BEAUSTUDIOS: Champagne Wishes And Caviar Dreams

When I first saw images from BEAUSTUDIOS I was instantly transported back to my childhood, growing up in the Eighties. A time when glamorour and wealth were fixtures on television on shows like DALLAS and Dynasty which ruled the airwaves. Joan Collins and her shoulder pads seemed on the cover of almost every magazine in the the grocery store check-out isles my mother dragged me through and Robin Leach chronicled every minute, and usually pointless, detail of the rich and the famous.



I was about ten in the mid eighties and although it might have been the product of my childhood eyes, life seemed more visually beautiful and most certainly more care free. Although we certainly didn't live in a manison nor have any servants, any financial struggles my parents faced were kept well hidden from my siblings and myself. Although money was tight, it still felt like everyone was living the high life to one degree...or another. One of my best memories from childhood was my parents social life. It seemed almost every Saturday they either went to, or had a party. Our rec room became smoked filled, alcohol flowed freely and the thought of a designated driver would have been scoffed at.



Even though money was a struggle, my mother always looked great. I don't know to this day if the other party goers knew her look came from taking in neighbourhood kids to watch after school. What little she made, she spent on material and patterns and most nights were spent sewing non stop to have a new dress for the weekend. This memory is a vivid one, not only because of the time and work she put into each dress but because of the nightly fights with her. Each time she hit the foot pedal on the sewing machine, television viewing was interuppted by the lines and fuzz across the screen. I don't remember watching any television shows in the eighties without those lines.



The funny thing about the eighties is although so much attention was paid to the eccentricities and excesses of the noteworthy and notorious; the real story was that the glitz and glamour could not really cover the reality. Being well known and wealthy could not really stop the pain that life so often loves to smack us with. Even the televison elite delt with issues such as alcoholism, car crashes, decease and disaster. I am sure most of weddings we all have attended in Moldavia castles have not ended in a bloody massacre.



Despite the glamour and beauty that permeates his art, obstacles and struggles have all keenly effected the work, and the life of BEAU, the artist behind BEAUSTUDIOS. BEAU has spent most of career working in Hollywood, painting for galleries and sharing his erotic works in books, prints and art shows. Then, without warning, it all almost came to a sudden and violent end. After a serious accident, hit by a fast moving car while at a crosswalk, BEAU was not expected to live. The accident and the long recovery process not only changed his outlook on life, but the way in which he was able to express himself artistically.



'My painting...was over, my disabilities preclude it, at any level near the old one...and I strive for excellence. Now I photograph, and focus on a number of projects along that line. Most of the photos here were shot about 4-5 ago, for a book I decided not to finish. Wasn't the fault of the photos. My health again stood in the way of such a huge project, but it did result in a wonderful gallery show in West Hollywood.'
BEAU

'The set up was that each model would appear in a series, each which approximates a loose story. My style is glamorous, hollywoodesque, lush. I use hot lights, and set up each tableau myself. With my male nudes, I am working on a series of ersatz haute couture photos to even more confuse people. In them, I design, make and fit a couture like gown on a model. I choose and make the scene, and shoot it as an art piece. As I am not a commercial photographer this project is overwhelming, but, the pieces are really coming together. The shots here are prelims as the work is still in progress!'

For most of his years in Hollywood, BEAU earned his living in costumes. His Berkeley major was in the practice of art, his minor, theatrical design. An internship in costume design followed at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. BEAU'S reputation initially came from his work as a painter, but just prior to the accident he had begun trying to drum up work with the studios, moving his costume design work from theatre into work in film. Just before the accidnt, the artist had lined up his next job and was scheduled to work on the film Kill Bill. Thankfully, imagination and creativty were not limited by his physical limitations and as you can see from these images, accident or not, BEAU'S desire to create continues to soar!

'[BEAU'S] technique is enviably casual; or at least looks that way. Viewing the pictures is like watching Fred Astaire dance. He makes it look effortless though of course common sense tells us that years of study and practice have gone into creating the illusion. BEAU works in oil, not acrylic, and on paper, not canvas. As a painter myself I know how intractable oil paint can often prove and find myself even more impressed by what he has acheived.'
Intro by Clive Barker for BEAU'S first book Beaumen

BEAUSTUDIOS on ModelMayhem