ENCOUNTERS is a collection of photographs taken by Dean Sameshima between 1993-2001 throughout Los Angeles, California, at varying “tearooms”. Tearooms are public spaces, mainly public restrooms, where men meet for anonymous sex. Sameshima began a documentary photography series titled WONDERLAND in 1993 while an undergrad at CalArts. At this time he felt an urgency to start documenting public sex spaces in Los Angeles as a way of recording an important part of his history and Los Angeles gay history. These tearoom drawings were especially interesting to him because they were the most temporary form of communication and many were painted over/erased by his subsequent visits. While working on this project, many of the tearooms were being policed, raided and eventually shut down. - Pegacorn Press