James Bidgood

James Alan Bidgood was born on March 28, 1933 in Stoughton, Wisconsin. He is an American photographer, costume designer, set designer and filmmaker. 
Active in the 1950s, his photographs depict young men stripped naked in fantasy scenes between dream and mythology, often in a homoerotic atmosphere. 
His work has inspired photographers such as Pierre et Gilles, whose style is very similar, and also David LaChapelle. 
He wrote, directed and produced Pink Narcissus, a film shot on Super8 between 1963 and 1970 in a small apartment in New York's Hell's Kitchen district, which was initially released anonymously. 
James Bidgood ended his life in New York in total poverty. He died in Manhattan on January 31, 2022 at the age of 88.