James Bidgood, Icon of Homoerotic Photography, Dies at 88

James Bidgood, the American photographer and filmmaker whose work transformed homoerotic imagery, died on January 31, 2022, at age 88. His 1971 film "Pink Narcissus" became a cult classic, influencing artists like Pierre et Gilles, David LaChapelle, and Steven Arnold. Born in 1933, Bidgood worked as a fashion designer, window decorator, and performer at Club 82 in the East Village. His photographs, characterized by highly stylized sets and saturated colored lights, often featured ephebic male figures. The self-portrait "Willow Tree" (mid-1960s) exemplifies his style. Bidgood contributed to magazines such as Muscleboy and The Young Physique. He conceived "Pink Narcissus" in 1963, shooting it mostly in his Hell's Kitchen apartment. The film was released in 1971 by Sherpix without his approval, leading him to remove his name, crediting it to "Anonymous." Rumors circulated that it was by Jack Smith, Andy Warhol, or Kenneth Anger. In the 1990s, Bruce Benderson's research led to the book "James Bidgood" (1999), which revived his reputation. The film's star was Bobby Kendall. Bidgood cited Tony Duquette as inspiration for sets, and costumes drew from Adrian, Travis Banton, Erté, and Maxfield Parrish. Susan Sontag compared "Pink Narcissus" to Joris-Karl Huysmans' "À rebours" and Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" in her essay "Notes on 'Camp'."