Beard of the Week XLIX: Wild & Gay Things
This week's beard belongs to Maurice Sendak, the famed artist noted for his book illustration, particularly the celebrated Where the Wild Things Are (from 1963).
I write "artist noted for his book illustration" because of the piece in the New York Times ("Concerns Beyond Just Where the Wild Things Are", by Patricia Cohen, 2 September 2008; the portrait at right is from that piece, credited to Joyce Dopkeen) that claims Sendak is plagued by Norman Rockwell or, more precisely, he feels plagued by the same question that plagued Rockwell: is he a great artist or a mere illustrator? The emphasis, of course, is usually on the "mere".
I think it's a silly and pointless distinction, just as I think the distinction between "erotica" and "pornography" is silly and pointless, and I think I'm going to have more to say about that next week. I can think of no use for making a distinction between "artist" and "[mere] illustrator" except to help keep the nose in the air of the person claiming the distinction.
I'm quite content to label Sendak a great artist who happens to have a talent for creating art that looks great and also works well in children's' books. Hooray!
But really what I wanted to highlight about this article is this poignant note, which comes after the author repeats a few well-know character foibles about Sendak:
Was there anything he had never been asked [in an interview]? He paused for a few moments and answered, “Well, that I’m gay.”
The piece noted that this year, in which he celebrated his 80th birthday, has been a tough one, mentioning his triple-bypass surgery and the death of his long-time partner: "He lived with Eugene Glynn, a psychoanalyst, for 50 years before Dr. Glynn’s death in May 2007."
50 years! What an incredible loss to sustain.
Thanks for coming out, Mr. Sendak. You're a great artist.
In: All, Beard of the Week, Faaabulosity, Music & Art