Grace Jones: The Image

(...all images are from here, or here or here...)

...Parallel to her musical shift was an equally dramatic visual makeover, created in partnership with stylist Jean-Paul Goude, with whom she had a son. Jones adopted a severe, androgynous look, with square-cut hair and angular, padded clothes. The iconic cover photographs of Nightclubbing and, subsequently, Slave to the Rhythm (1985) exemplified this new identity. To this day, Jones is known for her unique look at least as much as she is for her music...

(source: wiki)

And here are a few choice qoutes from The World of Grace Jones...


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IF YOU'RE OUT THERE YOU'RE VULNERABLE. PEOPLE PREFER TO DISAPPEAR IN LIFE, TO REPRESS THEIR PERSONALITY. THAT'S NOT LIVING. IT'S DYING. I SEE THEM ALL OVER THE PLACE, THE WALKING DEAD.

I WAS BORN TO BE A STAR. ONCE I DECIDED TO ACCEPT THAT RESPONSIBILITY I WOULD NOT BE PLACED IN ANY MOLD THAT WAS LIMITING AGAIN.

I WAS PAINFULLY SHY UNTIL I HAD ACID THERAPY, SWEETHEART, UNDER DOCTOR’S SUPERVISION. I WAS REBORN. IT WAS ENLIGHTENING. AT THE TIME THEY WERE EXPERIMENTING WITH STP, THE SUPER TRIP PILL - TALK TO TIMOTHY LEARY ABOUT THAT ONE! I TOOK IT WITH A DOCTOR AND I STAYED THERE FOR THREE DAYS UNTIL I THOUGHT 'OK, I SEE. NOW I CAN COME DOWN'. AFTER THAT I DIDN’T NEED ANY MORE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

AFTER I LEFT HOME I REALISED THAT I WAS NOT MYSELF. WHEN DOES ONE DECIDE TO BE ONESELF? I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT ALL COMES DOWN TO. I DECIDED FIRST TO DISCOVER LIFE AND THEN DECIDE WHAT I WANTED FROM LIFE, WHAT MADE ME HAPPY, WHAT WAS EASY FOR ME. BECAUSE WHATEVER ONE IS, ONE MUST FIRST KOW THE TRUTH ABOUT ONESELF.

WHEN I WAS ASKED TO DO A RECORD I MADE THE COMMITMENT TO FOLLOW MY DESTINY.

IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES WE ALL HAD OUR FUN, AND NOW AND THEN WE WENT REALLY TOO FAR. BUT ULTIMATELY, IT REQUIRED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CLEAR THINKING, A LOT OF HARD WORK AND GOOD MAKE-UP TO BE ACCEPTED AS A FREAK.

ARTISTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE INSECURE BUT I’M NOT. I FEEL THAT IF I’M ENJOYING WHAT I’M DOING IT DOESN’T MATTER IF I MAKE A FEW MISTAKES. I’M VERY OPEN TO EXPERIMENTATION. I LOVE TO TRY THINGS, COLLABORATING WITH MY ARTIST FRIENDS, EXPERIMENTING WITH IDEAS. THAT'S WHAT PUT ME ON THE CUTTING EDGE. THERE’S ALWAYS BEEN A MAGNET THAT PULLS ME TOGETHER WITH CRAZY ARTISTS, UNUSUAL PEOPLE, EVEN WHEN I’M NOT LOOKING FOR IT. IT IS PREDESTINED THAT WE CROSS EACH OTHERS PATHS.

I PERFORMED A LOT, AND STILL DO, IN GAY CLUBS. I THINK THEY ARE MY BEST AUDIENCE REALLY. YOU CAN GO AS FAR AS YOU WANT TO GO. THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN'T BE. I THINK WE RECOGNISE EACH OTHER. MOST OF THE REAL ROOTSY SCENE IN NEW YORK STARTED IN GAY PRIVATE CLUBS WITH GREAT MUSIC AND THE BEST, MOST FANATICAL DJS. THOUGH WHAT'S HAPPENED TO IT NOW IS JUST TYPICAL OF THE WAY OF LIFE IN NEW YORK - THAT'S CAPITALISM - IT JUST DESTROYS THINGS.

I DON’T BELIEVE IN MARRIAGE BECAUSE I DON’T BELIEVE IN DIVORCE. I THINK THE CONVENTIONAL WAY IS SO UNROMANTIC. IF THERE’S ANYTHING TO END A MARRIAGE, MARRIAGE WILL. YOU CAN STILL LOVE SOMEBODY AND NOT WANT TO MARRY THEM. BESIDES, MARRIAGE DOESN’T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT YOUR OTHER MOODS - LIKE WHEN WHEN YOU'RE FEELING MEAN AND UNLOVING.

I COMMUNICATE WITH MY SOUL RATHER THAN MY COLOUR SO I DON’T CARRY ANY CHIP ON MY SHOULDER ABOUT RACE. I COULD EASILY PLAY A WHITE GIRL. WHY SHOULDN'T I? I DON'T FEEL ESPECIALLY 'BLACK'. I AM BEYOND RACE. I CAN DO THEM ALL.

I HATE STRUCTURE. WHENEVER I FIND THINGS BECOMING STRUCTURED I THROW IT ALL AWAY. I'M ONE FOR CHANGE. I CAN FEEL IT COMING AND I JUST LET IT HAPPEN NATURALLY. I GO THROUGH THREE YEAR CYCLES AT THE END OF WHICH I SWEEP EVERYTHING OUT OF MY LIFE AND START OVER.

I ONCE SAID THAT THERE WASN’T A MAN ALIVE I COULDN’T HAVE IF I REALLY WANTED HIM. BUT IT TAKES SO MUCH ENERGY TO HYPNOTISE SOMEBODY THAT NOW I PREFER THEM TO DO THAT TO ME. IN THE PAST I'VE GONE FOR SOME REALLY HOT GUYS THAT HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE COMPLETE PSYCHOS, AND EITHER I WANT TO KILL THEM OR THEY WANT TO KILL ME. YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT TWICE, BELIEVE ME. IVE DONE IT THRICE!

SOCIETY CHANGES. WE STILL SAY 'SEX DRUGS AND ROCK AND ROLL' AND YET I GO TO A PRIVATE PARTY AND FEEL I HAVE TO ASK PERMISSION TO SMOKE A CIGARETTE. I DON’T, OF COURSE. I’M NOT GOING TO PUT THAT PRESSURE ON MYSELF. IF SOMEONE HAS A PROBLEM THEY CAN COME AND TELL ME.

I'VE NEVER BEEN AFRAID TO LIVE THIS WAY. NEVER. NEVER WILL. I DON'T CARE. I DO NOT CA-RRRE, HAHA. I'D RATHER BE LIKE THIS THAN BE ON SOMEONE ELSE'S TRIP. I HAVE TO LIVE MY LIFE. I HAVE TO BE MYSELF. IF I WERE TO REPRESS MY NATURE IT WOULD BE KILLING MYSELF.

I MOVE AROUND A LOT. SITTING STILL IS LIKE BEING NARROW MINDED - THERE’S A WHOLE WORLD OUT THERE. ALLTHE TRAVELLING I’VE DONE MEANS I SWITCH FROM ACCENT TO ACCENT AND LANGUAGE TO LANGUAGE AND PEOPLE CAN’T WORK OUT WHERE I AM FROM. WHEN THEY ASK I SAY, 'I’M FROM THE UNIVERSE'. WE’VE ALL BEEN ALIENS AND WE’LL BECOME ALIENS AGAIN.

IF I'M DEPRESSED, IF I'M FEELING ILL, ONCE I GET SOME OYSTERS MY TOES START TO TWINKLE AND I'M A MERMAID IN THE SEA. YOU NAME IT, ANYTHING FROM THE SEA I JUST LOVE. THAT’S MY FAVOURITE FOOD. I HAD A DOZEN OYSTERS LAST NIGHT. I FLY TO PARIS JUST TO EAT OYSTERS.

I DON'T CARE ABOUT GETTING OLD. I DON'T THINK ABOUT IT. I'M NOT GOING TO LOOK OLD FOR A VERY LONG TIME. ACTUALLY I FEEL LIKE I'M GETTING YOUNGER. AT THIRTEEN PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS THIRTY FIVE. NOW THEY SAY I'M MORE LIKE SEVENTEEN. TIME IS TIMELESS. I NEVER COUNT.

MY BIGGEST SPIRITUAL PROBLEM WAS THAT I WANTED TO BE UNDERSTOOD. WHY DOES SHE BEHAVE LIKE THAT? WHY DOES SHE CUT HER HAIR LIKE THAT? WHY DOES SHE SHAVE HER EYEBROWS? BUT WITH PATIENCE I REALISED THAT IT’S NOT ABOUT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDING ME, AND WITH THAT REALISATION I FOUND A CERTAIN FREEDOM. I AM GROSSLY MISUNDERSTOOD BUT IT’S FUNNY THAT MY WORST PHOBIA IS NOW MY MYSTERY AND I LIKE IT.

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