One-Man Show : The Life and Art of Bernard Perlin

M. Schreiber

Bernard Perlin was an extraordinary figure in 20th Century American art and gay cultural history, an acclaimed artist and sexual renegade who reveled in pushing social, political, and artistic boundaries. His work regularly appeared in popular magazines of the1940s, 50s, and 60s; was collected by Rockefellers, Whitneys, and Astors; and was acquired by major museums, including the Smithsonian, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Tate Modern. He moved in the upper echelons of New York gay society, counting among his most intimate companions George Platt Lynes, Lincoln Kirstein, Glenway Wescott, Paul Cadmus, Jared French, George Tooker, Truman Capote, Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, and Jerome Robbins. In "One-Man Show", Michael Schreiber chronicles the storied life, illustrious friends and lovers, and astounding escapades of Bernard Perlin through no holds barred interviews with the artist, candid excerpts from Perlin's unpublished memoirs, never-before-seen photos, and an extensive selection of Bernard Perlin's incredible public and private art.