Photographers - Part 26

 Don Herron

Don Herron (1941-2012) was an American photographer.  Above is a self-portrait from 1993.  Largely self-taught and inspired by medieval sculptures set in niches, he wanted to make portraits of people in containers.  He thought the most logical container that everyone had was a bathtub, resulting in a series of portraits in the late 1970s and early 1980s of people who were part of the art scene in San Francisco and then New York.  He called the photos Tub Shots.

He allowed the subjects to stage the images.  Some, like Armistead Maupin, above, author of Tales of the City, used bubbles or other props for modesty.

Others, like photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, saw no need for concealment.

This is photographer Peter Hujar, who we have seen in an earlier post.

Artist Keith Haring, who we also saw in an earlier post.

Peter Berlin, artist and filmmaker.

Victor Hugo.  No, not the author of Les Miserables.  This Victor Hugo was the lover of the fashion designer Halston and assistant to artist Andy Warhol.  According to one story, Warhol paid Hugo to show up at the Studio 54 disco in a jockstrap, just to annoy Halston.

Mel Odom, artist.

Victor Bockris, author of biographies of artists, writers, and musicians.

Felice Picano, co-author of The Joy of Gay Sex.

And many more.  This centerfold of some of his Tub Shots appeared in the Village Voice in April, 1980.  Click for a larger image.