supermodel, coming out, LGBTQ visibility, to her much-asked about relationships with both Madonna and Angelina Jolie.

And for some reason it calms me down completely. At that time I was in situations that were incredibly insane, yet beautiful, and just unbelievable. That’s what I really loved about the job. That’s why I’m writing a book about my experience. I don’t think that anyone had the same eyes that I had back in the 90s and I don’t think anyone had the experiences I had. I always told myself in these moments, like “I am Linda Evangelista” that I HAVE to remember this forever, so I can eventually write something.

Q> Where can your fans keep up with you? You’ve got a blog, you’re on facebook and twitter, etc...J> On Jennyshimizuonline.com there are links to my blog-twitter-facebook- you can keep up with all those ways.

Q> Is there anything you’d like to say to the people of Virginia? J> Yes. Visibility is really important to me because when I grew up and came out, we had Queer Nation and we had all the AIDS activist groups starting and that was so empowering for me to be around like-minded people and to be around a whole transition in being gay and fighting for our rights. All these things—media, magazines, anything you can talk about and be yourself is really important for being recognized as an equal citizen by everybody. Being treated with respect like people would treat their family. So, I love doing stuff like this.

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Part Two in a series by Cupid Ojala

Q> The bathtub image is very powerful. How did you come up with the idea of filling it with dirt? J> The honest, honest answer would be…I had lost my Mother. In mid-November she had passed away. And this was one of the earliest pieces I had done since she passed. My Mother was cremated, so when I was creating this, I hadn’t had the greater concept of what my work was going to be, it was just…“I need to make this piece, I don’t know why. I just need to fill this bathtub with dirt.” It came from this idea of almost searching for a grave for my Mother. The real honest, core reason behind it is, is it how I want the work read? No, because I feel like my personal motivation and what the work says to other people are two different paths. After re-analyzing, I found it touched on all these other things. So now, a bathtub as we know, is a place of relaxation, but it’s kind of shaped like a coffin, and this resting place can also refer to the final resting place and the bathtub is talking about a place of cleansing and purity and now it’s with this dirtiness and darkness that you don’t expect. The materials I use I try to create juxtaposition because I feel like if I just showed you an everyday situation, you’d just pass by it. So I have to create this “offness.”