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| Moosemind - Escape from the council of the apes |
A great image of a fugitive fleeing from would-be captors. Guess what they want him for!
Not crazy about the simians, but it's easy to imagine your favourite, dreaded predator instead.
Rather nice texturing and a neatly incongruous, beautiful sunset. An augury of recapture, perhaps.
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| Moosemind - You Won't Be Needing This Any More |
An equally mysterious storyline here, but it's a beautifully constructed composition, designed to showcase the central figure's body in a stimulating way. It's a classic example of less nudity is more sexy, a point reinforced by his abundance of amorous admirers. They seek to delay his departure, but there's a hint of physical restraint being applied on the right. As if where he's going involves captivity as well as nudity.
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| Moosemind - Listen Boy, Come Over To My Tent Later |
There's a fascinating study of power imagery here. A man, whose posture emanates authority and strength, has been accosted in the street and seems to be embarrassed by it, angered even. The other man is taller than him and clasps his neck, assertively pulling him closer, but at the same time bowing his head in a gesture that speaks of affection and supplication. This little drama is acted out before a fascinated audience
Both men are naked and (according to the title) one of them lives in a tent, although this is an obviously wealthy city. Similarly, the onlookers are all clad in drab loincloths, as if of a lowly caste. They must be slaves or arena fighters, perhaps. Men whose close relationships are all that they have.
This is an unfaithful lover, perhaps, returning full of regret, or a defeated opponent
coming forward to pay his forfeit, knowing he will be roundly used and
humiliated. We can imagine the denouement in the marginally less public setting of his tent will involve lots of shouting, humble pie, tears and sex.
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| Moosemind - Samson Destroys The Philistines |
The underlying image here is a bit of a cliché, but it's nicely modelled and if, like me, you are not enamoured of long hair, it's easy to visualise a haircut that's as tidy as his physique. The soaring architecture is the wrong era, but superbly dramatic and gives a more relatable sense of scale to the modern eye. However, it makes you realise the original tale of him bringing down the temple must have been exaggerated a tiny bit. Or else, the priests got their just reward for neglecting the long-term maintenance of the building.
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| Moosemind - Jealousy |
This artist's interest in ancient cultures takes in the sport of naked wrestling, but he's applied it here to a more domestic scenario. It's quite hard to capture the drama of fighting in a static image, but this is a good attempt. The cartoon-style 'impact' signal is unorthodox but serves its purpose without subverting the splendid artistic pairing of figures, whose bodies are juxtaposed together and matched in a manner that seems to invoke the private intimacy and passion that has brought them to public blows.
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| Moosemind - Manhandled |
Here too, there's a great sense of struggle and also of physical strength, a sight that is rarely manifested in modern day, pro wrestling but can still be glimpsed in the amateur code. This mighty lift, delivered from a seated position, seems to have caught, off guard, an opponent who was prematurely celebrating victory in the modern manner, with clenched fists. An improbable throw, but a rather satisfying comeuppance for the braggart. The characterisation of the two men, one wild and hairy, the other with a more refined and subtle masculinity, reinforces the storyline.
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| Moosemind - Sparring |
The artist's disingenuous title doesn't quite match the image a gay observer perceives. It is a perfectly feasible wrestling moment, but you can't help thinking that both men might have lost sight of the aim of winning this contest. He who has the upper hand suddenly finds himself distracted by an unexpected development. His over-excited opponent seems to have become suddenly aware of his own vulnerability, having started something he might not be happy to finish.
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| Moosemind - The Agoge Trials |
A more conventional expression of the ancient art here shows two young men struggling for supremacy before an audience of soldiers. The Agoge was a rigorous, Spartan training program for young male citizens, so this is an authentic scene, but the sensual entwining of naked bodies here makes you wonder about the thoughts of those seemingly detached on-lookers and the reward given to the winner.
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| Moosemind - Colonised |
This rather unusual take on the founding of America is frank and almost political in the way it contrasts the pride and strength of the captive, Native American with the uniformed, flag-bearing pomp of his captors, who seem to regard him as a curiosity. The title is bluntly accurate, but not one that modern day politicians care to acknowledge. Popular culture takes refuge in the Wild West stereotyping of 'renegades', rather than heroic freedom fighters.
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| Moosemind - Squanto Captured |
There's a similar theme here but with a greater sense of enslavement and humiliation of the unfortunate captive. The on-lookers, civilised and determinedly religious, seem oblivious of his humanity.
The original story of Squanto seems to conflate episodes of settlers being helped to survive by members of the Patuxet tribe with others in which indigenous tribesmen were kidnapped and trafficked to Europe as slaves, but it serves to make the artist's point. It's unlikely that any of them were such impressive physical specimens as this man, but it helps to amplify the sense of 'difference' in a way that shows him as more of a man than his captors.
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| Moosemind - Zane Blaze |
The boots on the other foot here, or possibly on no foot at all, with a white man (of equally muscular and equally improbable stature) held captive in a way that draws on religious imagery to cast him as a martyr too. It makes a delicious counter-point to the Squanto images.
Zane Blaze sounds like the protagonist in a pulp fiction Western, but I can't find a relevant reference. We may guess that he's an adventurer or lawman who's got himself into undeserved difficulties. He's clearly been unlucky enough to fall into the hands of cowboys who find his physique of as much interest as his supposed misdeed. Justice sometimes took arbitrary, brutal forms in those days, but with the noose dangling in the background, I shudder to think what they have in mind for the naked Zane.
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| Moosemind - Lovers in Arms - Beneath The Olive Moon |
This tender scene seems like another of those "you want it really, don't you?" moments when a man is obliged to acknowledge his inner reality. It might easily have found a place in my story of the humiliation of the Spartan army in Part 1 of this Moosemind post. The seducer here, however, seems more respectable than the cunning Throbbers who undermined the advance guard of the Spartan Army on that inglorious day.
This man is blond, wears a white loin-cloth that is loose beyond reproach, and even has the victor's laurel wreath on his head. What could possibly be wrong with him? Alas, such is the way with men! The poor guard, struggling with his own desires, and military duty too, I hope, seems to sense that something isn't right. Probably though he's just tormenting himself, when really, there is no need.
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| Moosemind - The Blacksmith's Apprentice |
Another out-take from the Spartan shaming. Another youth separated from his lover and transported to a distant realm to work out his life as a slave. At least this one will learn a skill to give some meaning to his life, but an interview in the nude like this suggests that forging iron may not be the only hot banging he's going to experience. His resentful look may reflect that he's just learned of that unpleasant module in his training plan. Still, at least he's alive.
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| Moosemind - Bare Slave |
I've always been of the view that a slave ought to work for his keep, not just idly enjoy the attentions (dubious or otherwise) of his master. And if he's a muscular slave, he ought to use that muscle to good purpose. Make 'em sweat. Makes a great show. It's good for him, too, helping to preserve that glorious physique for other purposes. I suppose there is a risk here that he might lob his load at the temple, Samson-style, but any guard worth his salt ought to be able to keep a naked man in check.
Read Part 1 of this Moosemind post
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