Kevyn Aucoin, artist and author, dies
Wed May 8, 7:17 PM ET
Tom Musbach, Gay.com / PlanetOut.com Network
SUMMARY: Kevyn Aucoin, an artist whose glamorous work with makeup was celebrated in books and coveted by many celebrities, died on Tuesday.
Kevyn Aucoin, an openly gay artist whose glamorous work with makeup was celebrated in books and coveted by many celebrities, died on Tuesday in a New York hospital at the age of 40.
The cause of death was complications from a pituitary brain tumor, according to his publicist Marcy Engelman.
His clients included Cher, Julia Roberts, Catherine Deneuve and Madonna (news - web sites), and his work often appeared on the covers of popular fashion magazines. Aucoin was the author of three books, "Face Forward," "Making Faces" and "The Art of Makeup," and he created his own product line.
Born in 1962 in Shreveport, La., Aucoin as a youth tried to copy the makeup on models in fashion magazines on the faces of his sisters. He moved to New York in 1983 and made up models for free.
"He was an advocate for the natural look as far back as the '80s," Linda Wells, editor of Allure, told the New York Times. "At first, it was a laughable concept. Makeup is artificial, after all, and the idea seemed oxymoronic."
The self-taught Aucoin did his first makeup work for a magazine cover in 1986 with photographer Richard Avedon. During the next three years, Aucoin's work appeared on 18 Vogue covers - in addition to other magazines.
Outside the world of fashion and celebrities, Aucoin was a supporter and speaker for the New York-based Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI), which fosters youth development for GLBT teens.
In a written statement released Wednesday, an HMI representative said: "Kevyn served as a shining example to young people everywhere. He overcame an adolescence in which he was isolated and ostracized for being 'different.' Through hard work and belief in his abilities, he built an international reputation as the entertainment industry's paramount stylist."
Aucoin, who had been treated for the brain tumor during the past year, posted a reflection about life and its uncertainty last month on his Web site. "I've heard that life is a series of old doors closing and new doors opening," he wrote, "but it's hell in the hallways."
He is survived by his partner, Jeremy Antunes; his parents, Thelma and Isidore Aucoin; his sisters, Carla and Kim; and a brother, Keith.