Drawings of My BF

Drawings of My BF is a study of life, art, and the intersections of relationships. It’s a complex subject to tackle in a compact timeframe. Wilfred met his partner, Theo, on Grindr. Theo is his muse, obsession, a passion. A model boyfriend. In seven minutes we explore the intimacy of artist and model, lover, friend. 

Director James Cooper conveys both the frankness of an artist and the familiarity of a couple in an empathetic frame. What we are given is a twofold view of life: work and love. There are times of awkwardness, introspection, candidly caught in glances, eye contact. For a viewer it has a level of intrusion: well managed, intentional, and unavoidable. 

The mix of media, tones and styles mirrors Wilfred’s use of form, materials and composition. There is life in this piece, both in stillness and motion. The camera tracks the couple through their private landscape, home. In doing so the intimacy is heightened, but at the same time an interesting juxtaposition kicks in via the professional approach of Wilfred to his work. It’s uncompromising, capturing beauty and ugliness. 

As a depiction of a modern relationship, one of an age gap, it encapsulates a full-spectrum partnership. That’s hard to do. But there’s something of the interloper in the presence of the camera. It sits shy of being voyeuristic, intrusive, but has enough to provide interest. A delicate balance, overall, is achieved in part by its length. A longer cut would have crossed a line.

The interaction with the camera, a crisp running dialogue framed with the feel of an informal conversation, pulls the viewer along, drawn into a world by invitation.  There are layers of intensity, connection to the moment of creation of both Wilfred’s and Cooper’s art. Another balance well achieved. Should subject or form take precedence? They share a space without compromise. 

Visually impactful, it’s seven minutes. What have you got to lose?

Written by Michael D Swindells