Brokeback... Karlson ;)

...like you never seen it before ;)



*via sunshine.by and gay.ru

Heath Ledger portrait wins Australian art prize

Dreamy Australian artist Vincent Fantauzzo took home the Archibald People’s Choice Prize today for his eerie portrait of Heath Ledger, who died less than a month later. (source: Queerty)

Reuters reports:

A portrait of a brooding Heath Ledger, painted shortly before the Australian actor died in January, was voted the most popular painting in Australia's top art prize for portraiture on Thursday.

Ledger, 28, best known for his role as a conflicted gay cowboy in the 2005 movie "Brokeback Mountain," died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in New York on January 22.

Artist Vincent Fantauzzo, 29, had been friends with Ledger for many years and painted his work in Ledger's hometown of Perth late last year.

"I wanted it to be dealing with self, your own consciousness and your thoughts," said Fantauzzo.

The painting features a bare-chested Ledger against a black background, looking straight out of the canvas with two other images of the actor at the sides whispering into his ears.

Fantauzzo's painting was a finalist in the 2008 Archibald Prize, Australia's top prize for portraiture, but he missed out on the top award, which went to a self-portrait of an artist with her two children.

But the Art Gallery of New South Wales on Thursday announced that the Ledger portrait had won the people's choice award, which is decided by votes from people who view the Gallery's Archibald exhibition.

More than 32,000 people voted, and the painting drew record crowds to the exhibition.

Fantauzzo has refused offers to buy the painting, and said he had spoken to Ledger's family, who decided the painting would be donated to the New South Wales Gallery in Sydney.

Ledger starred in 18 movies in Australia and Hollywood. He will appear as the Joker in the latest "Batman" movie, "Dark Knight," set for release in July.

Actor Heath Ledger is found dead

Was watching BBC news and suddenly... shocking breaking news... Heath Ledger is found dead in US... Feel very sad right now... Heath Ledger will always remain in my memory as Ennis Del Mar from “Brokeback Mountain”.

via NY Times:

The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment building at 421 Broome Street in SoHo, according to the New York City police. Mr. Ledger was 28.

At 3:31 p.m., a masseuse arrived at Apartment 5A in the building for an appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of Mr. Ledger’s bedroom. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger unconscious. They shook him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities. The police said they did not suspect foul play and said they found pills near body.

Mr. Ledger, a native of Perth, Australia, won acclaim for his role as a co-star in “Brokeback Mountain”, a 2005 film. The film, based on a short story by Annie Proulx about two cowboys who fall in love, won critical acclaim. Reviewing the film in The New York Times, the critic Stephen Holden wrote, “Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character. It is a great screen performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.”