Jimmy DeSana

The photographer to Hillman Holland, circa 1985

Private Collection, Florida

A key figure of the East Village scene in the 1970s and 1980s, Jimmy DeSana is best known for his brightly colored, erotic photographs that are saturated with the gritty, boundary-pushing spirit of New York of that era. His first book, Submission (1980), featured black and white images of BDSM scenes and an introduction by William S. Burroughs. It is widely considered to be one of the most important photographic publications of the period. 

Photographs by DeSana rarely appear at auction. He is currently the subject of a major retrospective – Jimmy DeSana: Submission – at the Brooklyn Museum, open through 16 April 2023.