Becky is the new owner of this painting. She says:
“I really like what you have decided to to with the pictures and the discussions and thought put into it. I would like to own one and be a part of this piece of queer history that is being created/disseminated.
I id as a queer femme and am a psychotherapist working in Manchester. I would display the picture (‘Canal’ is the one I have a close connection with) in my psychotherapy office in town; I spend a lot of time in there and make sure it has pictures in it that mean something to me and I enjoy looking at. It would also get seen and enjoyed by my clients, many of which are from the LGBT community, which would also feel appropriate to me; his work being seen and possibly discussed, thought about, not just by me but also by my visitors and clients to the room.
The ‘Canal’ picture also has meaning for me personally – my Grandfather was a keen canal boat user and had his own boat fo r a while, which he donated when he was not able to use it anymore. Although he and my grandmother were together until they died, he was the one who introduced me to ‘Cabaret’, and Christopher Isherwood, who knew that I was Gay and although never said anything explicit, was always supportive and loving. The picture reminds me of this and also the intergenerational relationships that are so important and that don’t always get the space to be celebrated.”