mardi 6 septembre 2016

Colby Keller ...


KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ BABY

an Interview with Colby Keller
by SDP Editors and Billy Mecca. Photography by Menelik Puryear

Recently, Colby Keller had the biggest release of his life. Nope, not that kind.
Instead, the burly porn star purged himself of all his possessions – both tangible (books, clothes, furniture) and intangible (social media and so on). His goal was to get rid of all his stuff and release the clutter from his life, and while doing so, he’s set out on the road trip of his life – driving across America and Canada as a way to meet his fans and regain focus (while hopefully making a film in each state and province along the way).
His project, aptly titled #ColbyDoesAmerica, needs your help to keep it … trucking.  Who knows, maybe you’ll get a release of your own along the way!


SDP:  First things first – and I’ll get into the other stuff in a bit. You run a blog called Big Shoe Diaries. What’s behind the name?
Colby Keller: I have large feet. I wear mostly size 14 and 15 shoes. As a kid I remember sneaking peeks at the sexy series called “Red Shoe Diaries” and thought a pun might be fun.
Why did you decide to start your blog?
Originally, a fellow performer had claimed he was receiving thousands of dollars of gifts from fans. I later learned that he, like a lot of gay-for-pay actors, was exaggerating. But I did find a fun voice and enjoyed engaging with my fans, who actually ended up buying art books to help amass an incredible library that now belongs to the Contemporary Museum in Baltimore.


There have been a whole bunch of changes happening in your life as of late. What on earth is going on?
My lease was not renewed and it was time to leave Baltimore for various reasons. I decided to give away my stuff to my friends and fans and turned the act of ‘gifting’ into an art project that coincided with another project I was working on that was ending at the same time.

In some ways, you’re turning a new leaf. Starting with The Indie GoGo Project. For those of us who are unfamiliar, can you break this down for us? What’s the motive behind this?
I am a porn actor and I am an artist.  I’ve done a few road trips before and I really like the idea of using this transitional moment to travel around, make some porn, make some art, meet other artists and so on before I settle back down again. I’m raising funds for a van, a mattress, a camera and travel funds. The porn I make will be available to supporters for free and I hope to make a video in all 50 states (and most of Canada too). Some of it will be straight up gonzo style porn. Some of it will fall into the art porn category and all of it will be filmed away from the big porn capital cities of NYC and LA.


You recently sold all your belongings and gave away all your stuff. Was that really necessary?
I didn’t sell anything - I gave it all away. It was necessary for my practice. I don’t know where I’ll be in a year and it’s reckless to spend money on a storage unit without a long-term plan. Plus, it’s just stuff and it feels amazing. The only thing I was worried about was my book collection because it had been donated by fans, but with the donation to the museum, I was able to keep that collection mostly intact. Everything else was stuff I’d bought at thrift stores over the years. I also gave most of the fan art that’s been sent my way to someone who can keep it safe in case anyone ever wants to look at it. I recommend that everyone purge themselves of their possessions from time to time. You’ll feel lighter than any colonic cleanse you can dream of.
There was a lot of talk about you giving away your Instagram account to your friend Dana. How come you did this? What about all the fans? Do you regret it at all?
When I made the decision to fully release myself of my possessions, it made sense to go all the way with the project and even release myself of dynamic possessions like social media profiles. I ultimately realized I should maintain a couple of these, like Twitter and Facebook, for consistency as I moved on to new projects. Yet, I wanted to experiment with what it would mean to give up something valuable, like my Instagram feed. It struck me as funny that it was taken down by Instagram for violating terms of service. Their argument was that it was not me representing who I actually am, and I was letting someone else run my feed. Since I am a porn star with a ‘fake name’ and an assumed identity – it’s already a projection of fantasy.


You call yourself a Sex Nerd. Why?
Because I am a nerd. I like to read and go to museums and geek out about information, art and ideas, but I also like sex and am a sexual being.  Our culture puts a lot of emphasis on certain performances of “sexy” that have always seemed false to me.  I think people who are being themselves are the sexiest people.


Your goal is to travel across the country to get in touch with your larger community. What propelled this idea?
I’ve done a few cross country road trips and they opened up amazing possibilities and opportunities to make art and see the world through fresh eyes. I’d like to see what a significant amount of time on the road could lead to.
Your plan is to make a porn in every state (and province in Canada). How are you planning on finding your subjects??
I’ll solicit via my blog and work with people I already know in the industry. I might event use an app or two.


You’ve set a timeline of less than a year – do you think it’s feasible to make all this happen?
I think it’s Mindy Kaling who said, “you just have to say you can do something and then try to make it happen”. I have a lot of support already, both financially and logistically. I’m going to try my hardest.
Give us an update as to where you stand with the project and what everyone can do to help make your dream a reality?
I’m currently trying to hit my budget on a fundraising site called IndieGogo. The project is called #ColbyDoesAmerica in honor of the famous film, “Debbie Does Dallas”. We’re about halfway there and have 14 days left. The link to the campaign is www.indiegogo.com/projects/big-shoe-adventure-1-colby-does-america-and-canada-too/x/7939516


Do you plan on doing this trip alone? Or, do you have someone coming with you?
I will likely do much of it alone and much of it with friends, fans and collaborators along the way. When there’s a camera along for the ride, can I really do anything truly alone?
You’re also fucking hilarious. Can I bring you home to my parents?
Only if they’re as funny as you.


UPDATE: As of our story’s publication date, the #colbydoesamerica Indiegogo campaign is now ¾ of the way funded with just 8 days left to go. Colby’s just added some new perks for helping him on his way across the USA & Canada, including postcards of some of the photos you’ve seen featured exclusively here on Summer Diary by Menelik Puryear. 
For the latest info on #colbydoesamerica and Colby Keller, visit his blog Big Shoe Diaries, and follow Colby on FacebookTwitter, and @kolbyceller & @colbydoesamerica on Instagram.

Menelik Puryear is a fashion, fine art, and portrait photographer based in New York City.

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