Chloe Sherman: Renegades. San Francisco – 1990s
Von Lintel Gallery proudly presents Chloe Sherman’s evocative photographic series Renegades: San Francisco – 1990s. Capturing a pivotal era in the city’s queer history, Sherman’s work offers a vivid portrait of a cultural awakening. Against the backdrop of today’s political tensions and mounting challenges to LGBTQ+ rights across the U.S., her images resonate with renewed urgency. They celebrate the defiance, creativity, and deep-rooted solidarity that have long defined queer communities, reminding us of the enduring power of resistance through visibility. This exhibition pays tribute to those who came before and encourages future generations to carry the torch of activism and inclusion.
Sherman’s lens reveals an era defined by bold reinvention and radical spirit, where spontaneity and rebellion pulsed through daily life. Her images highlight a moment when misfits, visionaries, and seekers converged in San Francisco to craft new identities and communal bonds—living unconventionally and freely. Offering more than nostalgia, these photographs document a significant chapter in the city’s cultural fabric, still deeply relevant today. With her instinct for capturing emotion in its purest form, Sherman invites viewers into the heartbeat of underground queer life—full of artistic innovation, political energy, and unfiltered self-expression.
Reflecting on her work, Sherman recalls: “In the early ’90s, I started photographing a vibrant generation of queer youth in San Francisco’s Mission District. The city was a magnet—rent was low, community was everywhere, and creative souls found one another. The scene thrived with women-led venues—bars, tattoo studios, cafés, and galleries—and traditional norms gave way to a more fluid, rebellious way of life. I witnessed a new feminist wave embracing gender nonconformity, the revival of butch/femme identities, and groundbreaking contributions from trans trailblazers.”
Chloe Sherman’s photographs have been exhibited around the world and are currently featured in a group show at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). Her work is held in major public collections including SFMOMA, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Addison Gallery of American Art in Massachusetts. Sherman continues to live and work in San Francisco.
Her monograph, RENEGADES San Francisco: the 1990s, published by Hatje Cantz, will be available for purchase at the gallery.
About the Author
Chloe Sherman (b. 1969, New York) is a fine art photographer based in San Francisco, celebrated for her vivid portrayals of queer communities in the city during the 1990s. With a passionate and empathetic eye, Sherman documents a rich subculture with warmth, immediacy, and enduring impact, bringing its spirit to life even decades after the fact.
Sherman earned her BFA in photography from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1999, during which she began capturing the lives of young queer individuals navigating identity and solidarity in a city alive with possibility. This close-knit community became her chosen family, and their collective defiance, artistic energy, and unapologetic pride became the foundation for a body of work that has since reached audiences around the world.
Using 35mm film, Sherman creates a visceral connection to a specific time and place—an era of radical self-expression, resistance, and shared resilience. Her photographs distill the essence of a pivotal moment in San Francisco’s queer history, preserving scenes of gender fluidity, emotional connection, and liberation. They act as visual time capsules, anchoring viewers in a past that still resonates today.
Her work has been featured internationally at venues such as F³ Freiraum für Fotografie (Berlin), Schlomer Haus Gallery (San Francisco), Kunsthalle Nürnberg (Nuremberg), Leica Gallery San Francisco, and the Diego Rivera Gallery. Her photographs have been widely published, appearing in Nothing But the Girl (ed. Susie Bright and Jill Posner, 1996), RESEARCH: Angry Women in Rock (Juno Books, 1996), Out In America (Viking Press, 1994), Rolling Stone, Interview, Deneuve, The Advocate, and The New Yorker.
Sherman’s work is held in the permanent collections of the Addison Gallery of American Art (Andover, MA), the National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC), SFMOMA (San Francisco, CA), as well as in numerous private collections.
In 2023, a comprehensive monograph of her work, Renegades: San Francisco – 1990s, was published by Hatje Cantz Verlag.
Chloe Sherman: Renegades. San Francisco – 1990s
until July 26, 2026
Von Lintel Gallery – Los Angeles – Usa
