In the summer of 2020, Kadar R. Small, a Trinidad-born photographer, embarked on a project titled “PDA,” seeking to explore the differing levels of comfort Black queer people feel expressing their affection. His latest installment, currently on view at the Brooklyn gallery space at Ilegal Mezcal, showcases existing New York-based couples in moments of both private and public intimacy.
Small’s “PDA” offers powerful images of Black queer love in action, tenderly capturing the joy and precarity that attends Black queer people loving each other out loud. The result is a collection of images that uses the lens of PDA to offer subversive and affirming portraits of queer relationships.
The series began with interviews with couples and images of models caring for one another in the world, but Small’s inspiration for the project evolved to focus more closely on what PDA really means and how it can mean different things depending on where and who you are. Small’s intention with “PDA” is to document the different environments in which Black queer love and PDA is viewed in varying ways.
In Small’s latest installment, images emerge from the safety of Bronx apartments to the relative vulnerability of parks in Crown Heights, depicting the stakes of public affection just as acutely as the expression of it. Small captures not just the quick kiss or the intimate embrace, but also the environment in which the moment occurred, highlighting the risks and challenges Black queer people face in displaying their affection.
Small’s work offers a glimpse into the emotional journeys that can often accompany the best (and worst) nights out, and he uses his narratively rich style to offer a glimpse into the complexities of Black queer relationships. The exhibition is not just about the picture; Small is there to document the stakes of public affection, to show how Black queer love is still being questioned, and to be a voice for the Black queer community.
Ultimately, “PDA” seeks to change the narrative around Black queer love by putting it front and center. Small’s work shows that Black queer love exists and deserves to be seen, celebrated, and affirmed.