Three framed photographs displayed on a gallery wall. The left photo shows three people in minimal clothing in a gray room. The center photo is of a man in a blue suit sitting behind a person, with a wooden background. The right photo depicts a person lying on a bed in a sunlit room, with their legs crossed and holding a phone.

GAY

DISABLED

PHOTOGRAPHER

A man with blue eyes, a beard, and light brown hair, has a visible scar on his forehead and tattoos on his neck, wearing a light-colored shirt.

ABOUT

Robert Andy Coombs is a disabled gay photographer whose work unapologetically centers queer desire, bodily autonomy, and the politics of care. From staged seductions to intimate self-portraits, Coombs explores what it means to be seen—on his terms. A Yale MFA and USA Fellow, his work has been exhibited at the Getty, and he’s not here to make you comfortable.

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Current Shows

Queer Lens: A History of Photography

Jun 17–Sep 28, 2025

Getty Center

Since the mid-19th century, photography has served as a powerful tool for examining concepts of gender, sexuality, and self-expression. The immediacy and accessibility of the medium has played a transformative role in the gradual proliferation of homosocial, homoerotic, and homosexual imagery. Despite periods of severe homophobia, when many photographs depicting queer life were suppressed or destroyed, this exhibition brings together a variety of evidence to explore the medium’s profound role in shaping and affirming the vibrant tapestry of the LGBTQ+ community.

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Let's Collab!

Modeling

If you’re down to be seen — really seen — let’s shoot. I work with people who aren’t afraid to show off, get intimate, and trust my vision. You bring the energy. I’ll bring the camera.

Commissions

Want something custom? I take on select portrait and conceptual commissions. If you have a vision (or want mine), let’s talk.

Prints & Licensing

Limited edition prints are available — including Polaroids and large-scale metallic works. Inquire for pricing, availability, or licensing info.

Exhibitions, Press & Speaking

Booking a show, feature, or talk? I collaborate with institutions, editors, and curators who value bold, unapologetic work. Hit me up with details.

Everything Else

Got another idea? Slide into my inbox. Just be clear — and bring something real.

Hey friends! My website just got a major glow-up, and I’d love your help spreading the word. Check it out, share it with your friends, and tag someone who’d vibe with my work. Your support helps me keep creating the art you love! Link in bio! #RobertAndyCoombs #QueerDisabledArtist #DisabilityPride #RadicalVisibility #PowerWheelchair #LGBTQIAArt #QueerCreatives #AccessibleArt #CripArt #FineArtPhotography #ContemporaryPhotography #QueerBodies #DisabilityAndSexuality #PolaroidArt #StreetPhotography #EmergingArtist #QueerCulture #SupportDisabledArtists

A few more pictures of @hiwathahart_ checking out @erichartjr Photo book when I think about power! He loved it by the way Eric, and you both have the same last name!

Had a fun little @polaroid x @lacoste photo shoot with @hiwathahart_ in my backyard! Polaroids were once trophies of queer survival — Private moments made public only on our terms. No middleman. No risk of exposure. Just the photographer, the subject, and the trust between them. Like trading cards, collecting DNA from being passed around, and then hit in no way until next time. Unfortunately my scanner is down right now so the actual Polaroids will have to be for a later date! Happy pride! #Gay #Pride #Polaroid #Lacoste #hasselblad

Finally got to see my boy @taylorthegrate perform! Hey San Diego and LA, check out this funny mofo! Until next time!

Beyond grateful and truly honored to be part of the Queer Lens show at @gettymuseum curated by @paul_martineau_curator ! Thank you all who donated to help me get me out here and anyone else who believed in my work! This was truly a highlight of my career. Thank you thank you thank you! #Pride #robertandycoombs #Photography #Photographer #queer #queerart #queerartist #DisabledArt #DisabledArtist #DisabledPhotographer #GayWheelchair #GayDisabled #DisabledGay #WheelchairGay #disabledbodies #wheelchair #disabledmodel #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityrights #disabilitypride #Paralysis #Paralyzed #Quadriplegic

Los Angeles looks good on me! Thanks for the assist @tophergrizzly #robertandycoombs #Photography #Photographer #queer #queerart #queerartist #DisabledArt #DisabledArtist #DisabledPhotographer #GayWheelchair #GayDisabled #DisabledGay #WheelchairGay #disabledbodies #wheelchair #disabledmodel #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityrights #disabilitypride #Paralysis #Paralyzed #Quadriplegic #Pride

Down in West Hollywood! I am up and jaws are on the floor! #robertandycoombs #Photography #Photographer #queer #queerart #queerartist #DisabledArt #DisabledArtist #DisabledPhotographer #GayWheelchair #GayDisabled #DisabledGay #WheelchairGay #disabledbodies #wheelchair #disabledmodel #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityrights #disabilitypride #Paralysis #Paralyzed #Quadriplegic #pride

Hey everyone, go check out @thecriptrip Crip Trip, a docu series I was fortunate to be a part of… You can stream it for free by downloading the AMI+ app! #DisabledNotDead #CripTrip @tvodocs @accessiblemediainc

LET'S COLLAB! link in bio. Modeling If you’re down to be seen — really seen — let’s shoot. I work with people who aren’t afraid to show off, get intimate, and trust my vision. You bring the energy. I’ll bring the camera. Commissions Want something custom? I take on select portrait and conceptual commissions. If you have a vision (or want mine), let’s talk. Prints & Licensing Limited edition prints are available — including Polaroids and large-scale metallic works. Inquire for pricing, availability, or licensing info. Exhibitions, Press & Speaking Booking a show, feature, or talk? I collaborate with institutions, editors, and curators who value bold, unapologetic work. Hit me up with details. Everything Else Got another idea? Slide into my inbox. Just be clear — and bring something real. #robertandycoombs #Photography #Photographer #queer #queerart #queerartist #DisabledArt #DisabledArtist #DisabledPhotographer #GayWheelchair #GayDisabled #DisabledGay #WheelchairGay #disabledbodies #wheelchair #disabledmodel #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityrights #disabilitypride

Degenerate Art in the Age of DOGE Curated by: Jenny Hager, Ty Pownall, and Steven Wolkoff Show Runs: March 22 – April 13 2025 Opening Reception: March 22, 7:00pm – 10:00pm Artists: Keith Boadwee, Polly Borland, Robert Andy Coombs, Joe Davidson, Tom Dunn, Trulee Hall, Randi Matushevitz, Dakota Noot, Dylan Ricards, Zak Smith, Steven Wolkoff As political forces tighten their grip on cultural institutions, Degenerate Art in the Age of DOGE stands as both a rebellion and a celebration of fearless self-expression. Opening at Durden and Ray on March 22, 2025, this exhibition confronts state-controlled narratives, censorship, and the suppression of creative autonomy. Drawing from the Trump administration’s intervention in the Kennedy Center and the NEA and evoking the legacy of the Nazi Party’s 1937 Degenerate Art exhibition—used to vilify and silence artists—this show reclaims the term as a symbol of resistance. Featuring a diverse group of contemporary artists, Degenerate Art in the Age of DOGE challenges power structures, disrupts social taboos, and amplifies voices that refuse to conform. Polly Borland, Joe Davidson, Tom Dunn, and Randi Matushevitz manipulate familiar gestures and shapes, distorting the human form in ways that simultaneously seduce and unsettle. Through photography, Keith Boadwee, Robert Andy Coombs, and Dakota Noot expose the private as public, questioning the norms that dictate how bodies should be seen and used. Likewise, Trulee Hall’s playful yet provocative videos and squeaky mechanisms, with their surreal imagery, blur the line between desire and taboo. Zak Smith’s ink paintings pull us into intimate, behind-the-scenes moments from porn sets and bedrooms, while Dylan Ricard’s vision of a post-Anthropocene world plays out in a close-up video of his mouth and skin, displayed on a Shibari-bound screen. Steven Wolkoff bridges past and present, drawing on historical references like Holocaust book burnings and Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ to confront the ongoing threats to artistic and intellectual freedom.