'Love artist' a festival draw

An American love artist who promises to deliver unconditional amour is doing a roaring trade selling off intimate hours alone as art.

New Yorker Kathe Izzo, 45, promises to give 100% attention to anyone buying an hour of her time as part of an arts festival in Cardiff.

Her Theatre of Love is currently featured at the fourth Experimentica festival at the Welsh capital’s Chapter Arts Centre.

But anyone turning up expecting some form of legalised sex for sale is quickly disabused by the Brooklyn-born former astrologer.

“People are not hiring my body, they are buying art,” she said.

“I prepare beforehand like an actress or an athlete and try to be really focused so I can give a person my undivided attention.

“Basically, what I do is put a frame round human existence and call it art.

“I see myself as a cross between the Dalai Lama and a bar tender. I am a figure who is larger than life.

“I come and spend time with people quite earnestly. I speak with them, I hang out and listen to what they have to say.

“But I would never put myself in a dangerous situation and I would never have sex with anyone. That isn’t what it is about.”

Visitors to the event, which began on Wednesday and runs until Sunday, can choose anything from from shopping theatre to eating, cooking or sleeping theatre.

Essentially, for the price of the festival entrance fee, you can buy the artist’s time in any number of every day settings.

Part of the appeal is the possibility of establishing immediate intimacy with a total stranger – a feeling Kathe believes is akin to love.

Private areas are available at the arts centre and one hour bookings have been buoyant from the outset.

But back in New York, when she feels confident in a person’s motive, Kathe can spend a full day “hanging out” with someone for art’s sake.

“I call myself The Love Artist, which is maybe a little bit pretentious,” she added.

“But what I do I take very seriously although there is a certain element of humour involved.

“But I think that people get a real high from what I do. I try to let nothing else exist for me at the time I am with someone.”