Bettie Page is part of our collective unconscious, even though most of us have no idea who she is.

My first encounter with Bettie was in Amsterdam in 1990. A traveling companion was terribly excited to find a book of her Movie Star News pictures. On looking at the images I was shocked, not by the subject matter, but by recognition. I realized that I had seen her face all my life, but without a name to put to it, the awareness had lurked subliminally. I was also intrigued by the contrast in the photos: the smiling faces and sense of fun combined with the provocative imagery. I wondered what the atmosphere in the studio was like that would allow this, and I wondered who these people, the photographers and models, were.

The research that followed revealed Bettie to be a fascinating human being - with the iconic quality of Marilyn Monroe or Elvis Presley. During her six year career it is estimated that more than 500,000 photographs were taken of her. Her face appeared on magazines, postcards, books, and records, and her look has been emulated by movie stars, rock stars, fashion designers, models, and many visual artists.

As I learned more I became equally interested in Irving and Paula Klaw, the brother and sister business partners who took the most famous of Bettie's photos: a head-in-the-clouds business man and a down-to-earth, pragmatic artist.

Kink! is the myth of Bettie Page rather than the true story. It is my attempt to answer the questions I had on first seeing their photographs ten years ago, and has also become a bit of a personal crusade to raise awareness of this remarkable woman. On behalf of the entire cast and crew, I thank you for coming.

Paul Morgan Donald

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