Meet James Bidgood

James Bidgood, our featured Gay Artist this week, is what you would call a true renaissance man. He is an artist whose work has spanned many different mediums. He is also a gay man who has made a valuable (if reluctant) impact on art, music, theatre and even drag. Yes drag.

Born in 1933, Bidgood worked in theatre, set design, music, painting and photography. He is probably best known for the film “Pink Narcissus”, a dialogue-free fantasy . For the movie, Bidgood not only built all the sets, but filmed the entire piece in his NYC apartment. For a number of years the film was attributed to Andy Warhol because in an act of protest, he had removed his name from the project.

After a nearly 40 year hiatus, James Bidgood was at the end of his rope due to health and money problems and has said he was on the verge of taking his own life. Thankfully he met someone who recognized him both for his inherent value as a human being, and for the incredible talent he possessed. He received a grant which enabled him to once again return to the art world, and his story was featured in the documentary, “Ten More Good Years”, a film about the challenges facing LGBT seniors. ( I definitely recommend it)

James Bidgood’s art is amazing, and still influences artists to this day. Ari Gold’s video for his cover of “Human” is a modern day take on Bidgoods style and aesthete. His life story serves as inspiration and a warning to today’s gays that youth is fleeting and life as a GLBT senior requires forethought and planning.