Closet Door #2 / Leigh Bowery
Limited Edition print, 1 of 40
38cm x 80cm
300gsm minuet paper
Signed and numbered 
 
This print is taken from a mixed media artwork ‘Closet Door #2’ featuring performance artist Leigh Bowery.  I have always been fascinated by Bowery, ever since my art school days in 80's London when I used to see him out and about on the club scene. He was an iconic visionary, an artist and muse who conceptualised ideas that have inspired many creatives, myself included. I made a charcoal portrait a few years ago, based on a rare photograph of him out of his outlandish head to toe costumes. It was taken around the time he was modelling for Lucian Freud and I love that he is stripped down to his true physical self. ‘Closet Door #2’ is Leigh's imagined coming out story. I have built up a visual queer history with layers of tagging, graffiti, stencil, spray, pen, chalk and acrylic then pasted up a copy of my charcoal portrait. I crowned him, because he was creative royalty, then added just one eye as a nod to ID Magazine, who were massively influential at that time. Bowery sadly died from Aids in 1999