tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130830332820181818.post796457491177882972..comments2024-03-27T13:13:25.164-04:00Comments on johnshaplin: Lucian Freud's Bookie by Geordie Greigjohnshaplinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17618981988062495637noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130830332820181818.post-44895319695388201902014-03-15T13:47:51.816-04:002014-03-15T13:47:51.816-04:00Today the value of McLean's collection is esti...Today the value of McLean's collection is estimated in 100s of millions.johnshaplinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17618981988062495637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6130830332820181818.post-88804282549777807742014-03-15T13:25:10.870-04:002014-03-15T13:25:10.870-04:00‘An unusually big heifer carting around sixteen or...‘An unusually big heifer carting around sixteen or seventeen stone,’ is how Leigh Bowery described himself. By profession he was an exhibitionist dancer who transformed himself into strange versions of human sculpture. It was often fetishistic or transvestite in style or he was naked. His entire head and body were shaved to facilitate what he called ‘body modifications’. The pictures by Lucian were sensational in every sense, with a tributary echo to Velazquez as he transformed a freakish performer into serious art. Hard core as well as high art: there was the rub. Were there buyers for paintings like these?<br />Lucian Freud would never give anything to a charity auction. It was too public a gesture but he was capable of great acts of generosity to those close to him (some sitters were even given houses) When Leigh Bowery was fined 400 pounds for having sex in a public lavatory Lucian stepped in to pay, as he did for Bowery’s body to be flown back to Australia after he died of AIDS.<br /><br />johnshaplinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17618981988062495637noreply@blogger.com