Steph Gorkii

From Huntington, New York, Steph Gorkii (Stephen Gorkoff) studied at Endymion Arts Academy. Steph Gorkii washed -ashore in Provincetown, via Eastern Connecticut, sometime in the late 1980's, presumably 1988. He was one of three of an artistic and theatrical trio, along with his promotor Patrick Clarke , and actress friend, Dolores Germania, who arrived from Boston, presumably in the evening. The trio shared a space in the center of downtown Provincetown, next to Marine Specialties, for several years. In a small area, known then as Union Square, Patrick and Steph created the "Makeshift Salon". This unique art space was breath of fresh air in it's time, as the Provincetown's Art scene had become commercialized, and void of outsider art, avante garde, and folk art, for decades. The "Makeshift Salon" showcased the work of Steph Gorkii, David Reichert, M.P. Landis, Sean Kilawee, Gary Wortzel, and Ray Nolin, among others. Around this time, late in 1989, a bioscopic interview, documented on videotape by Jonathan Morrill, was produced at Makeshift Salon. The interview featured Steph Gorkii's early assemblages with daguerreotypes, and works by David Reichart. Prior to his move to Boston's South End in the late 80's, Mr. Reichert was a photographer's assistant at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York. The Makeshift Salon lasted two seasons in Provincetown, based in Union Square, but was taken over by Cortland Jessup, and her gallery. Ms.Jessup did continue to support and display several of the "Makeshift Salon" artists, and the Makeshift Salon continued as a vagabond entity, having nomadic openings at various Provincetown locations. Steph Gorkii portrayed "Buddy Fellows:, the half-brother to Jonathan Morrill's "Johnny Talbot, in both "Johnny in Monsterland" (1990), and it's sequel, "The Brides of Johnny in Monsterland" (1992). From this, Steph Gorkii began his Post Venus of the Arts brand/vibe. Steph became the self-proclaimed "Head of Operations", "Chief Designer", and "Misentrope" at Post Venus of the Arts", which enjoyed popular acclaim, but never formally structured any business sense or organization. This collapse was largely due to the passing of one of Steph's great promoters, Patrick Clarke. Steph eventually left Cape Cod, and passed westwardly in the late 1990's, staying in Seattle, Washington, for a spell, before settling in Portland, Oregon, for a continued downward spiral. On April 1st,1999, the paperback "Nubile Nostalgia: A Teenage Wasteland" was published. The book is a collection of photographs by Steph Gorkii, with an introduction by John Wood. The book was received with positive general acclaim , and is still a staple for remaining gay bookstores in West Hollywood, twenty years after it's publication. Michael K. Minney gave it five stars, in his review from January 20th, 2000; "Classical Romance That Bites, Hard" Steph Gorkii's "Nubile Nostalgia", a collection of photos, travel from neoclassical to gothic to innovative. The couple dozens of images included here are sample of the continent spanning map of muses Gorki pours his heart and developer into. He knows each one and it is shown in how he places his "boys" in the haunting landscapes and interiors. Phalluses on the brink of danger (a scythe pushes into one model), drugs brothered with sex (a fix being had shortly before or maybe after he's had his way), angelic gazes (love at first and every sight thereafter), and out-and-out worship fuel Gorkii's trigger finger. The spirit of these works are reminiscent of Thomas Eakins elegant photo studies and Francis Bacon's many tortured representations of his lover in their tranquility-coated ferocity. The range of pieces here carry from his life in Provincetown, MA. where Gorkii was a big fish in on a small cape, to Seattle, WA. in it's early nineties hey-day. His eyes are driven by his muses and his mind by his extensive knowledge of and passion for classical and modern art. Having had the opportunity on occasion to interview Gorki, I am always astounded by his fully-armed sensibilities. His talents stretch from his Johns/Rauschenburg-esque assemblages (of which tragically, none are included in this tome) to his horrifically erotic collages and smarmy self-published zines. "Nubile Nostalgia" contains his scientifically erotic memories of young men for whom his passion and compassion for, speaks volumes. Steph left Portland, Oregon, in the mid 20-teens, and headed back to Provincetown, struggling in the town that once hailed him, now unrecognized, and relying on the kindness of strangers. In Steph's final years he found some comfort and security in Peekskill NY. Until his final day he continued to plan his grand reentry into the art world with the pomp and ceremony befitting his truly extraordinary talent. On June 16th, 2018, Steph Gorkii, artist, provocateur,fulminator, and friend, passed into legend. At the time of his death Steph was not in the best place financially. Steph's final arrangements were turned to a private Funeral Home, to assure he was treated with dignity and respect. A memorial service, and small retrospective of Steph's art are being planned to take place in Provincetown, Summer 2019.