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LET'S NOT ASSIGN GAY ARTISTS TO THE OBUARY CLOSET
All three of Rschenberg’s former lovers appear promently Among Friends, as well as other gay patrts like Cunngham and Cage. Photograph: Jacqu Haillot/CorbisEvery gay man out eventually - even if only happens when he di.
Wrg an obuary may be the first chance to tell the tth about a gay man's life, but sadly this is not always the se. Some newspapers are still fond of phemisg wh the gay ob's famo last words: "He never married. "I ocsnally wre obuari of the gay great and good for The Guardian.
A relative of his phoned the obuari sk and plaed that I'd mentned he was gay. It would have been a strange omissn a profile of someone who'd been the biggt-sellg thor for Gay Men's Prs and had jt died of an Aids-related illns, but she seemgly thought his sexualy should be kept the Stat a rage is currently simmerg over how newspapers have alt wh the ath of the artist Robert Rschenberg. He had relatnships wh Cy Twombly and Jasper Johns, as Jonathan Jon noted his tribute to the artist, and was part of a gang of gay men workg different discipl, but all firg off and spirg each other: John Cage, Merce Cunngham and Johns.
RSCHENBERG WAS GAY? HOW WAS ANYONE TO KNOW?
I always wce when I see terviewers askg an artist: "How do beg gay fluence your work?