Erasure are Vince Clarke and Andy Bell -- Andy has one of the purest voices in pop music. I was listening to their album "Nightbird" as I was making this evening's posts, and I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite songs from that album with you...
Saturday, March 26, 2011
unknown leather stud
I won this 4x5 photo on eBay a couple of weeks ago. No idea who the model is, or the photographer (maybe Avery Willard?) but the image spoke to me and I jumped on it.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Jean Ferrero's cover to International Nudist Sun 13
This magazine arrived in the mail today. Asian men in physique photography are so rare that my eyes nearly fell out of my skull when I saw this on eBay a couple of weeks ago. What a hot stud! If only I knew his name (and had more shots of him in my collection) -- alas, he only appears on the cover of this 1965 magazine.
Updated 3/23!
Thanks to Robin for sending along two more images of my new boyfriend, as well as a name -- "Domine." I love to have a name to go along with a face!
Belinda Carlisle - "I Get Weak" (featuring Tony Ward)
I was talking with a colleague at work today about the sad state of radio -- the 80s are now considered "oldies" or, in the new radio jargon -- "timeless."
In honor of Rick Castro's symposium in LA this weekend, enjoy this absolutely timeless 1988 video by Miss Belinda Carlisle, singing to Rick's muse: Mr. Tony Ward.
In honor of Rick Castro's symposium in LA this weekend, enjoy this absolutely timeless 1988 video by Miss Belinda Carlisle, singing to Rick's muse: Mr. Tony Ward.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Good night, and sweet dreams...
Maybe I'll get lucky and have some dreams with Bruce's Scotty Cunningham... *sigh!* ....
Rick Castro - "The Perfect Gentleman"
And speaking of current events not to miss -- vintage fan, photographer extraordinaire and all-around swell guy Rick Castro will be speaking at the One National Gay and Lesbian Archives in downtown Los Angeles this Sunday. Here's the official announcement --
ONE Culture Series: Rick Castro "The Perfect Gentleman"
Rick Castro has been in the forefront of counterculture art, fetish photography and independent film for over 25 years, all-the-while working and creating in his hometown of Los Angeles. Join Rick for a trip down memory lane, (1986 thru 2010) indulge in his images, vision and ideas about fetish, subculture and how they are defining 21st century culture. A perfect way to kick off LA leather week 2011. Rick is an independent filmmaker, photographer and curator. His work has been published in artist editions, exhibitions and institutions worldwide. Castro's works are in the permanent collections of The Alfred Kinsey Institute and The Tom Of Finland Foundation. His photography has been featured in Art in America, Flaunt, Attitude UK, DNA and Tetu magazines. He was the west coast editor for Studio Magazines, (Blue, Black & White) Australia from 2001 till 2007. Castro co-wrote and co-directed the iconic film Hustler White with Bruce La Bruce in 1996. Rick also directed the infamous doco called PLUSHIES & FURRIES, for MTV in 2001. He has created two books of his photography. Castro, (1991) and 13 Years of Bondage, (2004). Castro has lectured about his work at NYU, UCLA, UCSB, Track 16 Gallery, Bergamont Station, and 18th Street Arts Complex. On November 11th, 2005, Rick founded ANTEBELLUM gallery in Hollywood. Rick considers Antebellum the only fetish art gallery in America, and perhaps the world.
Rick Castro lives and works in Los Angeles, California.
Date: March 20, 2011
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Where: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives (Downtown LA)
909 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, 90007
Cross Streets: West Adams Blvd. / Figueroa Street
Admission: There is a suggested $5.00 donation, but no one is turned away for lack of funds.
Sorry I can't be there, Rick -- but I hope to see you soon!
ONE Culture Series: Rick Castro "The Perfect Gentleman"
Rick Castro has been in the forefront of counterculture art, fetish photography and independent film for over 25 years, all-the-while working and creating in his hometown of Los Angeles. Join Rick for a trip down memory lane, (1986 thru 2010) indulge in his images, vision and ideas about fetish, subculture and how they are defining 21st century culture. A perfect way to kick off LA leather week 2011. Rick is an independent filmmaker, photographer and curator. His work has been published in artist editions, exhibitions and institutions worldwide. Castro's works are in the permanent collections of The Alfred Kinsey Institute and The Tom Of Finland Foundation. His photography has been featured in Art in America, Flaunt, Attitude UK, DNA and Tetu magazines. He was the west coast editor for Studio Magazines, (Blue, Black & White) Australia from 2001 till 2007. Castro co-wrote and co-directed the iconic film Hustler White with Bruce La Bruce in 1996. Rick also directed the infamous doco called PLUSHIES & FURRIES, for MTV in 2001. He has created two books of his photography. Castro, (1991) and 13 Years of Bondage, (2004). Castro has lectured about his work at NYU, UCLA, UCSB, Track 16 Gallery, Bergamont Station, and 18th Street Arts Complex. On November 11th, 2005, Rick founded ANTEBELLUM gallery in Hollywood. Rick considers Antebellum the only fetish art gallery in America, and perhaps the world.
Rick Castro lives and works in Los Angeles, California.
Date: March 20, 2011
Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Where: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives (Downtown LA)
909 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, 90007
Cross Streets: West Adams Blvd. / Figueroa Street
Admission: There is a suggested $5.00 donation, but no one is turned away for lack of funds.
Sorry I can't be there, Rick -- but I hope to see you soon!
Bob Mizer in Berlin - 2 days left!
Speaking of Bob Mizer -- the exhibit of color work by the man who was AMG is entering its final two days, closing this Saturday, March 19 at Exile Gallery in Berlin!
Here is the description of the show from the gallery brochure (sure wouldn't mind having a real one to go along with the .pdf, Den... wink wink!!)
After two years in our previous location, Exile Gallery had the
pleasure to announce its inaugural exhibition in our new space
at Köpenicker Str 39 HH, 10179 Berlin-Mitte with:
Bob Mizer: Selected Private Works 1942-1992
Feb 19 - Mar 19, 2011
Opening: Saturday, Feb 19, 7-10pm
Exile is excited to present Bob Mizer: Select Private Works
1942-1992, featuring a special selection of private photos by
American photographer and visual mastermind Bob Mizer,
exhibited now for the very first time. This show launches not
only Exile’s new location but also an ongoing collaboration
with the newly formed Bob Mizer Foundation. Consisting of 26
modern custom Cibachrome prints carefully produced in strictly
limited editions from never before seen vintage Kodachrome
film positives, the exhibition gives an initial insight into this
artist’s extensive personal work and creative process.
Bob Mizer (1922-1992) founded Athletic Model Guild in 1945
as well as the ground-breaking magazine Physique Pictorial in
1951. Vintage and modern prints from Mizer’s AMG studio are
cherished, collected, shared, traded, exhibited and published on
endless occasions. But this exhibition introduces a Bob Mizer
that has hardly been known and never before exhibited until
today.
Over the course of his career he continuously pushed social,
political and aesthetic boundaries, and his life and art have
had a lasting influence on countless artists and filmmakers as
well as on visual culture as a whole. Based in Los Angeles, his
photography and filmmaking features a vast social spectrum
ranging from Hollywood actors and celebrities to homeless
hustlers and porn stars. His models included television and film
star Glenn Corbett, actor, Warhol-protégé and Calvin Kleinmodel
Joe Dallessandro, as well as bodybuilder, movie star and
recent Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger… among
many others.
Although he worked in both black & white and color, we
focus here exclusively on selected color examples. The work
is presented in three distinct groups that loosely follow a
biographical timeline to give an insight into the depth and
breadth of the artist’s research and artistic vision.
Bob Mizer: Select Private Works 1942-1992 begins with
documentary-based photographs from Venice Beach, CA from
the mid 1940s and a selection of outdoor portraits taken during
his first trip to Europe in 1951. During these years, Mizer created
his photographic identity as well as his entrepreneurial voice for
AMG and Physique Pictorial.
The exhibition continues by examining the artist’s particular use
of color. Mizer began experimenting with color photography as
early as the mid 1940s and continued to experiment throughout
his career. This took several forms, ranging from fashion-based
imagery to formal portraiture. Many of these photographs show
a subtle understanding and manipulation of color and lighting
effects - all imbued with a characteristic style and underlying
symbolism.
The exhibit culminates in a selection of works that illustrate
the ways in which Mizer constantly challenged his own
visual language. These works show how he developed and
appropriated many of today‘s known stereotypes of masculine
visual representation - and then further shows his incessant
obsession to push further and further into and beyond his own
stereotypes. These particular images are multi-layered fables of
embedded visual coding: an angry-looking Marine who has lost
his pants, a Jesus on a fabric-clad cross in a state of excitement,
and a fake Native-American standing proudly against airplane
jet trails in the LAX flight path.
Exile is excited to show a side of this unique artist’s work
and of our collective cultural history that has hitherto been
underrated and unexplored. His vast estate consists of about
one million negatives and transparencies, countless reels of
8 and 16 mm films, thousands of BetaMax videotapes, as well
as large amounts of personal paraphernalia. This exhibition
has been curated by Billy Miller and Christian Siekmeier, in
conjunction with Christopher Trout and Dennis Bell from the
Mizer Foundation.
For further information please contact the gallery.
Exile Gallery
Köpenicker Str 39, HH
D-10179 Berlin
+49.30.76233061
info@thisisexile.com
thisisexile.com
The photos you see were taken from the opening night, courtesy of Den Bell, the modern-day owner of AMG. I've also pulled one of the photos from the gallery brochure that I rather liked -- Tony Rome & Ron Nichols from 1971.
Too bad about the timing -- I'm going to be in Berlin this September. Ah, well. If any readers of this blog have seen the exhibit, don't be shy -- write a comment and tell us what you thought of it!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Jerry Valente by Onni Saari
While this might be the same Jerry Valente who has a couple of entries over at Muscle Memory, pinning down "Onni Saari" could be a bit trickier. There are listings for a professional graphic artist who lived in New York during the late 50s/early 60s; he also drew and painted many male nudes, some of which can be seen here. I can't seem to find any reference to him taking photographs, however. Very nice studies, in any case!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Paul Buchanan and Elisabeth Fraser - "Downside Up"
This song is from Peter Gabriel's year 2000 concept album "Ovo" - with the voices of The Blue Nile's Paul Buchanan and The Cocteau Twins' Elisabeth Fraser. This is a fan-made video which is a truly wonderful complement to the lyrics and emotions of the song. I listen to this song often and am always transported to a better place while listening to it.
Thank you for your indulgence....
Thank you for your indulgence....
Joe Koytilo by Mazzaro Art Studio
A handsome young man I've never seen before, from a studio I've never heard of before. Dated February 12, 1950.
Updated March 9, 2011 -- Thanks to DC, who wrote in the Comments section Ralph Mazzaro of White Plains, NY was an amateur bodybuilder and also a physique photographer whose photographs appeared in Physique World and Strength & Health magazines in the 1950s.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Mario Guaita-Ausonia and The Trio Ausonia
(These two postcards are circa 1908.)
Mario Guaita (stage name Ausonia) was a model (with two other strongmen, billed as the "Trio Ausonia") and silent movie actor in several films between 1912 and 1926 -- most notably the 1913 version of "Spartacus."
Some extra reading (if you're multi-lingual or can stand the gobbledygook that results from most on-line translators --
An article on the film history of Spartacus in the pdf file of "Antike im Kino" -- 'Spartacus – Männermuskeln, Heldenbilder oder: die Befreiung der Moral' starting on page 178 (but check out the other cool stuff as well!) (in German)
Silent Passion blog - Spartacus 1913 (in Spanish)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Bob Morris by Russ Warner
Here we have a fairly rare Russ Warner catalog sheet (along with a few blow-ups) for his model Bob Morris. Note the inked-in pouches -- the model posed nude for all of the shots (the majority of Warner's mail-order physique work was with nude models).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)