Talk

MPS Digital Photography presents a talk with Dustin Pittman, fashion photographer, filmmaker, social historian, activist, and former SVA student. Dustin was not just an observer but was an active participant in the places and events that shaped pop culture—at Andy Warhol's Factory, the women's liberation movements of the 1970s, the VIP room at Studio 54, and the nascent punk scene at CBGB and The Mudd Club. He is an active participant in ACT UP & a veteran of the Gay Liberation Front movement and Woman’s Rights movement. His work has been at the forefront of genderqueer visual politics and challenges stereotypes and gender, sexual, and racial preconceptions. Dustin has celebrated the wide spectrum of identities and experiences across the LGBTQIA+ community and recognizes the oath-making spirit of its culture.

Pittman's work provided an intimate glimpse into the intersecting worlds of fashion and celebrity, music, art, and politics-from the glam rock underground and the golden age of disco to the ateliers of the world's most famous fashion designers such as Halston, Yves Saint Laurent, and Calvin Klein. Pittman was witness to such rising stars as Blondie, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and the Stooges, The New York Dolls, and Roxy Music, as well as seminal cultural figures including Raquel Welch, Truman Capote, Diana Ross, Tina Chow, Brooke Shields, Jerry Hall, Divine, and Liza Minnelli—all caught in spontaneous, unguarded New York moments.

Starting in 2011 and after over 250 lectures, the i3: Images, Ideas, Inspiration Lecture series continues to feature leading photographers, artists, editors, gallerists, and industry experts. Our Spring 2025 i3 Lecture season is curated and hosted by MPS Digital Photography faculty member Julie Grahame. Most past lectures are available on YouTube and Vimeo.