"I harbor a concealed existence," singer Donna Summer reveals in the latest HBO documentary, "Love to Love You, Donna Summer." She continues, "You may be gazing at me, but what meets the eye does not reflect my true essence."
This sentiment punctuates multiple instances where Summer directly engages the audience in Roger Ross Williams and Brooklyn Sudano's May-released film. The documentary strikes a delicate balance, compassionately delving into the singer's inner struggles and her bleakest moments.
Summer, once an unwilling icon of sensuality who later embraced her Christian faith, approached her persona as "Donna Summer" and her sensuous stage persona with the finesse of an actress. Drawing from candid audio recordings featured in her 2003 memoir, "Ordinary Girl," and low-budget home movies she personally filmed and directed, the documentary unveils a vulnerable and humorous side of her. Through this lens, we come to know Summer not just as the diva she portrayed on stage but also as a lover of musical theater, a fan of fairy tales, and the intrepid leading lady in her own life's drama. Sadly, Summer passed away at the age of 63 in 2012 after a valiant battle with lung cancer.
Sudano is well-acquainted with this aspect, being the offspring of Donna Summer. Within the documentary, Sudano reflects on her mother's remarkable ability to metamorphose and inhabit various personas.
In the narrative of "Love to Love You," Donna Summer undergoes a multitude of transformations. Born in Massachusetts in 1948, she was one of seven siblings raised by her parents, a butcher and a schoolteacher, in a deeply religious household. Her journey led her from being a devout church singer in Boston, embracing gospel music, to her stint as a hippie turned frontwoman for the blues band Crow in New York, and further on to her phase as a bubblegum pop vocalist in Germany. Along the way, she married Austrian actor Helmuth Sommer and raised their daughter, Mimi, all while grappling with sudden fame and the tumultuous challenges of postpartum life.
As the late 1970s rolled around, her international hits, such as "I Feel Love," "Last Dance," and "Bad Girls," solidified her status as the unequivocal "Queen of Disco." This reputation was bolstered by her fruitful musical collaboration with her producer and mentor, Giorgio Moroder. The five-time Grammy winner's unforgettable three-octave mezzo-soprano voice left an indelible mark across diverse musical genres, encompassing inspiration, dance, rock, pop, and R&B.
Painting was a source of profound delight for Donna Summer. In the documentary, she fondly expresses, "There was an abundance of color all around me." While her stage performances left her "empty-handed" in a metaphorical sense, painting offered her a tangible outlet for her creative talents, free from the complexities of agents or managers.
Despite her lack of formal art education, Summer embarked on her painting journey during her teenage years, experimenting with acrylics and watercolors. It wasn't until the 1990s that she took the bold step of showcasing her canvases, mounting exhibitions at esteemed venues like the Circle Galleries in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Bal Harbour.
Her acrylic artworks radiate exuberance, filled with vibrant and woman-centric imagery that bursts forth with an explosion of colors. Donna Summer's 1983 chart-topping pop-rock sensation, "She Works Hard for the Money," evolved into a feminist anthem that resonated with working women across America during the 1980s. This theme of women's empowerment seamlessly wove itself into her artistry.
In a piece titled "Chairman of the Board" from 1988, Summer conjures the persona of Chaka Cohen, a woman donning a shoulder-padded jacket while holding a cigarette. Conversely, "Scarlet Starlette" from the same year envisions a quasi-pop star, an ostentatious party aficionado, or perhaps a Hollywood "it girl" starlet. Her heart-shaped crimson bustier and magenta permed hair epitomize the excess of that era.
Summer demonstrated a profound understanding of art history and occasionally subverted its conventions. In one undated artwork titled "The Black Odalisque," she portrays a topless Black woman, boldly showcasing her sexuality. Historically, the trope of the odalisque had been wielded by white European men, often exploiting their female models, many of whom were enslaved women. This trope is deeply rooted in the problematic concept of Orientalism. By reclaiming and reinterpreting this image, Summer was reclaiming it from the white male gaze that had historically used it for their own sexual and voyeuristic gratification.
To some extent, these paintings may also serve as Donna Summer's commentary on the financial exploitation and misogynoir she encountered in the music industry. In the documentary, she drew a striking parallel, likening her experiences in the music business to a harrowing cycle of violation and abuse. One can easily envision that she, herself, may have felt like the Black odalisque she portrayed in her artwork.
Summer's artistic process was marked by spontaneity and a sense of liberation. Sketching was a rarity for her, as she preferred to work with an intuitive approach. She eschewed conventional paintbrushes, instead opting for a scraper tool. Her creative repertoire spanned across figuration, abstraction, and still life, typically crafting large-scale pieces with a vibrant, expressive color palette, all while centering the theme of women yearning for emancipation. She painted her fantastical realm on her own terms and effectively served as its captivating storyteller.
Her portfolio also included abstracted landscapes, such as "Technicolor Faces of Rio," and a nostalgic tribute to the iconic Manhattan scene, complete with yellow cabs, aptly titled "New York City from Above the 10th Floor in the Rain" (1988). An undated abstract work, "Riding Through a Storm," featured robust brushstrokes drenched in jewel tones, which seemed to serve as candid confessions on the canvas, allowing Summer to convey a complex array of emotions.
During the early 1980s, Donna Summer embraced a slower and more serene lifestyle. She entered a new chapter by marrying musician Bruce Sudano and welcoming two daughters, Brooklyn and Amanda, into their lives. On their expansive 56-acre ranch in Thousand Oaks, she embarked on a prolific period of painting. Within her garage studio, Summer would generously provide her daughters with paint and canvases, encouraging them to engage in artistic endeavors alongside her.
Her artistic creations, complemented by glamorous stage costumes, rare photographs, handwritten lyrics, and an array of personal memorabilia, recently found new homes through a remarkable auction at Christie's New York, fetching nearly $1 million.
This sale, held both online and in person during Pride month, featured an assortment of items linked to the Reagan administration, including an official letter of gratitude from the President's inauguration committee and a satin bomber jacket adorned with the name "Donna." It's worth noting that Summer performed at President Reagan's second-term inauguration in 1985, a choice that has since been viewed critically, given Reagan's controversial stance on HIV/AIDS and his perceived inaction during the height of the epidemic.
Furthermore, the auction addressed Donna Summer's past comments, such as the infamous "Adam and Steve" remarks she made during a 1983 performance in Atlantic City, as documented by the Village Voice. This proactive approach was commendable, especially considering that many LGBTQ+ individuals were central to her fan base. Some felt disillusioned by Summer's transition to a born-again Christian during the politically conservative Reagan era, particularly due to her alleged statement that "AIDS was God's punishment," a comment that lingered over her legacy for decades.
"I never initiated a conflict targeting the LGBTQ+ community," she stated during an interview with the Advocate in 1989. Shortly thereafter, she composed a letter addressed to ACT UP, reiterating her rejection of the erroneous statements. In her message, she clarified, "I did not assert that AIDS is a divine punishment upon gay individuals, nor did I harbor negative intentions while passing judgment on your lives."
Love to Love You also examines Summer's teen years of sexual assault at the hands of a church priest. She almost took her own life in 1976 by walking out of a window sill at a New York hotel after becoming an overnight fame. When it came to Mimi, she felt like an absent mother, and her despair was "crushing" her. She was dating German artist Peter Mühldorfer at the time, who she said physically assaulted her and envied her as she rose to fame.
People she cared about experienced similar types of violence. When she was 19, Mimi admitted that their housekeeper's relative had sexually abused her when she was a young child.
Perhaps painting served as a therapeutic outlet for Summer's healing, allowing her to process accumulated generational trauma as well as other internal conflicts. Similar to when she writes songs, Summer was able to expose her strengths, weaknesses, and shortcomings through her creativity.
Mimi says in Love to Love You how her mother's relationship with art was profound. As Mimi puts it, "She was really in her space" while working.
Selena Mattei