Ying & Yang

John and Stuart playing in the sand by the Baltic Sea, April of 1961

Photographed by Astrid Kirchherr

“It was a very beautiful friendship John had with Stu. John, even though he’d gone into the music end of the art world and left his art behind, he still desperately wanted to be a painter, and Stuart was a fantastic and dedicated artist. It was like John was ying and he was yang. Stuart had the discipline, the talent, he was a genius in his own right. John was the outrageous musician, whom Stuart was fascinated by, and Stuart taught John many things. They totally understood each other and go to each other what they knew, what they had to offer. John helped Stuart to assert himself, and Stuart helped John to come down a little bit, to be less abrasive, less harsh. That was the beauty of their friendship.”

Cynthia, 1988