Archive for December, 2008

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bettie Page, the 1950s secretary-turned-model whose controverisal photographs in skimpy attire or none at all helped set the stage for the ’60s sexual revolution, died Thursday. She was 85.
Page suffered a heart attack last week in Los Angeles and never regained consciousness, her agent Mark Roesler said. Before the heart attack, Page had been hospitalized for three weeks with pneumonia.
“She captured the imagination of a generation of men and women with her free spirit and unabashed sensuality,” Roesler said. “She is the embodiment of beauty.”

Anybody that knows me personally, knows my fondness for Bettie. My first glimpse of her was in the late 80’s. In a small fanzine called “The Betty Pages” which I picked up at my friend Julia’s store, Wax Trax in Chicago. I was mesmerized and proceeded to try to find out whatever information I could about her. This was before the days of Google searches and before you could walk into a local hot topic and buy her image on a shirt. Chicks with Betty Bangs weren’t a dime a dozen like they are nowadays. I wrote letters (not e-mails) to the publishers and advertisers in the zine. I had to find out more about this woman. Over the years I proceeded to amass a HUGE collection of Bettie books and photos. I eventually stopped collecting when she became “hip” and everybody was producing tons of garbage with her on it. Most of which I’m sure she never saw a dime of. Ultimately, I gave my collection away to my best bud David after I got married in ‘97.

After all, I had a new woman in my life to obsess over. A new object of my desires. My new wife.

Rest in peace Miss Page and Godspeed.

The world just got a little uglier without you in it.

If you’re in Philly this weekend, stop by the T&P Fine art gallery and check out a show that I’m going to be a part of.

Friday Dec 5th, 2008 at 7:00pm
Participating Artists:

Andy B. Clarkson, Angry Woebots, Benjamin Soto, Bob Dob, Brandon Friend, Brian M. Viveros, Chris Clark, Crazy Jake, Damion Silver, Dan May, Daniel Elson, Dave Pressler, Deborah Brackenbury, Ephameron, Food One, GALO, Isaac Pierro, Joe Grady, Joka, Kate Westerholt, Kevin Knight, Mad One, Matthew Ryan Sharp, Mark Bodnar, Misha, Nathan Stapley, Parker Jacobs, Peter Chan, Rob Schwager, Sarah Folkman, Scott Musgrove, Steven Cerio, Urban Medium

T & P Fine Art is located at 1143 South 9th St., Philadelphia, PA.
Gallery Hours are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 3:00pm-9:00pm and by appointment.

http://www.tandpfineart.com