LEADA AND THE SWAN

here is a look back at some of my more infamous projects~

LEDA & THE SWAN

original~  leonardo da vinci~ circa 1508

re~creation~ circa ~ 1986

photographer~ joel~peter witkin

models~

leda~ goddess bunny

cherub~ charlotte mann

styled & art directed by rick castro & michi

goddess bunny's make up~  cynthia witkin & rick castro

goddess bunny's wig ~ cynthia witkin

egg created by cynthia witkin

location~ herb ritts studio

the backstory~
 during the spring of 1984 i read the back page of joel~peter witkin's book requesting models that fit the following descriptions~

amputees,  pinheads, women with beards, gimps, physical deformities, anyone with an appendage, geeks, quadriplegics, transsexuals, stigmata, anyone bearing the wounds of christ, christ.

with that info in mind i went up to joel @ his first  los angeles exhibition & book signing, (different light bookshop) and presented him with a stack of my photos.

"if any of these models interest you, please let me know," i said.

joel witkin called me first thing the next morning-
"i am very interested to photograph your model- bunny."

we scheduled a photo shoot for later that year...  he works very slow...

from there he would call me on a weekly basis, to give me updates and ask about bunny.

finally the fateful day came. herb ritts allowed us the use his studio.  i was working for him at the time. one of our makeup artist friends~ tracy mann~
 had just given birth. she allowed us to use her newborn, (charlotte) in the photo shoot, along with another friend's newborn. they became our cherubs!.

we got together an animal wrangler and hired a white swan.

i picked bunny up from the airport. she had been living back with her mother in the midwest.

bunny was off her hormones so looked somewhat masculine.

we arrived, everyone exchanged greetings and we got to work. cynthia witkin & i worked on bunny's make up together. we gave her an pale alabaster body tone and dark red lips.
 i added shadow on her chest to give the illusion of more cleavage.

i helped joel arrange his lighting.... put everyone in place and began to shoot.

as we all know swans are very graceful.  well apparently not so much out of the water....
 the swan keep slipping off the fake rock and falling on the floor. it would land on it's back and not be able to upright itself.  it would flap uncontrollably in the most awkward position.
 we were very concerned our baby cherubs would be crushed!

the goddess bunny said she would hold the swan's neck as to try to give it some balance.
 that pose is also depicted in the original painting.

joel only shoots 12 exposures total.  from there he choose one image and destroyed the rest.
 almost one years preparation for one image.

it was customary for joel to offer a print to the model or a nominal fee. bunny wanted the cash...

"bunny, i advised,  you should really take the print.  it will be very valuable one day."

" i don't care, she said, i want the cash."

on the way home bunny demanded i drop her off at the wig shop on western & santa monica blvd.

the goddess bunny spent all her just earned cash on wigs!

this was my first project with joel~peter witkin.  i would work with him throughout the 1980's creating 13 of his most legendary images.

posting by rick castro~ editor~ antebellumblog