Andrew Richardson on the Making of A11: The Agency Issue
The cover features porn superstar Rae Lil Black, captured by David Sims. In addition, there are stories with Julia Fox; works by renowned artist Hajime Sorayama; the Tokyo underground BDSM scene, photographed by Rosie Marks; "Parrots in the Mist," a conversation with former Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss; and an exclusive dialogue between artists Jordan Wolfson and Paul McCarthy discussing Wolfson’s new work Body Sculpture and its concept of everything being an attempt, like this issue — an attempt at agency.
You’ve previously said that you, now at 57, still are living “a somewhat adolescent life.” How does one keep their youthful flame alive?
Stay an interested naïve troublemaker.
I’d call that the personal Richardson motto, then. The professional Richardson motto, however, borrowed — with permission — from a Berlin dominatrix, is “Play hard, play nice, communicate,” where does that place Richardson?
As a fine radical art publication about sex and sexuality.
Speaking of such, your publication has been confiscated for sexually explicit photos and your Instagram account has been temporarily suspended — what do you think these incidents say about the context in which your magazine operates within, and why do you think it’s important to push against, to provoke?
It’s funny that the magazine, which is not a pornopgrahic magazine or even so-called "erotica" but really an arts and culture publication, gets put in the same class as these, and we have experienced the consequences of such classifications. I think it says something about how deep the fear of sex goes in this country, porn and other, as you say “sexually explicit” images, are a contaminant — even those of us peripheral to them can be tarnished by association. Aside from the free speech aspect of it all, I’m also someone who sees the transformative potential of sexuality — not just its seedy underbelly — and I would like to keep those parts that I see in the light.
Yet, undeniably in symbiosis with the accessibility of online porn and even social media, there’s a lot of ‘challenging’ ‘disturbing’ material that’s being produced. How do you set your vision apart and how fine is the line between explicit and bad taste?
I just do stuff that I’m interested in.
I’ve always been a big fan of the vulgar, what connotations does that word hold to you?
A friend of mine noted after his divorce that he knew the marriage was not going to work out when he saw his wife's matching Louis Vuitton luggage.
Arguably, many media outlets today are nothing but direct reflections of the advertisers they’re bound by, could you tell us about the interplay between Richardson and Pornhub?
The adult industry has always been a permissible space when it comes to free speech — so having a partnership with the giant of such an industry really just means freedom to me.
I’m curious about your distinction of what it means to make love, to have sex, and to fuck?
Autumn, Winter, Spring.
The 25th issue’s covergirl is Rae Lil Black, previous editions have captured icons such as Belladonna, Kim Kardashian and Blac Chyna — what characteristics are you looking for when deciding the cover? Why was Lil Black chosen for The Agency Issue?
This is the 11th issue and the 25th anniversary of Richardson. We are always looking to tell a story and paint a narrative with our covers star, so each icon has to have a GOOD story. Rae Lil Black was really unlike every other person — except for in that aspect, of having a good story. She’s an anomaly in the porn industry, she’s never had an agent, she’s done everything herself from the beginning. And she’s done it in unusual ways, like having a Black Metal alter ego, and to great success. In that way agency isn’t just "empowerment" which is kind of boring, it’s also idiosyncrasy.
The 25th issue’s covergirl is Rae Lil Black, previous editions have captured icons such as Belladonna, Kim Kardashian and Blac Chyna — what characteristics are you looking for when deciding the cover? Why was Lil Black chosen for The Agency Issue?
This is the 11th issue and the 25th anniversary of Richardson. We are always looking to tell a story and paint a narrative with our covers star, so each icon has to have a GOOD story. Rae Lil Black was really unlike every other person — except for in that aspect, of having a good story. She’s an anomaly in the porn industry, she’s never had an agent, she’s done everything herself from the beginning. And she’s done it in unusual ways, like having a Black Metal alter ego, and to great success. In that way agency isn’t just "empowerment" which is kind of boring, it’s also idiosyncrasy.
Does idiosyncratic also apply to the rest of the features, Hajime Sorayama, Jordan Wolfson with Paul McCarthy, Julia Fox, and so force — what agency do they authorize?
Exactly. As artists, they are all powerhouses, and that speaks to their agency, but they are in very distinct and unexpected ways. That’s the agency I am interested in, both personally and to broadcast throughout our publication.
How has the dialogue surrounding sex and sexes progressed since you released your first issue in 1998 and in what ways is this reflected in the magazine? Thinking about everything from abortion laws to me-too, and transgender rights; does Richardson have a political attitude?
There is not enough electricity in LA to answer that question fully.
