Art by Ridley 3

Ridley - Truckstop (2010)

 These images by the gay artist Ridley could not be more different to the milking subject matter of previous posts about him at mitchmen and yet common threads can be perceived. I'm drawn to 'Truckstop' by the compelling depiction of the trucker's face enjoying the warmth of sexual bliss. 

Astride him sits a naked, younger man who is gagged, has his hands tied behind his back and tears are rolling down his cheek but despite these alarming clues, he seems to be nestling contentedly in the consolation of the trucker's, unmistakeably tender, embrace.

The diner in the background seems to suggest a casual midnight pick-up, but it's clearly too public for this to be an abduction scenario or if it is, there's a severe case of Stockhausen syndrome going on. In the context of other images by this artist in this mitchmen selection there's a common thread of experiencing sex without control, which is the essence of the bondage role-play depicted here. This image differs from the others in that it's given a tricky, real-life context but there's no sense that this is a selfish, cruel predator - quite the reverse, the tenderness is touching. There's a hint that it's a first time experience for the naked man. In truth, first time, passive sex always involves a scary surrender of control, whether it involves bondage or not.

The video recording effects are another example of an arty device by this artist. It's one that I don't quite understand, perhaps signifying that this is a momentous occasion or more cynically, that there is a watching audience, like the dummies in Part 2.

Ridley - Scream If You Can Feel Me

There's not much doubt about the circumstances here as another young man has a sexual experience which is the stuff of nightmares. In fact it obviously is a nightmare as you can tell from his mouth which refuses to open to allow him to scream, his lips seem to be stuck together as if by gum. This is a compelling visualisation which seems highly original to me. There's a superficial similarity to the Hannibal Lector mask which isn't really relevant, but allows the image to borrow an extra dose of horror.

This image is actually not so very different in nature to the inhuman, robotic milking in the previous mitchmen post, but this time the feelings of the victim, though once again suppressed, are made very plain, not hidden behind a mask. The two pictures in this group share this characteristic and it elevates them to a higher level of artistic quality. 

The rendering of the man's physique is notably more successful here than the other examples in this series. That's not so true of the rendering of the hellish setting which is relatively crude (and understandably vague!). However, by a fortuitous circumstance that actually heightens the sense of confusing, unreality.

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I don't have a site or a gallery link for Ridley. These images are quite old, but it's possible he's working under another name now.

Read this mitchmen series from Ridley Part 1