The new issue of Butt Magazine is out now at your finer book selling establishments. My contribution this month is an interview with famous portrait artist Don Bachardy, who was more well-known at first for being the very young lover of pioneering gay author Christopher Isherwood, of whom I am a huge fan. Bachardy’s story is a truly remarkable one. Not only did he lead an active sexual life in Hollywood in the 50’s, of which he recounted to me in graphic, wonderful detail, he and Isherwood then led a truly courageous life as an out gay couple in Hollywood. This was all the more shocking to so-called decent Hollywood society because of their age difference - Bachardy was 18 when he first met Isherwood, who was then 49, on the beach in Santa Monica. I was incredibly intimidated to meet him, having long been an admirer of all the work he’s done to preserve Chris’ (as Bachardy calls him, so I will to) legacy, editing journals of articles about him, and insisting on the publication of Chris’ diaries unedited, as well as participating in a forthcoming documentary about their relationship, titled Chris and Don.
It’s a really unique story, and filled with juicy details about sex with Isherwood and others, so as not to disappoint Butt Readers. We also discussed his unique portraiture and the way that Chris’ influence and fame and star connections allowed him to flourish as an artist. He’s quick and sharp and doesn’t miss a trick, and his story of growing older with Isherwood and his life, both day-to-day and sexual, post-Isherwood, is really an amazing one.
Let me know what you think!
A few months ago the lovely people at Foam Magazine contacted me about writing a piece to accompany a portfolio of work by local photo star Ryan McGinley. Foam is a quarterly International photography journal from Amsterdam which features portfolios of new work from photographers accompanied by texts from interesting writers, which apparently, and it was news to me, I am - although you can be the judge when you pick up a copy of the issue.
The magazine graciously gave me carte blanche to write about the work in a way that didn’t have to be directly about the work itself, and since the theme of the magazine was “Youth,” I wrote a mid-length essay “Jen’s Fridge,” about a sister of an old friend whose apartment I visited as a teen. I was particularly fascinated by her refrigerator, which was covered in Polaroids of people who visited the apartment accompanied by witty text - something McGinley used to have in his apartment as well. It’s all inspired by the McGinley photographs in a roundabout way - as McGinley’s habit of taking photographs of his circle of friends seems to be one of the major talking points most critics mention - and which I was desperate to avoid repeating. So I wrote about the habits of two different girls I knew as a kid who were into taking pictures of their friends and tried to examine the tendencies behind this desire from the point of view of someone who hates to take pictures on vacations and when hanging out with friends.
Of course, Foam were a bit surprised to not get an article that mentioned McGinley even once by name, but they warmed up to it quickly - although whether I’ll be asked back to write something else is yet to be seen.
Foam Magazine is available now - check out their website for info on where to find it - as it’s based out of the Netherlands and I haven’t seen it in regular magazine shops here - though you may need to go to one of those super thorough magazine shops that have lots of international magazines. Or you can go to Amsterdam. Read it high. It may make it better.
www.foammagazine.nl
OUT NOW: FOAM MAGAZINE #11
Sunday, 21 June 2007
Foam_Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam and Vandejong Communications proudly present Foam Magazine #11 ‘Young’. The issue will be available in bookstores and newsstands from 26 June on.
With portfolios: Raimond Wouda, JR, Lauren Greenfield, Oliver Sieber, Viviane Sassen, Ryan McGinley.
Essays and interviews: Marcel Feil, David Campany, Adam Baran, Anneloes van Gaalen, Christoph Schaden, Max Houghton, Merel Bem, Catherine Somzé.