THE GILDED ABATTOIR:

a gathering of visual artists at work on tumblr, with a focus on queer values, transgressive subjects, & the human body as metaphor. My photography: The Optical Box Chronicle | Other curated galleries: The Optical Box Gallery

[optichron]

End of the road, kinda...

Hey, folks, just a wee note to let you know that this blog has reached its natural conclusion, something I had planned on doing after the changes in Tumblr’s content policy last year.

The queue has now been depleted, and no more posts will be forthcoming. It’s been a wonderful, interesting, sometimes perplexing few years here on Tumblr, and I have made so many great friends from all around the planet, as well as encountered a wealth of talented artists. It was a pleasure to see your work on a daily basis and watch how everyone’s work evolved over time.

That said, I will be leaving the blog here, rather than deleting it as I had originally intended to do. If you want to stay in touch on Tumblr, you can follow me over at mitch-cullin, where I intend to post more recent images and 35mm work from the past 30 years that I have yet to scan. You can also connect with me via Instagram @mitchcullin1. 

Lastly, regarding the Yes We Are “Magazine” issues. I am still processing a lot of the messages many of you have sent me. For those who have asked that I keep their names & messages confident, don’t worry. There are a few things in the works to unmask ol’ Basile for the fake that he is, but it will be a while. I have been contacted by two outside people who have taken an interest in the weirdness of the Tumblr photographic community, and I will continue to help those individuals in their different investigations. It should be interesting.

Otherwise, that’s it. Have a great 2019, and I’ll see ya around when I see ya.

Bonnie Jock Cullin, aka Mitch

[optichron]

Basile Pesso/Anne Pangolin Guéno/Yes We Are Magazine

I’ll start by thanking the dozen or so individuals who reached out to me over the last few weeks to discuss Basile Pesso and their own unpleasant interactions with him. It has been very interesting, very revealing. As a result, I’ve gained quite an insight into Basile’s hygiene deficient and paranoid world, a reality which consists of strung out, often manic, addiction-fueled behavior that is devoid of irony, humor, or empathy; he exists in both a sad and ugly place, squandering any goodwill extended toward him by others.

Basile would be a pitiable character worthy of compassion if it weren’t for how toxic he becomes to almost everyone that deals with him. There is a predatory, grooming aspect to how he lures people into his web. Over and over again the same story has been related to me. He begins as a huge fan of someone’s photography, heaping praise upon them, and championing their work via private messages and his Yes We Are Magazine public platform; and then, in time, his affability for these people becomes suddenly nasty, turning on them out of the blue if he feels they aren’t loyal to him and him alone.

As one person told me, “I know several people who left Tumblr solely because of [Basile], and this was before the latest Tumblr exodus. I blocked him long ago, but I’m sure he’s still lurking around. I can smell him.”

To be honest, after communicating with the woman Basile lists as his lawyer, I intended to just let the whole thing go (she wants nothing to do with him, and she is certain he is a paranoid schizophrenic). But I have recently been contacted by two individuals who both tell very disturbing personal stories of having been stalked via social media by Basile Pesso and his so-called girlfriend Anne Pangolin Guéno. One of these women has given me permission to post her story of Basile’s harassment and stalking here (as long as her name isn’t mentioned). Both of these women had contacted the Tumblr support about Basile’s stalking and threats, but nothing was ever done.

In any case, before I go public with more disturbing details, I am appealing to anyone else in the Tumblr photographic community who has been harassed by Basile to get in touch. Please contact me and Tumblr about your interactions with him. He is, for the most part, a petty, vengeful man who bounces around social media, doing so under a collection of various aliases and fake accounts. But while Basile is clearly mentally ill, his sexually predatory, homophobic, racist, and toxic behavior should not be tolerated.

Your story is important, and no one should have to feel threatened or scared to post on Tumblr because of Basile Pesso. He is a worm at best. He fantasizes about being the photographic king of social media, which, sadly, is about as meaningful as being Monopoly rich.

Mitch

@staff @support

[optichron]

I appreciate those who have contacted me since I first made this post yesterday. I’m still surprised at how widespread Basile’s stalking and harassment has been. Anyway, I’m thankful for your contact and trust, and you have my word that I will guard your identity. Anyone else, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You’re story is important, but I promise to protect your identity. That said, Basile is not someone to fear; he’s just a big mouth coward.

@staff @support

[opticalgallery]

UPDATE: Just a small taste of Basile Pesso’s nuttiness sent to someone in the Tumblr photographic community (shated here by permission):

@yeswearemagazine: About paranoia, it’s really extremely simple : just ask yourself : “how many people does Basile know in the art world, and how many people does he select for the mag here and on Fb ?” Answer : thousands, or hundreds. Why would he choose people like that, by chance (I keep on using the third person), for his anger, when he’s actually friends with these people , and when his interest is to have the greatest interest in keeping them all here to keep on a high level magazine ? I have written about this in public. I have ZERO interest in losing high talents, except if I’m totally crazy. And as I have also written publicly, someone totally crazy who targets people by chance, is easily insulting and targets many, many people ; and is also known in private and public to be insulting, unable to discuss, etc. Someone insulted like me now here in this discussion wouldn’t try to explain AGAIN a case he has explained so many times. He’d get insulting and crazy. You might not know psychology, I do. So, you really have to understand what a paranoid is NOT (will keep on the harassment’s explanation in the next message).”

Thanks again for contacting me. Shining light on Basile and his stalking is the only way to eradicate Basile’s method of intimidating the Tumblr photographic community.

@staff @support Where are you guys while this jerk keeps lying and sexually harassing people?

[optichron]

To the three people who messaged me today about the harassment and messages they received from Basile Pesso (and Anders). Thank you for sharing and thank you for your trust. I’m still processing all the messages I’ve received from others regarding this stalking nut. I think Basile assumes he can just block people who call him out on his crap, but life doesn’t work that way. Whether he blocks or not, the coward is still on record. Staff? @support @staff

[mkulischphoto]

Hans. My last session of 2016.

[gymboas-deactivated20191217]

Burning particles falling of the torch on my skin burning their way into it

[aegea]

[aegea]

[aegea]

[aegea]

[aegea]

[rapsodia2000-deactivated2018030]

ARTìFEX  #8 [ portraits of artisti  ]  Every artist lays himself bare in front of the public to transfer emotions. However, he’ll keep wearing a light mask to interpret multiple roles, all different from his real one.

model: Riccardo Vianello  ( actor )

[rapsodia2000-deactivated2018030]

ARTìFEX  #9 [ portraits of artisti  ]  Every artist lays himself bare in front of the public to transfer emotions. However, he’ll keep wearing a light mask to interpret multiple roles, all different from his real one.

model: Romina Zadi  ( dancer )

[rapsodia2000-deactivated2018030]

ARTìFEX  #10 [ portraits of artisti  ]  Every artist lays himself bare in front of the public to transfer emotions. However, he’ll keep wearing a light mask to interpret multiple roles, all different from his real one.

 Luca Guastini  @lucaguastini  ( actor )

[rapsodia2000-deactivated2018030]

ARTìFEX  #11 [ portraits of artisti  ]  Every artist lays himself bare in front of the public to transfer emotions. However, he’ll keep wearing a light mask to interpret multiple roles, all different from his real one.

 Adriano  Bettinelli  ( dancer )

[rapsodia2000-deactivated2018030]

ARTìFEX  #12 [ portraits of artisti  ]  Every artist lays himself bare in front of the public to transfer emotions. However, he’ll keep wearing a light mask to interpret multiple roles, all different from his real one.

 Thomas Grazioso ( singer )

[warrenrobert-deactivated2019010]

Rify x Warren Giddarie

[warrenrobert-deactivated2019010]

[gay-eye-deactivated20190406]

On the rock