- Peter Berlin
Peter Berlin (born Armin Hagen Freiherr von Hoyningen-Huene in 1942) is a photographer, artist, filmmaker, clothing designer/sewer, model, and gay
sex symbol . In the early to mid-1970s, Berlin created some of the most recognizable gay male erotic imagery of his time. Serving as his own photographer, model, and fashion designer, Berlin redefined self-portraiture and became an international sensation.Anderson, James: "Peter Berlin Sixty-Something German Artist From San Francisco Spent His Entire Life Getting Laid", Butt Magazine, Summer, 2004]His two films, "Nights in Black Leather" (1973) and "That Boy" (1974), played to packed houses for years and, along with other pioneering erotic filmmakers such as
Wakefield Poole and Jack Deveau, helped bring gay male erotic films artistic legitimacy.Early life in Germany
The second of the three children of Karl Freiherr von Hoyningen-Huene and his wife, Marina, Berlin was born in Poland and grew up in Berlin,
Germany ."That Man: Peter Berlin" (Documentary), Gorilla Factory Productions, 2005] [http://vonhuene.org/history1.html] The extended family included the American fashion photographerGeorge Hoyningen-Huene .In his early 20s, he worked as a photographer for an interview program on German television, photographing some of
Europe 's biggest celebrities and film stars.DVD Extras, "That Man: Peter Berlin" (DVD), Water Bearer Films, 2006]Berlin's real passion, however, was photographing himself in erotic poses and making skin-tight clothes to wear as he cruised the parks and train stations of Berlin.
Filmmaking and celebrity
In the early 1970s, Berlin moved to
San Francisco and became a fixture on the streets, famous for his highly suggestive clothing and constant cruising. He collaborated with friendRichard Abel on a 16 mm hard-core porn film entitled "Nights in Black Leather " (1973) in which he played the lead role. Berlin's poster for the film was a sensation and helped make "Nights in Black Leather" an enormous underground hit.As a follow-up, Berlin directed, produced, wrote, and starred in "That Boy" (1974), another wildly successful film. He also made four short films in the mid- to late-1970s, which were primarily sold as 8 mm "loops" by mail order. His self-portraits were widely published and sold, making Berlin a gay household name and an international celebrity. He was also the subject of several
Robert Mapplethorpe photographs, six drawings byTom of Finland , and at least one photograph byAndy Warhol . Two rarely seen Robert Mapplethorpe polaroid images of Berlin can be seen in the 2008 book and the Whitney Museum of American Art exhibition, both titled Mapplethorpe Polaroids.Photography
Berlin's photographs and artwork have been exhibited around the world, most notably in the exhibition "Split/Vision" (New York, 1986) curated by Mapplethorpe, and in the exhibition "Berlin on Berlin" (2006) at the
Leslie/Lohman Gallery in New York.Although he retreated from the limelight in the 1980s, he continues to make videos of himself and lives quietly in
San Francisco , where he is still recognized on the streets by his fans.Comeback
In 2005, filmmaker and writer
Jim Tushinski directed and co-produced (with Lawrence Helman), the feature-length documentary [http://www.thatmanpeterberlin.com That Man: Peter Berlin] , which began a resurgence of interest in Berlin's works. The documentary premiered at the 2005Berlin Film Festival and garnered several awards at film festivals worldwide, reconnecting Berlin with his older fans and introducing him to a new generation. In 2006, Berlin launched a web site devoted to his work.References
Further reading
* [http://vonhuene.org/history1.html Website of the Hoyningen-Huene family]
*"Creating Peter Berlin" article in "
After Dark (magazine) " February 1975, pages 44-51, with photographic portfolio of Peter Berlinee also
*
List of gay porn stars External links
*imdb name|0121509
* [http://www.leslielohman.org/newsletter/No18/berlinonberlin.htm "Berlin on Berlin" interview by Robert W. Richards]
* [http://www.thatmanpeterberlin.com That Man: Peter Berlin official Web site]
* [http://scene-out.com/view/showproduct.php?product=58 "That Man: Peter Berlin" reviews by "Dom79" and "TheCygnet"]
* [http://mannet.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=001308 ManNet Review: "That Man: SE"]
* [http://www.peter-berlin.com/ Peter Berlin's official Web site]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
