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THE ARTIST: MARC DEBAUCHIt’s been nearly 9 years since I have updated my website. I know, I know, that’s an eternity on the web. Not only had my website become stale I actually heard rumors that I was dead! In reality I have been very much alive, creating lots of new work and exhibiting it all over the world. I just haven’t had the time to get the newest artwork on my website. My webmaster Andrew has been bugging me for years to update my site. Many new works and much of what I posted on my original site has already been sold, and so we decided it was time to create an entirely new site. So what HAVE I been doing for the last 9 years? In 1999 a developer bought the old building where I had my art studio and I was forced to move out. I couldn’t find any affordable studio space, so my partner Eduardo and I, purchased our first home, a 1926 Craftsman bungalow. Soon after moving in we found ourselves in the midst of a massive restoration of the old place. After five years of hard work and financial investment, we are happily settled in our new home. I have three studios in the house where I spend my time creating artwork. Our large basement dungeon/playroom also doubles as my art gallery. (You can check out photos of my gallery in the “House of DeBauchery” page). In addition to our busy lives, Eduardo and I have raised two Boxer dogs Zorro and XsaXsa, who constantly lavish us with affection and in return they require a great deal of exercise and attention. As an artist who creates controversial homoerotic imagery, I was mortified that in 2000 George Bush was “appointed”, in my view, as the President of the United States. I was so disgusted with the outcome of the election I felt it was my duty to become more involved with the political scene. We all witnessed how Bush and the overzealous so called “religious right”, began their attempt to dismantle the US Constitution. I continue to spend time writing to various members of Congress and Senators regarding their attempts to censor the internet, spy on the American public, attack the environment, and weaken existing labor laws. In addition, I continue to feel it is important to express my objection to Bush’s so called “War on Terror”, immigration and gay marriage. I feel it is critical to continue to stay involved in our American democratic process and to ensure our elected officials work to protect the freedoms we cherish. In my view, the other option would be to risk losing our basic fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution or even worse, live under a dictatorial regime. Emotionally, this has also been a rough time. My father died in a car accident in 1998. Three years later my 8 month old dog, Raj, fell off of a cliff and died of injuries. Then my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003 and I had to quit painting to care for her. Four months later, my beloved maternal grandmother, died at the age of 94. My mother finally succumbed to cancer and died 11 months later. The loss of so many loved ones really hit me hard, and fortunately I have had lots of support from my partner Eduardo, my friends, family, artists and art collectors. In the midst of all these changes and emotional upheaval, I struggled to be creative. I now have a better sense of myself, my goals, dreams and skills as an artist. I may be the one who paints the images but there are a lot of wonderful people that are behind the scenes who have supported me and shaped my creative process. I hope this love and support is evident in my paintings. |
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