Ins & Outs: a collection

Paul Richmond is a twenty-nine year old artist whose powerful paintings embody the “ins and outs” of a topic at the forefront of current affairs: sexual orientation. Drawing upon his own experiences as a young man who was raised in a conservative, Midwestern environment and struggled to come to terms with his homosexuality, he explores deeply personal feelings, insecurities, fears and triumphs in this collection of paintings.

Richmond came out of the closet shortly after graduating from art college, and his work, which has been exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions, was significantly impacted by that life-altering moment. He began using his paintings as a vehicle to explore and understand his own journey and to develop a dialogue with other members of the GLBT community.

This book contains some of his most personal, narrative works arranged in chronological order by the period of his life represented. It documents the journey of a Dolly-idolizing, repressed gay boy as he finds his way out of the closet and into a place of self-acceptance. Accompanying each piece is a description by the artist, explaining the thoughts and emotions behind it. The result is an intimate, visual experience, one that will draw on the viewer to recognize the beauty of discovering and developing their own authentic self, regardless of sexual orientation.

This expanded edition features 50 pieces of art, including Paul's Cheesecake Boys series, novel cover illustrations, and a new interview by Cat Johnson.