An investigation of the resources available for interpreting visual cultural production related to m

DISSERTATIONS AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR INTERPRETING VISUAL CULTURAL PRODUCTION RELATED TO MALE HOMOSEXUALITY IN BRITAIN; 1940 TO THE PRESENT. BY SIMON D. R. OFIELD

PHD Dissertation by the same title submitted at the University of Leeds DATE 1998 SOURCE Courtesy of the Author

EXPLORE MORE DISSERTATIONS AT BENURI.ORG

An investigation visual cultural

interpreting for of the resources available to male homosexuality production related in Britain; 1940 to the present.

Simon

Submitted

in

accordance

University Department

of of

Leeds Fine Art

January

The

with

D. R. Ofield

requirements

for

the

degree

work submitted given where reference

is

his has

own and that been made to

the

of

PhD.

1998

candidate appropriate the work of

confirms has credit others.

that been

the

Abstract

This

thesis

the

changing

understanding

the

explores for

protocols representation, World

since Francis

11.

Through

oblique

encounters

Cecil

Beaton,

Keith fiction,

of

popular

theory,

research

in

the

archives

and

Prostitution

Homosexual

Offences

health

and

fitness

male

social

and

that

and

use forms

the of

sexual

visual

circulate

challenge

magazines

protocols social/sexual

of

established

of

psychoanalysis, politics

Britain

with

the

work

David

Sockney,

Committee

analysis the

of

historically

based

readings

figure

are

by

male

Francis approaches,

Bacon.

post-structuralism and

theory.

spaces

These

including

on

British

of

a consideration

the

of

literary

and

The Departmental

of

visual

in

literature

representations 1953

and

(1955-7),

encounter,

Two Figures

a number

and

Vaughan

of

between

identity

sexual

readings

historical

relationships

and male

detailed

written

complex

and

masculinity War

Bacon,

theoretical

of of

formulated readings

those and

that certain

the

life

just

as

I

began

to

research

know

she

would

not

have

read

it

but

In

memory

kind

of

love.

Dedicated

to

died

My nan lived

I

anyway.

For

made

of

my m'um, Patricia

nothing

For

and

would

my partner, this

thesis

be

memory

a special

Ofield,

Joan

of

without

Brazier.

this

whose

would

example,

if

she

been

proud

but

thesis,

have

support

had

and

love

life

that

imaginable.

Anton

Kerr,

possible,

in and

recognition put

it

in

of

the

perspective.

love

and

Ta]Dle-

of

'"ontents

Acknowledgements

List

Illustrations

of

Illustrations

Introduction Coming

Across

Chapter

1

Identifying

Chapter

The

Chapter

Chapter Cruising

and

Delights

with

Francis

Bibliography

Interior

Page

64

Page

105

Page

136

Page

171

Page

219

Page

227

Design

Bacon

5 Highgate

Ponds

Conclusion Cruising

of

4

Wrestling

21

Theory

3

Dangers

Page Subjects

2 in

1

Hockney

Homosexual

Cruising

Chapter

David

Page

Without

and

Borstal

Boys

End

Acknowledgements

first

I must

thank

Rob

invaluable

conversations

kindnesses

and

loaned like

me the to

thank

a bed

provided

for

them to

and

Heidi

Reitmaier

over

the

past

five

innumerable

Izita

and

Ian

Kerr

written,

and

I

would

friendship.

on which

this

thesis

was

more.

Marquard

this

and much

my research

a weekly

basis

and

for

their

Smith

Jo

and

own,

fed

me and

was

fun

and

before

I

it

a year;

so many for

years,

their

me about on

for

of

pleasure

computer

talked

Morra

the

Stone

appreciated.

Katy

McCloud

for

that

believed

I will

Orton

provided

this

thesis

would

not

Records

Office

London

School

of

a thesis

research

and realised

and

made

My sister

and

knowledge

and

Economics

Professor

produce

else

make

that

when

it

Rifkin

could

not

a good

and

support

for

long

as

thesis

most

importantly,

his

specialised

and

his

time.

which

without

British

and

the

Library, held

the

at

all

helped

with

it

possible

for

me to

made

imagined

when his

shared

idea

to

have

been

can

remember;

talk

began

I

work

about

to and

something

a pleasure.

Guy,

friendship,

the

and

Pollock

Archive,

generously

and

his

skills

did,

University, has

have

Amanda

this

at

Middlesex

brother,

for

work

Griselda

Carpenter

Adrian

may be

practice

Staff

Hall

also

of

encouraged

sense.

and

he has

write;

the

I

and

the

kind

Professor

grateful.

knowledges

Public

my research.

do this

could be

always

Fred

ideas,

I

as

I

I would knowledges,

like his

sources

to

and thank

formidable

of lastly, Mike

but Kan

skills

for

List

All

dimensions

in

centimetres

David Hockney, Portrait 1971, Figures), acrylic UK. collection,

2

David Cavafy Cover

Illustrations

of

of an Artist on canvas,

(Pool Two with 214 X 275. Private

Hockney, for illustrations Fourteen Poems ('In 1966, Despair'), 36 X 23. etching, The City of Gore Vidal's, and the Pillar,

from

C.

P.

1972.

3

David Hockney, 214 on canvas,

Getting Peter X 214. Walker

4

David Hockney, Hans Neuendorf,

Sunbather, Hamburg.

5

Francis 116.5.

Bacon, Private

Two Figures, collection.

1953,

6

Francis Bacon, oil on canvas,

Two Figures 152 X 117.

in the Private

7A

in 1952, "John, Merchant Navy Cabin Party Lita, captioned: Scratch, Stamp who became a woman, Johnny Aggie and Bunnie See James Photograph courtesy of J. Marvin. now Tracy". Gardiner, Who's A Pretty Boy Then, p. 106.

8

Physique Man Showering, Hooven, Beefcake, p. 98.

9

Wrestlers, Hooven,

10

Sailor Fellating Duncan Grant, a Nude, ball-point 23 X 15. See Douglas Blair Turnbaugh, watercolour, Art The Erotic Private: p. 61. of Duncan Grant,

Athletic Beefcake,

Demuth, Charles 1918, watercolour collection.

12

Model p. 131.

Out Art

1966,

of Nick's Gallery,

acrylic

oil

acrylic

183

X 183.

on canvas,

on canvas,

152.5

X

1954, Grass, collection.

Pictorial,

1954.

Guild.

See F.

Turkish Bath and pencil

1966, Pool, Liverpool.

See F.

Valentine

Valentine

and

Scene with Self Portrait, 28 X 22. Private on paper,

Second drawing Richard's produced Klein. Melanie with analysis of his Analysis. Narrative of a Child

during the twelfth session See Melanie Klein,

13

James McNeill Whistler, oil Sketch Dress. Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. The Picture 1981. Gray, of Dorian

14

Montague Gardiner,

15

Cecil

Beaton,

16

Cecil 1959.

Beaton, Francis Bacon Cecil Beaton Estate.

17

for Francis Bacon, Study Head 35.5 X 30.5. Private on canvas,

of

George collection.

Dyer,

1967,

18

Eadweard Wrestling

Muybridge, (detail),

Photograph

of

Two Men

19

Photograph

of

1,

No. l.

Uffizi

Gallery.

20

ball-point, Duncan Grant, Two Figures, Wrestling, 26 X 28. See Douglas Turnbaugh, Blair watercolour, The Erotic Art of Duncan Grant, p. 33.

& pencil Private:

21

Herbert

List,

Rhine

22

Interior

of

Francis

23

Wonderful WA Pullum's Nat Thewlis, Boy Who's A Pretty James Gardiner,

24

Woodford, Laurence Boy Who's A Rretty

25

Herbert

26

1950. Clift, Photograph Montgomery Hans Wild, courtesy Who's A Pretty Boy See James Gardiner, of Pip Dyer. p. 105.

from

his scrapbook. pp. 10-11.

Glover, a page A Class Apart,

List,

Patterns

of

in

Wrestlers,

his

Mat

Vol.

1929.

Bacon's

Studio,

The

White, Gardiner,

27

Hans Dyer.

28

1965; Shop, Man's Vince Gardiner, Who's A Pretty

See James p. 46.

Italy,

Studio,

Battersea

Germany,

1928. Then?,

See James

1940.

Tanks,

River,

Portofino,

Chalky Wild, See James

Broken

Sequential c. 1885

The

of a Man in Evening Cover of Oscar Wilde's

Pupil, Then?,

Studio,

c. 1925. p. 46.

oil

1930.

See

Gardiner,

c. 1936.

1952. Photograph Who's A Pretty

Studio, and Vince Boy Then, p. 121.

Then?,

courtesy of Pip Boy Then?, p. 104.

1949.

See James

29

Back

30

You've

31

Photographs and #22. Classics

Drawings

32

David Hockney, oil on canvas,

33

Scott Studios (Tom Nichol), Sailor See F. Valentine Hooven, Beefcake,

in Tight p. 96.

White

34

Keith

Vaughan,

photograph

Walsh,

c-1956.

35

Cecil

Beaton,

Patrick

36

Keith Vaughan, on board, oil

37

Keith Vaughan, Pagham Journal and Drawings.

Photograph.

See Keith

38

Herbert

Sea,

c. 1932.

39

Surrey John Minton, 54 X 75.5. on paper,

40

1948, Green Pear Tree Figure, Vaughan, Keith London. 53 X 34. Fine Art, Austin/Desmond

41

Keith

42

Seated Youth With Right Vaughan, Keith 29 X 20. 1957, 15 February pencil,

43

Vaughan, Keith 28 X 20.

to

Male

Classics

#13.

Framed,

Adonis,

Vol-4,

No. l.

Scott

(Tom Nichol),

The Most Beautiful 178 X 100. Private

Boy in the collection.

Front,

Been

List,

Vaughan,

by

Johnny

of

Second Assembly of Figures, 103 X 122. City Manchester

Germany,

Landscape, The Arts

Hands,

Highgate

1944,

1961,

World,

Shorts.

1967.

Proctor,

Baltic

Male

ink

Ponds,

1944, pen, Council of

and

1956,

crayon.

Leg

pencil,

1953, Galleries. Art

Vaughan,

ink, wash Great Britain.

gouache,

25 X 35.5.

Raised,

crayon

and

wash,

Figure David Portrait

of

an

Artist

(Pool

with

Two

Figures),

Hockney 1971

1

p NilnAI MYRA BRECKINRIDGE 60 opt,r%

e* rl t-o,.

Rwill, ýf5

David

11ý1ý21 I

The Hockney,

City and Cavafy

the Pillar, Etching ('In

2 Figure Gore 1972 Vidal, 1966 Despair'),

dbik, IS

Peter

Getting

Out

of

3 Figure David Hockney Nick's Pool, 1966 4 Figure David Hockney Sunbather, 1966

5 Figure Francis Bacon 1953 Two Figures,

6 Figure Francis Bacon

Two Figures

in

the

Grass,

1954

A Merchant

Navy

Cabin

7 Figure 1952 Party,

Man

Physique

Pictorial,

Figure Showering

8

1954

Athletic

9 Figure Wrestlers Model Guild

'I

P"Not

lot, Apo""

Sailor

10 Figure Grant Duncan Fellating a Nude

I

Turkish

Bath

Scene

with

Self

11 Figure Charles Demuth 1918 Portrait,

OT

TNto T1 I

Richard's analysis with

12 Figure Second Drawing Melanie Klein

J.

13 Figure The Picture Gray, Oscar Wilde, 1981 of Dorian Oil Sketch M. Whistler, Dress of a Man in Evening

A page

from

14 Figure Montague Glover Monty's scrapbook

15 Figure Cecil Beaton

Patterns

of

Broken

Tanks,

1940

Figure 16 Cecil Beaton Francis

Bacon

in

his

Battersea

Studio,

1959

Study

for

Head

of

17 Figure Francis Bacon 1967 George Dyer,

Sequential

Photograph

of

Two

Men

Wrestling

Eadweard (detail),

Figure 1E Muybridge c. 1885

The

Mat,

Figure Wrestlers

Vol.

2,

19

No. 1

sk

20

Figure Duncan Two

Figures,

Grant

wrestling

4

Rhine

River,

21 Figure Herbert List 1929 Germany,

Interior

of

22 Figure Francis Studio Bacon's 1930 The Studio,

WA Pullum's

Wonderful

23 Figure Nat Thewlis Pupil, c. 1925

Laurence

24 Figure 1928 Woodford,

Portofino,

25 Figure Herbert List Italy, c. 1936

Montgomery

26 Figure Hans Wild 1950 Clift,

Chalky

27 Figure Hans Wild 1952 White,

GEORGE

28 Figure 1965 Shop, Vince Man's 1949 Studio, Vince

I jý,-,-\

ýK\

29 Figure Back to Front #13 Male Classics

Figure You've Adonis,

30

Been Framed Vol. 4, No. 1

3COTT

Photographs

and

Drawings

by

Scott Male

phatoqraphý

31 Figure (Tom Nichol) #22 Classics

iA

The Most

Boy

Beautiful

in

32 Figure David Hockney 1961 the World,

mm

an 1:

Mýe

EMMAIM . R. Iý woý

10 N"', ia; all

.,

p "1

1-1-

1

W"

Scott Sailor

Studios in Tight

33 Figure (Tom Nichol) White Shorts

Photograph

of

aohnny

34 Figure Keith Vaughan Walsh, c. 1956

35 Figure Cecil Beaton

Patrick

Proctor,

1967

ii&ii

second

Assembly

of

36 Figure Keith Vaughan 1953 Figures,

37 Figure Keith Vaughan Pagham Photograph

Baltic

Sea,

38 Figure Herbert List Germany, c-1932

Surz-ey

Figure 39 John Minton Landscape, 1944

fill t.

tw

Av

tow

40 Figure Keith Vaughan

Green

Pear

Tree

Figure,

1948

41 Figure Keith Vaughan 1944 Hands,

4

Seated

Youth

With

Right

42 Figure Keith Vaughan 1957 Leg Raised,

43 Figure Keith Vaughan 1956 Ponds, Highgate

1

Page

Introduction

Coming

Across

There

was

a time

when

I

knew

looked

like

two

bOYB

who

were

house

the

that

themselves just

the

way

boys

lived

in,

a bed

and

then,

after

the

beginning

started

to

look

this

On His

Way by

David

Rees,

published

by

from

book

the And,

painting. still

play

time

I

repeatedly

was

has

Hockney's

1971

its

cover

Two Figures) just

on

possible

David

Hockney

course,

at

drawings

of

Way,

that

this

came

to

They

did

for

with

72 Drawings

'Johnny', by

a popular in

from

imagine

men.

the

other

Book Portrait

had

about

"growing

At

(figure

do with

forming

my fantasies.

the

1980s

the

mark

their

why

for

with

1).

It's

and

how

of

etchings

homosexuality

to

which

(Pool

an Artist

gave

The

Verse,

paintings,

same

from

in

1980

the

about

scenes

pleasure

two

David

of

a part

of

the

Hockney

to

June

a

such

The

something

in

in

paintings

of

a secret

silence,

reading

Homosexual

of

of

unavoidable.

my favourite

Hockney

David

almost

a David

how I

illustrated

who

of

Sometimes

the

stairs

it

throwing

novel

1982.

And

the

up

me after

later,

cover

of

for

years

became

Hockney

David

touching

figures

painting

play

time

some

way

The Penguin

beginning

the

a bedroom,

like.

unmistakable,

re-reading

On His

David

in

a part

Milkman's

into

Press

like

fifteen

some

running

one

Gay Men's

looked

sixteen

possible,

looked

Hockney as

breathing,

their

make

Milkman's gay",

them

of

Homosexuality

up

about

sound to

as

to

Sockney

homosexuality

what

of

one

on

David

and

many men.

the

man he

tenth

day

lived of

living

together:

June 1980 Timmy, Darling is just this Roses Champagne I can't so I'm afraid or afford living days together. ten to little of celebrate presentette ) with look forward to the next ten (thousand, million?? I'll equal excitement. Lots & lots of love 1 XXXX. Johnny

found

72 Drawings

inscription

in

I

this etching

thesis. or

by

David

a second-hand In

painting

Britain looked

in

Hockney book

towards

shop

the

early

like

the

Johnny's

with

1980s most

the

a David

appropriate

poignant end

of

Hockney

writing drawing,

representation

a

2

Page

of

homosexuality.

Pillar, pages

shortly

after

The

Penguin

of it

that

book

last

few

originally fused

Homosexual

of

book

of

had

I

Vidal's

and

through

the

I

knew

started

to

Verse,

recently

City

The

flicking

to

committed

f rom

the

the

cover in

for

search

shops.

published

in

Britain

in

and

white

etching,

black

the

for

Fourteen

2).

Bob

and

wrestling

in

the

(figure

energetic

became

Book

Gore

across

from

illustrations cover

came

pages

the

with

I

I

kind

the

was

second-hand

The

When

second

chapter

from

Poems Jim

1948

are

open

Vidal's

novel,

but

revised

from

David

Hockney's

P.

Cavafy

(1966),

in

friendly

C.

engaging

air

Gore

of

to

next

in

some

1965,

soon

its

on

and

2

a camp-fire:

Abruptly, Bob pulled For a bold away. moment their eyes met. Then deliberately, his eyes and Jim touched Bob shut gravely, him, in dreams, as he had done so many times without words, thought, fear. without When the eyes are shut, the without begins. true world As faces touched, Bob gave a shuddering Jim sigh and gripped in his tightly Now they arms. were complete, each became the bodies like other, as their collided with a primal violence, to like, half to magnet, to half metal and the whole restored. So they Eyes tight met. shut against an irrelevant the trees, wind warm and Budden shook all scattered 3 threw to the ground. ashes, shadows

For

me,,

Bob

etching,

and

This

fusion

The

Milkman's

Book my

of

merged began

boys

two

men

from

in

The

David

Hockney's

Milkman's

on

favourite

His

sense

On His

Way,

the

cover

and

together

they

and

delights;

texts,

and

everyday

that

enabled

me to

for

me a textual

practice,

to

browsing,

Verse;

imagined visual

forming

the

certain

alongside

diversions and

written

knowledges

my the

and

contents

pages

from

The

Penguin

of

became

all

began

way.

to

attached

to

play

a part in

experiences, detect

and

homosexuality.

recognise

1980s

early

homosexuality

intimately

connected

to

sometimes

searching,

perhaps

shops.

young

make

other

the

two

to

among

In

the the

with

Homosexual and

real

became

Jim

and

A world. the fire's

bought

I

pictures

of

usually

in

mostly

naked the

Arts

or

taking

was

tube

the cruising,

fiction,

but

London

new and also

almost

naked

men in

Council

book

shop

just

second-hand

spent art

and down

and

hours

pouring

book over

photography

books,

from

Garden

Covent

3

Page

tube.

Sometimes,

like

Neil

Bartlett,

I

visited

art

galleries

and

museums: When I was to museums, looked at,

If

for

only;

I used to come up here sixteen to stand and look at pictures, 4 picked up....

me homosexuality

It was becoming dint of reading

didn't

"I

was

Plato,

read

man in

young

fairly then that clear Havelock Ellis, reading 5 in particular.

Plato

reading

this

Havelock

by

dint

by

travelling

shops,

sometimes

following

and

at

others

just

that

I

found,

formed

London's routes

textual

and

I

still

professional

for

this

textual

and

sexual

expectant

become

sense

book

archives

has

book looking

was

my fancy.

for,

books

The pleasures.

which

became

my preferred

still

use

some of

cruise,

but

now through

as well but

I

a

in

I and

me that

routes

shops;

browse

to

through

what

my favourite

as with

becoming

I was

my imaginary

of

search,

forays

matter

look

and

around

these

second

hand

book

sometimes

have

a

as

now I

of for

coming that

what

one

and

the

of

its

regular

streets, already

didn't

certain

stymie

to

subjects

the

formulating

of

explanations

you

know

find,

of

and

easily

and

any

I've

subject

production.

too

what

to

cultural

all

between

out

for

research

difference

the

hazards

knowledge, and

to

Moreover,

research.

recurring

libraries

knowledge

homosexual

connections

set

irregular

and

shops, committed

I

what

my own too

knowing

secure

the

across

that is

detection,

I was

to

by

sustained

London's

potential

like,

by

into

the

homosexuality

Sustained

been

because

of

has

convinced

account

took

pleasure.

convinced

become

matter

up whatever

thesis

pleasure

homosexuality

into

finding

but,

clear

browsing

and

and

galleries,

fairly

Indeed

sexual

Perhaps

archives.

have

London

art

Carpenter

by

purpose.

Research

and

to

made

and

and

museums

reading".

hand

libraries

catalogues, shops,

go

quite

I was homosexual Edward Carpenter,

becoming

of

developed

I

second

And

routes.

for

practice

Edward

or

was

clues

and

new and of

it

picking

forays,

these

Ellis

1930s,

the

homosexual

'homosexual'

During

a textual

remained

to be

but:

some time,

I

on the train to and also

inquiry

becomes

a

that what

you

find.

I

Page

I have

come to

doubt

arrival

on the

archival

repeatedly

evince

'homosexual', disarm

scene.

In

part

to

The

between of

called

Ewan

breathless

onto

unexpected

pleasure

For

but

Ewan,

potential

theoretical

protocols

them

Leslie,

impressive

cock.

important

for

Leslie

look,

and

so did

I.

And

But

still

the

encounter

We should and

those

up

dawns

a moment

the

that

note

Ewan

sight the

he has

that

and

of

also

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Page

20

what

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for;

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process

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archive.

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Introduction Notes 1David Hockney, 72 Drawings by David Hockney. 2Gore Vidal, The City by and the Pillar; revised edition, published 'In Despair' from David Hockney's Panther for Illustrations with Fourteen Poems from C. P Cavafy (1966) on the cover. 3Gore Vidal, The City and the Pillar, pp. 24-5. 4Neil Bartlett, Who Was That Man, p. xix. 5Kevin Porter Weeks, Between the Acts, and Jeffrey p. 110. 6David Rees, The Milkman's On His Way, p. 21. 7jeffrey Weeks, Coming Out, p. 158. 8Edward Lucie Smith, Keith Vaughan: Drawing of the Young Male, p-69Derek Jarman, At Your Own Risk, p. 47. 1ODerek Jarman,, At Your Own Risk, p. 84. 11Kenneth E. Silver, in 'Master Bedrooms, Master Narratives', Christopher Reed ed., Not At Home, p. 220. 12Michel Foucault, Volume One, p. 43. The History Few of Sexuality: disciplined the temptations resist of this gay theoreticians ironic has been that quotation; a discipline and it is of course into inquiries disciplinary built Foucault's on the back of Michel regimes. 131 am here thinking Lee Edelman and of the work of Kaja Silverman, Leo Bersani. 14Eve Kosofsky Epistemology Sedgwick, pp. 44-8. of the Closet, 15Gayle Rubin, Theory of the Sex; Notes for a Radical 'Thinking from Abelove, The Lesbian Politics and Gay Studies of Sexuality', Reader, p. 9. 16john Boswell, Universals, 'Revolutions, and Sexual Categories' from Duberman, Hidden from History, p-2117John Champagne, The Ethics 62-3. Marginality, pp. of 18George Chauncey, 'Christian Brotherhood or Sexual Perversion? in Sexual Boundaries Homosexual Construction the Identities of and in Duberman, Hidden from History, the World War 1 Era', p-30319Abigail Solomon Godeau, Male Trouble, p-2620Michel de Certeau, Life, The Practice p. xviii. of Everyday 21Michel de Certeau, Life, The Practice p-95of Everyday 22David Rees, A Better Class of Blond, p. 42. 23Quentin Crisp, Servant, The Naked Civil p. 168. 24See Derek Jarman, At Your Own Risk. 25Roland Barthes, in BartheB, 'Twenty Key Words for Roland Barthes', The Grain of the Voice, p. 231. 26Roland Barthes, by Roland Barthest Roland Barthes p-52. 27Gilles de la sensation. Deleuze, Francis Bacon: Logique

Page

21

Chapter

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Page 22

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Page 23

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Page 24

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Page 25

homosexuality 6 [my art.

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Page 26

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