Grace Jones The Frog & The Princess
I was amazed when I first saw Grace Jones.
She was the first to take radical fashion out of its
predictable Parisian context and bring it into the
music scene, where I had always thought it belonged.
The first night watching her in Le Mouche, I had
already decided to work with her.
That night, she was singing her hit song "I Need a Man"
to a room full of shrieking gay bobbysockses.
The ambiguity of her act was that she herself looked
like a man - a man, singing "I Need a Man" to a bunch
of men.
I could see how the average guy would find her physique
intimidating.
It was so powerful. I thought she was.. I thought she
was great.
I photographed her in different positions.
I cut her legs apart, lengthened them, turned her body
to face the audience.
Soon, I found myself living to the very fast rhythm of
Grace Jones.
We would go out dancing, all night, every night.
I was completely neglecting my work.
An intense, hysterical romance developed between Grace
and I.
But I ran out of money and realised I had to stop all
this bullshit and go back to work.
I had this idea of using Grace as the ideal veichle.
She had inspired me.
On tour, we used to improvise. Thinking of an idea at
breakfast and working it out directly on stage.
I decided, deliberately, to mythologise Grace Jones.
Black, shiny, muscular people.. ahh, aerodynamic in
design.
Twas to emphasise this physique that I painted Grace
Jones blue/black.
I am no longer sure what I fell in love with; Grace or
my idea of what Grace should be.
But in the two years following the birth of our son,
there were nothing else in my life.
Grace let me take her over completely.
(SLAVE!)
But then I discovered that what I was making was simply
too far beyond what was there.
By the time our 'One Man Show' reached the US, I knew
I'd lost her.
Oh, the action..
