The Art of RW Richards - 2 Bruises and Boyfriends

RW Richards - Rage 04

The extravagant 'gag' image that concluded Part 1 of this article and the picture just above both come from a series entitled 'Rage'. Stylistically these images are linked by the selective use of colour around the eyes, but in this one it seems indicative of cuts and bruising rather than 'gayness' which I perceived in the gag picture. This fighter is a very conventional representation of maleness by comparison and the 'Rage' seems very controlled, a sort of pent up revenge instinct as a response to physical hurt or defeat, rather than anything more complicated.

The man bears a stereotypical resemblance to the blue 'Dangerous Guy' in Part 1, giving an impression of toughness and that is reinforced by the skull tattoo on his chest, which is obviously not just a naturalistic adornment. It's very interesting to see this butch number using his mouth to unravel his hand bandages in a distinctly sensual fashion. It's yet another example of RWR's fascination with this part of the male anatomy as a fetishistic indicator of personality. Intriguingly, the boxer's action also unexpectedly highlights the element of 'bondage restraint' which (unintentionally) accompanies the use of bandaging to protect hands in the boxing ring.

RW Richards - Rage 01

Where the 'bruising' is not accompanied by a reference to fighting, it takes on a very different tone. The Rage here seems very real (red being the colour of rage of course) and thanks to those cleverly positioned highlights we realise that it's also the colour of tearful eyes. The veiny, blue squiggle on his temple invokes a sense of hurt penetrating deep into the psyche.

Not that this man's masculinity is any less evident than the boxer's, quite the reverse (and in a remarkably powerful detail, the tiny glimpse of neckline suggests he has significant body strength too). His rage would be frightening to confront, but the vulnerability exposed by it has a very appealing quality that is also highly erotic. I scarcely need to point out the care that RWR has lavished on this man's mouth and it's not hard to imagine him mentally making love to his creation as he labours over the tiny details of those luscious lips.

RW Richards - Rage 06

This situation is different again and one senses it's closer to home as a man angrily rips off his conventional armour of shirt and tie to reveal the true man within. He has the look of a businessman and his face is less contorted than the previous image which tells us this is not about deeply felt hurt, but frustration with the constraints of life and our inability to show who we really are, to be our true selves. The colours here do seem to show the sort of hotness rising into the face which characterises this sort of outburst.

His frustration doesn't necessarily have a sexual basis. but given the 'stripping' element of the picture it's not unreasonable to suppose that it might be reflecting RWR's situation, both as a gay man and as a worker in the image-conscious fashion industry.

Having said that, there are other interpretations - it's possible that the black tie is significant, giving the image a wider meaning, a tragic rage about the cruelty of life and loss.
Alternatively the green tint on the left side could be an indicator of jealousy at work.

I imagine RWR would be amused by my confusion!

This older image suggests that idea of frustration with the trappings of everyday life (again symbolised by clothing) runs deep with Richards and in this case it's even more striking that this character has all the appearance of a successfully 'out' gay man with an admirable, muscled body and the figure flattering uniform that goes with it. (You may have also noted the impressive bulge in his jeans!) Apparently all this is not enough to fulfil his innermost desires, an idea that lesser mortals cherish, but can't quite bring themselves to fully believe.

It seems there's an 'Incredible Hulk' trapped within this Adonis, perhaps one with less refined tastes than appear on the surface. His clothes look modest enough and down-to-earth, but in view of his well groomed, artfully 'wild' appearance, we might suppose that they are actually expensive, 'designer' versions of commonplace gear. The economical sketching of his garments hints at that superficiality and lack of substance, contrasting it with the 'real' physicality and bulk of his naked self.

The drawing technique RWR has used for the clothes with the zig-zaggy crease lines is rather pleasing and it would be well-suited to fashion sketches. It also bears a resemblance to that used by Bill Ward in his 'Drum' comic strips. Bill was also a graphic artist so the common inspiration is unremarkable but suggests this image may have roots as far back as the 1980's

 The depiction of the man's face here is magnificent, again showing him to be on the verge of tears in his frustration, a situation that stokes our schaden freude given his enviable natural assets.
This detail shows that the kinship with the later 'Rage' series is not entirely superficial.

Explicitly sexual situations are not common in RWR's work and this is one of only two instances of anal sex which I'm aware of - and neither of them are fully explicit. This might reflect a personal reticence or simply the restrictions of publishing in the heyday of gay magazines. However, this particular picture shows no inherent squeamishness about man sex and is notable for it's forcefulness and passion which pretty much nullifies the absence of explicit detail.


The patchy body highlights which suggest both bulk and hot sensuality for an erotically motivated audience are characteristic of RWR's early work and eventually translate into the more subtle, emotional effects in the Rage pictures above. The beginnings of that sensitive observation can be seen even here, in the blissful face of the blond.

Notice the traditional stereotyping of the top and bottom (possibly dictated by the storyline)
 and the array of  fashion underwear displayed at the back, that trophy thing again (see Part 1).

RW Richards - Marine Allure (my title)

This is the other penetration image I know of and it's slightly ambiguous but very mild porn anyway. And yet it has a real sense of sexuality, closeness and physically coming together. Those simple 'crease' lines in the lower back region tell you a lot about what is actually happening!

I don't know this story but the bottom appears to be the intimidating Marine shown directly above them, so there is an interesting 'role' story going on here. In the picture, however, the sex scene plays second fiddle to Richards' marvellous depiction of the stern Marine wearing his dress cap. To me it seems to completely capture the very essence of this particular gay icon, without even referencing the full uniform! On a technical level there's some impressive detailing in the cap badge and fittings but as for the mouth and lips, my word, they almost qualify for the word, 'divine'.
How did Richards ever manage to finish painting them?

RW Richards - Santa's Gift

 Given RWR's pre-occupation with mouths you'd expect him to at least depict oral sex at some point. Images like this one are more common in his older work, but I've yet to find one which goes any further than this tantalising example. Once again, however, it's certainly not lacking in earthiness, nor a sense of intimacy. The silly Santa hat may detract from the erotic intensity, but it substitutes a impression of companionship and light-heartedness that is sentimental but warming.

RW Richards - Lovers

Another image in which the mouth plays a leading part. It's also well-observed study of foreplay and affection, indicative again of a view of sex that you might describe as romantic,
one that's about a genuine physical attraction to your partner, rather than 'just getting off'.

RW Richards - Lover kiss

That romanticism is even more obvious in this picture, but there's no lack of earthiness or passion in this full-blooded, French kiss between two lovers. RWR is notably at pains here to demonstrate their physical masculinity, but interestingly he also depicts the pairing as a dominant, butch top and a stylish, submissive bottom. However it's clearly a tender relationship, protective you might say.

RW Richards - Down Time

Protectiveness and contentment are also the messages of this sweet picture which projects a marvellously positive image for gay relationships. The foreground underwear bulge and hovering hand seems to reassure us that such qualities in a relationship actually promote sexual attraction.
Of course the youthfulness of these two might have something to do with that!

RW Richards & Mike Ruiz - No 2

Youth of a different kind is at the centre of this image, youth with attitude.

The Mike Ruiz foreground photo incorporates Richards' iconography of stylish spiky hair and painted eyes with luxuriant lashes and eyebrows. Richards has painted an echo of it just beyond.

The 'collar' made of multiple belt loops is a most emphatic 'sub-dom' statement
and there's something very similar in one of his Rage pictures which I've not included here.
It's application to what appears to be a self-confident (dare I say 'cocky'?) fashion model
  represents a cross fertilisation of RWR 'themes' which I haven't seen elsewhere.

I get a sense of the Colt that needs to be tamed in this picture
as if a battle of wills is about to commence. Nice.

RW Richards - Allure

In these reviews of gay artists, I usually try to discover common threads and follow them to a logical conclusion, but it's not always easy and RWR's work is possibly the the most complex and confusing I've attempted to unravel, with allusions to gender ambiguity and extreme masculinity, fashion and fetish, anger and romance, mouths and clothing all interwoven with a marvellously intelligent technique into varied and often surprising imagery. 

This picture is one of the most confusing of all. It transplants the 'ripped clothes' motif seen in the 'hulk' picture above into a wholly different and slightly disturbing arena. Although this image is from a collection entitled 'Allure' it doesn't fit very well with the normal idea for that word being about glamorous, passive seduction. Conventional allure is often associated with clothing, grooming and accessories such as jewellery, cigarettes - and in men, tattoos perhaps.

This character seems the very antithesis of that. His allure  seems to depend on  'poor boy', emotional manipulation rather than genuine, sexual desirability. In the coy pose, Richards seems to be borrowing from an old heterosexual stereotype, (imagine this as a woman dressed like a farm yokel and you'll see what I mean). There's a touch of Eve's Apple about it and that's not an easy cross-fit for most perceptions of masculinity, even modern ones. For me the addition of dishevelled hair and torn vest, perhaps intended to create that yokel connection, introduces a worrying hint of abuse which is not dispelled by the dark rings under the eyes. I suggested in relation to Rage 01 above that male vulnerability can be appealing, this picture has that in spades, but then again........

RW Richards - Dangerous Guys 02

The confusion continues with this picture. A 'Dangerous Guy' who looks anything but, unless you count the volatile emotions lurking in that bottle beside him. The slogans on the wall hark back to the Vietnam War of the 60's (make love not war) and this is contemporary with the Iraq/Afghan involvements, which caused equal suffering and self-examination. There's also a possible allusion to 9/11 in one of the posters, so this picture may be more literal than it seems, a veteran returning to an empty life and thus, in a political sense, very dangerous indeed. The stripping off of clothes is hugely symbolic in this context, but the picture also makes a link and a sobering, stark counterpoint to the 'Hunk' image (above) which seems hugely healthy and optimistic by comparison.

Colour in this image is largely reserved for the man's discarded clothes and on the wall: blood, fire and endings (a diagonal red line = end of). The man himself is almost entirely painted in greyscale tones, save only for a touch of pink on the cheek, like a fading bruise. It's as though we are watching his life slipping away in despair. You don't need to be a mind-reader to detect a simmering anger in this picture and interestingly Richards suggests it also has a more personal significance by adding the 'Make Art' message. It's tempting to relate it to the 'Rage' series if only in terms of Richards psyche. The inclusion of 'Obey' may also represent something more than it's straight-forward military meaning, but I can't speculate about that.

RW Richards - Rage 05

This picture seems an apt conclusion to the story, but it's a discomforting one, 

arguably more so than the other 'Rage' images which doubtless some find shocking.

Beautifully observed, it hardly needs any commentary (but notice the smart cufflinks!). 

I'm not intending to draw any more conclusions about Richards from this final sequence of images to add to my earlier summary, other than to remark that he clearly had his own acquaintance with sorrow and a desire to communicate that to us. His ability to do so makes him a truly great gay artist.

RW Richards - Self Portrait

Robert W Richards died in 2019, and this is a belated tribute to a great gay artist

His website has gone but there's still a lot of material at his Facebook page

Search on 'Robert W Richards gay art' for more

RWR's Facebook page 

Read  Part 1 of this article