Photographer Austin Young discusses his exhibition of the country’s crème de la crème of drag queen culture with IN’s own crème de la crème of drag, Jackie Beat.

By Jackie Beat

Austin Young is my very favorite photographer. Anyone who can make this fat, old, white man look like a voluptuous young woman of ambiguous ethnicity is all right by me! I spoke to Mr. Young about his upcoming solo show God Save The Queen, which features stunning stills and video verité of drag queens, transsexuals and performance artists.

Jackie Beat: So Austin, darling, why did you name this show God Save The Queen?

Austin Young: It's a nod to punk rock and a play on words. When I was a kid, John Waters and the Sex Pistols literally saved my life and showed me that it was OK to be different.

Anyone can look though a lens and push a button. What makes a great photographer?

Someone who makes images you want to stare at, like Cindy Sherman, Robert Maplethorpe, George Hurrell. You must be aware of the image, find the beauty, the truth. Great artists are healers.

Wow! How about giving us amateur shutterbugs a valuable helpful hint for good and hopefully healing picture-taking?

Take your time, there's no hurry. Make your models cry, throw salt at them. Break them down, make them vulnerable. Make them do your laundry, make your bed and wash your car. I was able to let go of my maid and gardener some time ago.

Do you find yourself drawn to drag queens? If so, why?

I love them. I love you, Jackie. You make me laugh. That makes me feel good. Making a beautiful photo of you is an act of appreciation. And so it is with me and other drag queens, too. Perhaps impersonating a woman takes us one step outside ourselves, so that we can see ourselves more clearly?

It also hurts your feet, don’t forget that. Who or what inspires you?

A perfectly drawn eyebrow, liquid liner.

No wonder you love me!

Right? Extravagant hats. People who wear netting over their face. Depth of character, actual talent.

No wonder you love me!

The Bauhaus movement, pre-Raphaelite and symbolist paintings, Divine and Phyllis Diller.

Hey, let’s leave my parents out of this! You’ve shot some pretty amazing people. Anyone in particular leave you "star struck"?

Debbie Harry. I couldn't talk. I prepared for two weeks beforehand. I was really nervous.

If you could photograph anyone —living or dead—who would it be?

Cher.

Perfect answer—she’s living and dead! If you could shoot anyone—literally, like, with a gun— who would it be?

Oh, God, Jackie! Why? I'm not going to incriminate myself.

Fair enough. This would normally be a lame question, but since you're an artist I need to know—what's your favorite color?

That sky blue in Renaissance paintings.

You’ve shot a lot of music personalities. If you had to surrender either your sight or your hearing, which sense would you give up?

Oh, Lord, is this before or after I shoot someone? I would choose to lose my hearing. My grandmother just lost her sight and it seems really disorienting.

You’ve recently moved from still photography into video work. How do the mediums differ and which do you prefer?

They are completely different mediums. My videos don't look like my photographs, but they’re still intense in a different way. I just finished my first feature documentary with co-director Barry Pett, Queen Of The Boogie. And you are in three of my short videos! I'm going to premiere "Baby Got Front" in this show. You do, like, seven outfit changes in it!

Work! Give me an off-the-cuff, knee-jerk, gut-level response to each of these "models” from your upcoming show. Lypsinka.

Dovima plus Man Ray!

Squeaky Blonde.

The Tazmanian Devil plus Elizabeth Taylor!

Jeffree Star.

Caligula plus Bridgette Bardot!

Raja.

A painting by Vladimir Tretchikoff.

Varla Jean Merman.

Ann-Margret plus Betty White!

Leigh Bowery.

Man Ray plus Duchamp plus Coco Chanel plus Isabella Blow!

Hot! A group scene! Amanda Lepore.

Charo?

Dame Edna.

Queen Elizabeth plus Danny DeVito!

The Amazing Ruby.

Orson Welles plus Edith Massey!

Lady Bunny.

Dusty Springfield plus Oscar Wilde!

And finally... me!

Dolly Parton plus Kiss!

No wonder you love me!

Right?

Austin Young's show, God Save The Queen! will be on display June 14-July 28 at the Art Murmur Gallery, 129 E. 6th St., L.A. For more information, visit www.artmurmur.com. For more information on Young, visit www.austinyoung.com.