At the Dr Sketchy’s Berlin “Anita Berber” session, Berlin cabaret superstar and muse Le Pustra portrayed Sebastian Droste.

Droste was Anita Berber’s gay husband, a figure of crafted intrigue, tweaked out cocaine addict ferocity, and wild Expressionist talent.

Together they created a kind of Smut Dada that exhilarated and appalled the world, exactly as they intended. Lustmord, Sex and Death.

“Here as elsewhere, Droste materializes as a liminal figure, both male and female, human and god. In this and other scenarios of sacrifice, the accent falls not on redemption, but on sheer eroticism of self-extinction, the ecstasy of Lustmord.”

-from the must-read introduction to Merrith Cole’s translation of the Berber-Droste book of poems, Dances of Vice, Horror, and Ecstasy.

The session was in the very elegant salon setting of queer space Cafe Kalwil on Berlin’s historic gay boulevard Motzstraße.

Since we did not want to damage the silk satin and devoré velvet furniture, we used only graphite and pencils. I added some pastel and ink later, at home.

On Monday I went to my favorite art supply store near Winterfeldplatz specifically to get an oil pastel in a deep labial/glanz pink to accent the Sebastian drawings. It seemed like the right thing to do!

I cannot wait to see Le Pustra’s celebrated Kabarett der Namenlosen at Ballhaus Berlin next March. (Trailer here) I will make so many drawings!

So much gratitude and thanks to LaLaVox and Le Pustra for organizing such a dream event for artists!

Mad praise to Le Pustra for his creation of Droste as decadent and bitter, yet sensual and vulnerable. Even more drawings coming soon! You can see my drawings of Bridge Markland as Anita Berber here, drawings from the previous Dr. Sketchy’s Berlin here, and here’s the Instagram for Dr Sketchy’s Berlin.

Please remember: if you enjoy my drawing documentation of Berlin’s queer art scene, you can support my doing it for as little as $1 (or euro) a month by pledging to my Patreon!