Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour

In June 2022, I was invited by the BBC to be a part of the Florence episode of Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour. The documentary retraces the Grand Tour that the English aristocracy used to go on back in the day but through a queer and contemporary lens. In the show, Rob Rinder (@robrinder) and Rylan (@rylan)visit some of Italy’s most iconic cities in search of art and beauty. The series is like a mini art history lesson from your gay uncles... lighthearted, fun, full of banter, and of course nudity. I was invited to be a guest artist to represent the art scene of today.

My segment was placed in between the restauration Artemisia Gentileschi’s Inclination and Boticelli’s The Birth of Venus. Yes, I just read that again, because I’m in disbelief and giddy with excitement at the same time. In the episode, they first come to visit my studio in Florence and walk in as I am working on a painting of Iacopo.

We talk about art, bondage and restraints, both the tangible and intangible ones, and many other things I thematize in my work, like societal constructs and our preconceived notions and conditionings.

I then asked them if they’d be willing to pose for a painting. Rob is all for it and after some hesitation, Rylan also agrees.

I then tied them up, made sure they were comfortable, and started painging.

What you can’t see in the episode is how intensely challenging the shoot was for me. I painted Iacopo in an hour and a half and Rob and Rylan in 50 minutes. For anyone that has never tried this… it’s slightly insane. I remember that before we started the painting part, I took a moment to connect and really convince myself that I could pull this off in this very tight timeline. I gather all my strength and started to paint vigurously.

And after what felt like 10 minutes, the painting was finished and then came the reveal! They were really happy with the work, and to be honest so was I!

This is what the painting looks like signed and varnished.

And this is how the beautiful Iacopo turned out.

Obviously there is so much more that got cut out (like our lengthy conversations about everything from bondage and bonding to feminism and homophobia), but I’m so happy with the result and grateful that I got to be a part of this amazing series.

Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour aired in 2024, and you can watch me paint in the Florence episode by going to the BBC’s iPlayer app. HERE’S THE LINK!