Duncan Grant's Rare Works Explore Queer Desire at Firstsite

This summer, Firstsite in Colchester presents 'Worlds Through Desire: From Drawing to Cruising to DMs', an exhibition examining how art and technology shape modern masculinity. The show features around 35 rarely seen works by Duncan Grant (1885-1978), alongside pieces by Jean Claracq, Jonathan Lyndon Chase, David Lock, Matthew Ansell, Gregory Hayman, and anonymous artists from East Anglia. With over 60 works in total—including drawings, watercolours, ceramics, paintings, photography, etchings, mixed media, and prints—the exhibition is structured as a visual poem. It explores queer desire in public and online spaces across three generations, addressing how gay, bi, queer, and questioning men, as well as non-binary people, seek mentorship, friendship, and connection.