The set pieces/backdrop Jay painted look great. We put it to the test with our cameras. I took this portrait of Jay just before he changed out of his paint-splattered overalls.

I was inspired by the portraits of Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. I like how Greenfield-Sanders’ portraits express each subject’s persona. It’s not like “plug model A into slot X.” His photo of Andy Warhol has his clothing fading right into the black backdrop. Dennis Hopper’s shoulders fill the whole frame of the photo, making him seem really intimidating. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is tightly composed in a chair way too big for her, and John Malkovich perches thoughtfully on what looks like a plank or a diving board.

So here he is: Jay, the artist who creates what you see behind me, and the man who loves being in my behind.