Read Audra Wist's Essay On the Demystification Of Sexual Urges And Why Men Need To Be Touched More →

“I love to be caressed,” he said to me, my hand on his chest. Color me impressed. As I get older, I continually notice the need for men to be touched. I’ve been a long time proponent of strip clubs, sex work, and so forth – physical sites designed for and marketed to men for sexual pleasure – even before I could really justify it legally or intellectually. I always had a hunch that something was going on there that was good for women and for sex, and that the usual bad mouthing on the grounds that men were sniveling tit-obsessed cretons was ill considered and lacked any constructive thought about the potential of these venues for sexual progress. Click here to read the full essay. 

A Visit To Musician and Artist Brandon Boyd's Studio in Venice Beach

When you visit Brandon Boyd’s home in Venice Beach, his French bulldog Bruce may lead you to his back studio like a furry, grunting, waddling valet.  Boyd’s studio is neat and organized – a creative perch where the artist and musician has been using watercolor and ink as a medium to create beautifully sensual, at times erotic, works that are inspired by photographs he takes of his subjects, mostly beautiful women. About his subjects, he remarks: “I have very cooperative friends.” One recent work is a painting inspired by a naughty selfie his partner sent him while he was on tour. Most people know Boyd as the lead singer of the band Incubus, but many people don’t know that he is also a fine artist who has published many books of his works and has shown his work in shows internationally. In our chat, he mentions that part of the joy of making art is that the work can be the center of attention. Like a lot of brilliant musicians, Boyd is shy in personal social interactions. However, on this particularly hot and muggy day in Los Angeles, with his dog splayed out on the floor, Boyd seems comfortable and opened up to us about his art and his practice. He also mentioned some of his earliest inspirations – his mother being one of them, as well as psychedelic poster artist Stanley Mouse, Art Nouveau artist Aubrey Beardsley, and Egon Schiele, an artist with whom he is obsessed. Coming up in December, you can see Boyd’s work in person at the Scope Art Fair in Miami. You can also visit his online shop to purchase limited edition prints and books. Text by Oliver Maxwell Kupper and photographs by Sara Clarken. Follow Autre on Instagram: @AUTREMAGAZINE

Enigmatic Art Collective Grupo Anan Opens "Trader Joe's Lounge" @ Sade Gallery In Los Angeles

Mysterious art collective, or duo, Grupo Anan, whose Instagram bio says it is based either in London, or Bolivia or Los Angeles – who really knows – presents Trader Joe's Lounge at Sade Gallery In Los Angeles. The exhibition explores the Polynesian myth of Tiki, or the first man, who saw his reflection in a puddle of water. Thinking that the reflection was another person, he throws dirt on to what is really his reflection and the first woman is born. The show explores the commercialization and reapprropraion of these cultures and myths in a post-war America, especially with the "TIki fad" of the 1950s. You can stop by Trader Joe's Lounge until November 1st and explore the exhibition - Mai Tai's will be served – at Sade Gallery, 204 S Ave 19, Los Angeles, CA. photographs by Sara Clarken

Tit Paintings, High Society And The New York Underground: Here Are Ten Things You Need To Know About Former Warhol Superstar Brigid Berlin →

Brigid Berlin is an American legend. Deranged and beautiful, her life is a head on collision between high society decadence, urine soaked carpet fibers and methamphetamine filled veins, forming a beautiful bouquet of rebelliousness. On view now at Invisible Exports, an exhibition explores the life and ephemera of this strange specimen, from her polaroid’s of Andy Warhol’s factory and the New York avant garde to her obsessive audio recordings to her wonderful tit paintings that make for fine framed prints on any discernable gentleman or gentlewoman’s desk. Just who is Brigid Berlin? – She is a rebel in the purest form. She is an artist and a documentarian. She was once a part of Andy Warhol’s circle and entourage. Today, Berlin is alive and well and, no doubt, as weird as ever. Click here to read ten things you need to know about Brigid Berlin. 

There's A Lesbian Haunted House Happening In Los Angeles And It's Amazing

Watch out for the pussy juice, literally. Last Friday night marked the triumphant opening of Killjoy’s Kastle, a sex positive, trans inclusive, lesbian-feminist haunted house organized by ONE Archives in West Hollywood and created by Toronto based artist Allyson Mitchell. This performer-based installation is inspired by the radical, evangelical hell houses that go up each year aiming to both entertain and terrify god-fearing Christians with a glimpse into the fiery furnace that awaits the sinners of the world. What a killjoy, right? Well there’s only one kind of killjoy more dreaded than radical evangelicals, and that’s the lesbian feminists of the world. Armed with their moral and politically correct criticisms of every aspect of the western zeitgeist, these hairy-bushed (on full view), diva-cup-wearing witches aim to lay out all of their titillatingly contradictory tropes in an educational tour led by demented women’s studies professors. Packed with a series of hilarious installations that are both thought provoking and giggle inducing, these mistresses of the night seem equally inspired by the spirit of righteousness as they are by self mockery. KillJoy’s Kastle continues from 6:30-9:30pm Saturday and Sunday, October 17 & 18; Thursday-Sunda, October 22-25; and Wednesday-Friday, October 28-30. Be sure to arrive by 8:30 to ensure time for the full, guided tour. Tours last approximately 30 minutes and it's free. 

Last Week To Check Out Dana Schutz's "Fight in an Elevator" @ Petzel Gallery In New York

This is your last chance to check out Fight in an Elevator at Petzel Gallery—a solo exhibition of new paintings and works on paper by Dana Schutz. As Fight in an Elevator, the title of Dana Schutz’s second exhibition at Petzel Gallery suggests, Schutz’s figures are placed within compressed interiors where they are forced to struggle against the boundaries of their painted environments and up onto the physical edge of the canvas. Her characters find themselves helpless in the mouth of a lion, exchanging blows in a mirrored elevator, or somnambulating down a narrow staircase. These highly structured spaces, which are both intensely public and utterly private, point to how Schutz tackles the subject of interiority—rather than offering a voyeuristic view, her frontal facing subjects stare directly back at the viewer, seemingly with the desire to extend outside of themselves. Fight in an Elevator will be on view until October 24, 2015 at Petzel Gallery, 456 W. 18th Street, in New York. photographs by Tenlie Mourning

Jon Rafman's Insane Ultra-Futuristic Major Solo Exhibition At the Zabludowicz Collection in London

For his first major solo exhibition in the UK, Canadian artist Jon Rafman has transformed the spaces of the Zabludowicz Collection into a playful series of new installations that immerse visitors within his video and sculptural works. Emerging from his interest in the relationship between technology and human consciousness, Rafman’s works examine ideas of desire – its simulation and enactment. The exhibition will be on view at the Zabludowicz Collection until December 20, 2015. photographs by Thierry Bal

Eric Mack "Never Had A Dream" At Moran Bondaroff in Los Angeles

Moran Bondaroff presents Never Had A Dream, Eric Mack’s first solo exhibition at the gallery, which presents collage works varying from sculpture and installation to wall pieces and work on paper. Mack’s aesthetic involves a particular type of tactility and usage of common items, primarily those related to clothing. References to the fashion industry and the figure impart a seductive quality to his work and connect to identity, or a material fiction of desire and intention. Erik Mack "Never Had a Dream" will be on view until November 10, 2015 at Moran Bondaroff, 937 N. La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA

For Autre's 8th Friday Playlist We Invite You To Get Amped With Amphetamine Reptile Records →

When Nirvana blew up, the door was wide open for loud rock bands to be signed to lucrative major label deals, and of course, many bands did just that. It's still a testament to how crazy a time the early '90s was for the music industry that a band as bizarre as Royal Trux was signed to Virgin Records. Even then, there were still plenty of rock bands that wanted to be as weird as possible and wanted nothing to do with the majors. For them, record labels like the Washington State-based Amphetamine Reptile were blessings. Click here to read all about the fascinating label and take a listen to few highlights from their catalogue. 

Julie Schenkelberg "Embodied Energies" At Asya Geisberg Gallery In New York

Industrial demise and the decaying glamour of a gloried era are two of the main themes in Julie Schenkelberg’s site-specific installation Swan Song at Asya Geisberg Gallery in New York. The large-scale installation is made up of found industrial as well as domestic objects, collected over the course of five years and put together in ten weeks before transferring it into the gallery space. The installation is overwhelming and beautiful at the same time, traversing the entire gallery space from floor to ceiling. The seemingly randomly piled objects have been carefully arranged and are reminiscent of abandoned and destroyed family homes. Fully grounded in the space the precariously mounted chairs and stacked pieces of furniture give the installation an upward reach making it heavy and light at the same time. The mix of textures, fabrics, solid foam and powder, and colors, white, turquoise and brown further supports this juxtaposition. Julie Schenkelberg "Embodied Energies" will be on view until October 24, 2015 at Asya Geisberg Gallery in New York. text and images by Adriana Pauly

A New Documentary Explores The Legendary Week Long Conversation Between Hitchcock and Truffaut

In 1962, Alfred Hitchcock and a 30-year-old François Truffaut sequestered themselves in a windowless Hollywood office for a weeklong conversation. The result: the seminal book “Hitchcock/Truffaut,” published a half century ago, dissecting every film Hitchcock had made until then, illuminating his masterful techniques, making the case for the popular director as an artist, and influencing generations of filmmakers. Kent Jones brings “the Bible of Cinema” to invigorating life. He interviews filmmakers whose work has been profoundly influenced by Hitchcock—Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Richard Linklater, Olivier Assayas, and many others. The documentary will hit theaters this December.  

11 Things You Must See And Do During Frieze Week London 2015

1. Today at 5pm, Gosha Rubchinskiy will be signing copies of his incredible book Youth Hotel featuring the young and rebellious of Russia at Dover Street Market, in the Idea Books space 2. Luxembourg & Dayan creates a microsalon – a homage to the eccentric gallerist Iris Clert who championed the postwar avant-garde at Frieze Masters (Stand D7) 3. Visiting Frieze – Ken Kagami will sketch your genitals for free - just find the Misako & Rosen stand 4. Serpentine gallery presents an exhibition of work by artist, poet, essayist and activist Jimmie Durham, entitled Various Items and Complaints 5. Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone will be presenting his hyper-colored natural stone formations at Sadie Coles HQ 6. Jon Rafman has his first major solo in the UK at Zabludowicz Collection with his unique blend of virtual reality and video works 7. Artist Millie Brown, known for her work with multihued puke work, will be suspending herself aloft at the Gazelli Art House for a performance called Rainbow Body Performance 8. Spend your life savings by bidding on some of the most glorious examples of contemporary art at the Phillips Contemporary Art Day Sale 9. Check out artist, collector, and impresario Stefan Simchowitz's Frieze diary only on Autre - browse through the fair from a seasoned insider's perspective 10. American conceptual sculpture Tom Friedman creates a "cocktail party" for Stephen Friedman's gallery presentation at Frieze (Stand C6) 11. Check out the overshadowed Sunday Art Fair that showcases emerging and up-and-coming artists