Lost Boys: Vintage Images of Peter Berlin

Lost Boys: 

Vintage Images of Peter Berlin

I saved the best for last.

Or at least the one I feel is the most iconic.

Peter Berlin is a Tom of Finland drawing come to life. And live, he did. He was such a sensation, made such an impression, and handled it all so well. Self-obsessed? Perhaps. But when you're creating an archetype, such egocentric behavior is not only allowed, but encouraged.

Then one day? 

He got over himself. 

Not the worst thing that could have happened to one as sexually 'out there,' as Mr. Berlin, a man of many talents.

What drove him? What was it like to be Peter Berlin?

Let's take a peek behind the image and learn a bit about this gifted, complex visionary.

--- ---

Peter Berlin
AKA: Peter Burian, Baron Armin Hagen Freiherr von Hoyningen-Huene

Birthdate: December 28,1942

Birthplace: Łódź, Poland

Years Active: 1974-1975

Films: 5

Studios: HIS, Gorilla Factory, Tool Factory

Baron Armin Hagen Freiherr von Hoyningen-Huene was born on December 28, 1942 in German-occupied Łódź, Poland. Growing up as part of an aristocratic family in Berlin, he is the second of the three children.  

"The first time I looked in the mirror and felt a sexual thing I thought, 'I don’t have to tell anybody, I’ll keep it to myself.' Then I started to embrace it. I never had a problem with 'Am I gay or not gay?' or if I would go to hell. Still, in the 1960s, to be homosexual was to be socially deviant, and sexual activity was very much underground. Much of the gay life was happening in the parks, train stations and the street. Berlin is very green. When you went to the woods there were hundreds of gay men there. The police would come occasionally to chase us away but it was so exciting, I can’t tell you! My timing of being born was perfect!"

He received post-secondary education in Germany as a photo-technician in the 1960's, no doubt influenced by family friend, George Hoyningen-Huene. During his early twenties, he worked for German television as a photographer for an interview program. His subjects during this time included  Alfred Hitchcock, Catherine Deneuve, Bridgette Bardot and Klaus Kinski.

"I had already started to try to look sexy: tight pants where you see the arse, right? I remember very well my mother looked at me and she was so disgusted. I was sent to a doctor: 'We will turn him around,' you know? But in those days sexuality in your family was private. There I was, making it a little bit public with my display and that was the problem, you know? But the good thing was, I left the house and I was free. I rented a little room and just was free and I loved that."

In addition to his photography, Berlin was also a painter, illustrator and a fashion designer. He created all of his clothing without the use of patterns. Sporting his skin-tight garb, Berlin began taking photos of himself in erotic poses. The clothing became part of his persona, as "he cruised the parks and train stations of Berlin, and the streets of Rome, Paris, New York and San Francisco." Berlin's sense of fashion exerted future influence on the work of other designers, such as Jean Paul Gaultier. 

"Fashion was my turn-on. I was never on a nude beach in my life. That would be so boring. Blatant is a good word for my display: 'Look at me, fuck you!' Even when I was walking the street as Peter Berlin I knew that the gay men who saw me would be getting off on the image that night. When people go out, especially women, they put on their make-up, want to look their best. That’s all I would do. I wanted to look provocative. I realize that’s where the fashion comes in. I like the idea of fashion with the body. A naked body is one thing but we have to dress. To dress up the body and enhance certain things. I started by buying jeans and taking them in. Then you turn out the material, then you start doing things from scratch. The pants had to feel right, look right. It’s also surprising to me that all the biggest fashion designers are gay men, but that they dress women! If my fashion were permitted for men, they would love it! But I guess the regular, young male is not ready to go there. When I look around me on the street, people are so drab. It’s so nice when someone stands out. My friend Joachim (Labriola) used to like to walk behind me in Paris or Rome or wherever, just to see the reactions!"

Sensing something happening, Berlin moved to San Francisco in the early 1970s, and quickly "became a fixture on the streets with his highly suggestive clothing and constant cruising." It's here that he and friend Richard Abel created an infamous 16 mm film in 1973 called Nights In Black Leather. Tantalizing in its own right, while Berlin may have played the lead role in the film, it was his self-photo on the poster for the movie that helped make it an underground sensation. 

"When Nights In Black Leather came out, a modeling agent in Paris wanted to represent me. The first thing he said was, 'OK, Peter, we have to tone down your image,' and I realized this man hadn’t a clue. But I understand. I knew that when you are doing what they call pornography you close a lot of doors. I paid a price for that."

Overnight, Berlin became an industry unto himself. Nights In Black Leather was quickly followed by the self-directed, self-produced, self-written That Boy (1974), in which Berlin, once again, had the starring role. In addition, he began selling his erotic self-portraits and an additional series of 8 mm 'loops' by mail order. These loops were later available on various VHS compilations.

1974 

Nights In Black Leather

1975 

That Boy

1988 

All-Male Preview Tape 1

1990 

Shower Fantasies

1995 

Palm Pilots

Like moths to the flame, other artists were attracted by Berlin's star power, including Robert Mapplethorpe, who photographed Berlin. Two of these images, both Polaroids, can be seen in the 2008 book, Mapplethorpe: Polaroids, and are on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art as part of an exhibition by the same name. 

"He (Mapplethorpe) was a good friend of mine and he wanted to know how to get recognized because I was... and he wasn’t! I told him he should put his picture on a book!"

Other artists of note include Tom of Finland, who did a series of five drawings of Berlin, and Andy Warhol, who took at least one photo. During this time, Berlin's circle of friends included Salvador and Gala Dali, designer Koos, painter Jochen Labriola, Rudolf Nureyev and Warhol. 

Mapplethorpe would play an important role in Berlin's 1986 NYC photo exhibition, Split/Vision, acting as curator. Berlin's works have been on display throughout the world and include a 2006 exhibition entitled Berlin On Berlin at the at the Leslie Lohman Gallery in New York.

"With my photographs, I always gave them away. I bought the paper for one dollar, did my own printing, and that’s why I am where I am, without money and without fame. I didn’t have that feeling Mapplethorpe had. I only wanted to have a good time. And I did."

However, at some point during the 80's, after a lifetime of exhibitionism, Berlin did an about-face and began to retreat from the limelight. He started living a relatively quieter life in San Francisco, where, on occasion, he would be recognized on the streets. 

Still, old habits die hard...

"Before I die I would love to have a platform and get heard. When I look at people like Karl Largerfeld: he will never sit in his house like I sit in mine! I think he is booked out every day from morning to night. I can sit and do nothing. I wonder how he is when he is by himself and takes off his rings and the sunglasses. I like him because he is talented. My talent is very limited. In a way I did my thing and there it is and I’m fine with that. Everybody tells me how great I am and here I am sitting with two cats! I wash my friend’s clothes in the bathtub. I am the most boring, average person. I usually don’t acknowledge requests for interviews, I find them boring. I feel like the king who has had his kingdom taken away. I’m a little frustrated that I’m not doing what I want but I’m actually sitting here doing nothing, right? It frustrates me but not enough to do anything about it!"

Berlin's popularity experienced a surge in 2005, thanks to filmmaker and writer Jim Tushinski who directed and co-produced (with Lawrence Helman), a documentary called That Man: Peter Berlin. Premiering at the 2005 Berlin Film Festival, the documentary won a number of awards at film festivals throughout the world, introducing Berlin to a whole new generation.

--- ---

I think Rod Stewart owes his whole look to Mr. Berlin. To say nothing of Iggy Pop and Lou Reed and all those faux hair metal bands in the mid-80's. 

Berlin's look is iconic. And sexy AF. Dirty. I adore the fact that he went cruising constantly. 

And his story... 

He creates this buzz, this sensation, this one-man industry and then... walks away from it. Tired. Over it. Not willing to play by the rules or court favor. I can't imagine. 

I became fixated on that one image; the one above the title of today's post. It kept popping up whenever I was researching a gay porn star. He truly is an archetype. 

And one lost boy... who was never lost at all. 

--- ---

And that is it... the final profile in this series. 

Next week: we'll take one last look at all the gay porn stars profiled for this series. I think I'll pick my favorite photo from each of their portfolios to share.

Until then...

Thanks for reading.

Berlin - Lou Reed w /The Velvet Underground

Paris, 1972

Suburban Berlin - Japan

The video accompanying Suburban Berlin is from a ballet conceived by one of Berlin's great artists from the Bauhaus era ; the painter, sculptor, designer and choreographer Oskar Schlemmer who died in 1943.