Thanks for this, Sam. It became obvious early on that KB had a killer combination of a keen eye and masterful technique in the films he created (which set his work on a much higher professional level than most gay photographers of the era). While much of the gay art focused on leather/macho imagery was a fairly new and radical phenomenon, the most wildly creative visions came from James Bidgood, whose work was remarkable considering his barebones budget.
Thanks for this, Sam. It became obvious early on that KB had a killer combination of a keen eye and masterful technique in the films he created (which set his work on a much higher professional level than most gay photographers of the era). While much of the gay art focused on leather/macho imagery was a fairly new and radical phenomenon, the most wildly creative visions came from James Bidgood, whose work was remarkable considering his barebones budget.
Thank you for an interesting comment. I suspect that James Bidgood is not widely known today -- is that correct? Sam
He died last year (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/arts/james-bidgood-dead.html). I had been surprised to see him participating in one of the Facebook groups devoted to theatre. A beautiful 184-page book devoted to his art was published by TASCHEN: https://www.amazon.com/James-Bidgood-Bruce-Benderson/dp/3836514524/ref=sr_1_1?crid=WZ6QKXYFU6E9&keywords=james+bidgood&qid=1677289994&s=books&sprefix=james+bidgood%2Cstripbooks%2C203&sr=1-1. I think it was a 25th anniversary edition but there is no question that he had a unique artistic vision.
Here's a link to his Pink Narcissus film on YouTube: https://youtu.be/s18dXEloWwg