyone else.
I’ve been creating art my entire life but recently I shifted my work dramatically to depict queer romance. I had a major solo show in January in Los Angeles and on the drive back to New Mexico I was listening to podcasts and audio books. One posed the age old question on how would you comfort your inner child. Despite the large amount of traumatic experiences in my life, the one thing that came to me was queer representation. How different my life would have been if I’d had real representation of queer couples. Not sexual, but loving, romantic, and especially older couples showing me that it’s a possible life for me, and everyone else.
What inspires you?
Really it’s a spur of the moment situation. At times I go into the studio and I’ve got a specific idea of what I’d like to paint that day, other days I just go in and see where it leads me.
Really it’s a spur of the moment situation. At times I go into the studio and I’ve got a specific idea of what I’d like to paint that day, other days I just go in and see where it leads me.
What is special about painting male couples?
Well in the long run I plan on branching out to other couples, male, female, nonbinary and trans, currently it’s male couples because that’s what I personally needed. It’s what I needed as a kid and it’s what I needed now. There is so much amazing queer art in the world these days, I love it, I can’t get enough of it, but most of it is highly sexualized and while that’s something I very much appreciate, I wanted to see a more tender and sensitive side of queer love in art, and in my art.
So much of my own experience with love and sex was highly stifled by the perception I had of it growing up. It was like a dirty secret that needed to be hidden, and even years after I was out and open about my sexuality I was still unraveling the mentality I’d developed as a kid. Kinks and fantasies often involved taking or being taken advantage of. It took years for me to shift my views and understand myself better, and ask for what I not only needed but wanted - to see grown men in a loving embrace, in public, in nature, in confidence and in love. Sometimes it’s new love, new romance, other times it’s a long and mature love, but all similar expressions.
Well in the long run I plan on branching out to other couples, male, female, nonbinary and trans, currently it’s male couples because that’s what I personally needed. It’s what I needed as a kid and it’s what I needed now. There is so much amazing queer art in the world these days, I love it, I can’t get enough of it, but most of it is highly sexualized and while that’s something I very much appreciate, I wanted to see a more tender and sensitive side of queer love in art, and in my art.
So much of my own experience with love and sex was highly stifled by the perception I had of it growing up. It was like a dirty secret that needed to be hidden, and even years after I was out and open about my sexuality I was still unraveling the mentality I’d developed as a kid. Kinks and fantasies often involved taking or being taken advantage of. It took years for me to shift my views and understand myself better, and ask for what I not only needed but wanted - to see grown men in a loving embrace, in public, in nature, in confidence and in love. Sometimes it’s new love, new romance, other times it’s a long and mature love, but all similar expressions.
Why is it important to you to paint all body shapes and sizes?
While there was one side of me that needed the healing image of two men in love, tender and romantic, there were also other sides I felt needed embracing. Growing up in Missouri there was so much racism, and so the representation of various ethnicities feels very important, and body shapes and sizes. We all deserve to see ourselves in the world, however we show up and however we identity. I wanted to depict normal every day people, not just societies version of perfection.
While there was one side of me that needed the healing image of two men in love, tender and romantic, there were also other sides I felt needed embracing. Growing up in Missouri there was so much racism, and so the representation of various ethnicities feels very important, and body shapes and sizes. We all deserve to see ourselves in the world, however we show up and however we identity. I wanted to depict normal every day people, not just societies version of perfection.
Do you have a website where people can view or purchase your art?
My website is anthonyhurd.com but my store is the best place to go as it’s updated more regularly at store.anthonyhurd.com You can also find me at @anthonyhurd on twitter, instagram, bluesky and threads.
My website is anthonyhurd.com but my store is the best place to go as it’s updated more regularly at store.anthonyhurd.com You can also find me at @anthonyhurd on twitter, instagram, bluesky and threads.
![]() Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
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