King and Queens in their Castles

Intimate snapshots of LGBT life — Photographer Tom Atwood travelled the length and breadth of the United States, capturing queer icons at home in his personal celebration of LGBTQ life.

For the past fifteen years, Tom Atwood has been traveling the United States, photographing over 300 people from the LGBTQ community in their home environments. With subjects ranging from undisputed Pope of Trash John Waters to disability activist Lydia Brown, the result is an unusually intimate look at some of the many ways LGBTQ people experience life in America today.

An autodidact, Tom was determined to steer clear of the tired, repetitive imagery of LGBTQ people so often seen in photography: young, partying, naked. Instead, he focused on capturing his subjects at their most relaxed, in private environments that tell their stories better than words ever could.

Alan Cumming

Alan Cumming

In Kings and Queens in their Castles there’s an obvious hint of camp – the title is a nod to drag kings and queens, after all, and some of the backdrops are unashamedly theatrical – but the book has nothing to do with stereotypes or tokenism. Quite the opposite, actually. It captures the LGBTQ experience as it is: multifaceted and somehow integrated at the very same time.

What’s the story behind the title of the project?
I see kings and queens in castles as a telling metaphor for the subjects in the series. Many of the subjects are kings or queens of their professions: leading actors, writers, designers, politicians or journalists. And many of the interiors of the book are visually rich in the way that medieval decorations were, with strong, deep colours and lavish fabrics. The title, in addition to paying tribute to our dazzling drag kings and queens, is also a nod to aristocracy from history reputed to have engaged in alternative sexuality, gender practices or sensibilities.

Jon Fulton Adams and Ron Megee

Jon Fulton Adams and Ron Megee

 

Takei George

George Takei

Why was it important to achieve a certain level of intimacy with the portraits?
Intimacy was important to me in creating meaningful, moving portraits, and in executing my personal photographic style. To create 360-degree portraits, I photograph people in daily activity; modern day tableaux vivant. I seek out whimsical, intimate moments of everyday life that shift between the pictorial and the theatrical. While the images often have an element of voyeurism, my subjects occasionally look at the camera as in reality, when being photographed subjects are typically aware of a photographer’s presence. I ultimately like my pictures to be as biographical as possible.

ElizabethStreb and LauraFlanders

ElizabethStreb and LauraFlanders

 

Billy Porter

Billy Porter

You photographed a lot of celebrities as well as a lot of non-celebrities, and you didn’t know many of the people photographed. Did you have any expectations going into these homes?
I actually had no expectations! Most often people’s castles accurately reflect them. John Waters is a case in point.  He had an art installation depicting a table where a terrorist was manufacturing anthrax in little plastic bags, an execution chair and all sorts of other arcane things that seemed like they could have been props in his films. Sometimes I encountered subjects that seem to use their personal space as a way to create a sort of sanctuary which can sooth them. Carson Kressley is a good example of this. His personality is edgy yet his apartment is rather traditional in terms of style, although it was beautifully designed.

Randal Kleiser

Randal Kleiser

 

Momma Meacham

Momma Meacham

For others, I think our homes seem to represent fantasy worlds that allow us to blossom; to be who we want to be regardless of societal pressure. I think some LGBTQ people go to great lengths to draw distinction between the mainstream and ourselves, a difference that is often represented visually through our living spaces.

Unusual colour palates, provocative objets d’art… all of these design elements — whether consciously or not — I think are often used to show that we are unique. And other times I think individuals create homes that seem to be aspirational, a projection of who they want to be. So we’ll project elements of the outside world that we want to be a part of our lives into our personal spaces. And of course sometimes it’s a mix of all of the above.

Martyn Lawrence Bullard

Martyn Lawrence Bullard

You mentioned the process of finding subjects, but did people approach you too?
Yes, I certainly had some subjects proactively approach me. Especially some of the semi-famous subjects, once the project was underway and people started to hear about it. Some just thought the project was worthwhile and wanted to participate. Some I suspect were interested in publicity, and others might have been proud of their homes and just wanted to share them with the world.

How do you think an extensive and intimate photography series like this adds to the wider representation of LGBTQ people?
I hope that viewers take away a sense of how varied and interesting the LGBTQ community is; a celebration of difference and of a gay sensibility that is unique. One straight high school friend of mine mentioned after seeing the book that she had no idea so many leaders in the arts, entertainment and media were LGBTQ, that that aspect of the series was really eye opening for her. I also want the series to provide positive role models for LGBTQ youth, and I’m hoping that the book becomes a symbol of and source of pride for the LGBTQ community – that it might help shape and become a part of our identity.

Doug Spearman and Marc Samuel

Doug Spearman and Marc Samuel

You have individuals from a lot of different ages – did the age of subjects influence the relationship with being photographed at all?
I think I was able to relate equally to subjects of all ages. I guess I’m able to engage in conversations on a wide variety of topics, so I was able to find things to talk to everyone about, allowing me to connect with them all.

You’ve mentioned that representation of LGBTQ people has previously focused on younger individuals in an urban context, and that there’s this impression to do with ageism, or underrepresentation of older individuals…
A lot of LGBTQ photography seemed to depict scantily-clothed young subjects and seemed to emphasise nudity and sexuality. I wanted to offer a different perspective. Among other older folks, I wanted to feature older bohemians, beatniks, mavericks and iconoclasts, many of whom blossomed in the 1960s and 1970s but seem to be slowly disappearing.

Lydia Brown

Lydia Brown

Cortnee Ponton

Cortnee Ponton

 

There’s a theory that everyone in the LGBTQ community knows each other. Since this project had a lot to do with knowing and meeting people, did you end up feeling that sense of community?
Yes, definitely!  Certainly within a state or city, many folks knew one another.  A lot of the Los Angeles subjects knew some of my subjects in New York, and vice versa.  I imagine that whilst among the general population there are six degrees of separation, within the LGBTQ world, there might only be 2-3 degrees of separation.

Keep track of Tom’s work on Facebook and Twitter

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. 


Ad

Latest on Huck

A punk rock band performing on stage, with a female lead singer belting into a microphone. Behind them, a colourful mural with graffiti-style text.
Music

Meet the hair-raised radical women of Berlin’s noise punk scene

Powertool — In his new zine, George Nebieridze captures moments of loud rage and quiet intimacy within the German capital’s female-only bands, while exploring the intersections between music, community and anti-establishment politics.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Group of people dancing at a live music performance, with a large "Spaces Beats" sign in the background.
Music

Amid tensions in Eastern Europe, young Latvians are reviving their country’s folk rhythms

Spaces Between the Beats — The Baltic nation’s ancient melodies have long been a symbol of resistance, but as Russia’s war with Ukraine rages on, new generations of singers and dancers are taking them to the mainstream.

Written by: Jack Styler

A person's face surrounded by colourful flowers. The flowers include orange, red, and yellow dahlias, as well as smaller yellow blooms. The person's expression is serious.
Music

Uwade: “I was determined to transcend popular opinion”

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s Nigerian-born, South Carolina-raised indie-soul singer Uwade.

Written by: Uwade

Taxidermy alligator with a small monkey sitting on its head, displayed on a wooden shelf with other items.
Culture

Inside the obscured, closeted habitats of Britain’s exotic pets

“I have a few animals...” — For his new series, photographer Jonty Clark went behind closed doors to meet rare animal owners, finding ethical grey areas and close bonds.

Written by: Hannah Bentley

Muscular man with arms crossed in a dark setting, 'Hard Feelings' text overlay.
Sport

Frazer Clarke: “I had a hole in my leg, I’m very lucky to be alive”

Hard Feelings — For our interview column on masculinity and fatherhood, the Olympic boxing medallist speaks to Robert Kazandjian about hard graft, the fear and triumph of his first fight, and returning to the ring after being stabbed on a night out.

Written by: Robert Kazandjian

Close-up view of a woman in a vintage pose, with flowing hair and an outstretched hand, set against a hazy, scenic background.
© Peter Palladino, courtesy of the Peter Palladino Archive.
Culture

Remembering Holly Woodlawn, Andy Warhol muse and trans trailblazer

Love You Madly — A new book explores the actress’s rollercoaster life and story, who helped inspire Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.