William Baker has had one of life’s dream jobs. He’s the celebrated artistic director to the stars and can call Kylie his BFF but in a revealing interview, he speaks about how he felt invisible when he turned 40.
William Baker has revealed that turning 40 was a difficult moment for him because he felt he turned invisible almost overnight, despite being in one of the most enviable positions any gay man could be in. After all, he has Kylie on speed dial.
Speaking to THEGAYUK.com about his new project Book of Igor, a picture book of beautiful, thoughtful photos of a 20-year-old man called Igor, whom he found on Instagram. The conversation turned to age and ageism.
“Such a big part of doing the book was how I felt. I can say this now, from a distance about how I felt as a gay man at 40. It’s so funny that you literally just become invisible overnight.
“Probably to the wrong people…”
The book, which was released in December, explores the beauty of youth through a series of candid shots of William’s muse, Igor. William followed Igor, who identifies as heterosexual, for over a year, forming a strong friendship with the 20-year-old, but also found an even stronger love from behind the lens.
SUBJECT IN SIGHT: The book, which is William’s fourth, features 115 glossy pages, with images of Igor, whom William spent 18 months photographing.
Speaking about his love life, William revealed,
“I’m single. I haven’t found a kind of life-partner or whatever. When you walk down on Compton Street you kind of turn heads at a certain age. Even on those apps. You become invisible.
“That’s why everyone lies about their age, isn’t it?”
Together, William and Igor travelled from Ilford in Essex to Los Angeles to Fire Island to create images for the book. It is available to purchase from William’s shop.
The full interview will be released late January.
