Art Bob 3 - Games and Puzzles

Art Bob - Unknown Title

We're missing the title of this image and without it the intent is far from clear. These men in a locker room seem to be playing dice, but why? Apart from the foreground figure everyone is already naked, not surprising in a locker room, but it seems to rule out gambling for clothes. Perhaps, some other forfeit is in play - or is there a prize for the winner? Perhaps the one staring us in the face?

 

There's a faint hint of a spanking for the kneeling guy and the intertwining of the leftmost pair is slightly suggestive too. The head and reaching arm lined up with the lower regions of the man in the foreground might also be significant, but it's all very obscure.  

 

Though muscular, the characters in this drawing are not Art Bob's best creations, you can't help thinking that the foreground figure might be a better bet, if only we could see more of him. Ah, well!

 

Art Bob - Low Score

 There's a similar mystery around this image - even with the title. Another locker room, this time one for golfers who are not normally a subject for homoerotic imagery. However, golfing terminology has much to offer. Here for example it appears a round of 'threesomes' has just finished. 

 

The hairy hunk in the foreground is studying his scorecard, and his face seems to be flushed. It's presumably him who has got the low score, which would make him the winner, but he doesn't look very happy about it. The slender pencil held between his drooping fingers, certainly doesn't suggest any other form of excitement either. 

 

By contrast, behind him, his companions already look as if they are shaping up to celebrate the 19th hole with some inappropriate activity. The one on the right looks very smug about it, his face a nicely drawn detail. He seems to be lending the blond a satisfying hand already. The phallic golf clubs give us corroboration of what's afoot. The blond's one is upright in his hand (not a driver, I might observe, if that's not overthinking it), whereas a bagful of irons (two at least!) lurks at his opposite number's rear.

 

There's a level of maturity in all three men in this picture, faces and physiques, that gives it a less playful, more intense atmosphere than Art-Bob's usual fare, but what exactly the storyline is, I cannot discover.

 

 

Art Bob - Four Alarm Fire

It's the title of this one that is bemusing, but on the surface, it's more clear what is happening. Firemen are being aroused from their slumbers to tackle a fire. This image predates the modern rise of firefighters to the level of erotic icons (gay and straight). 

 

The slightly guilty looking face in the top bunk may point to a hidden erotic agenda, his hand seems to be resting on the head of the chap below, while the bedpost seems to be betraying mischief that hasn't yet had time to dissipate.

 

The foreground figure, hastily buckling up his jeans may also reflect an interruption. Be that as it may, he is a delicious creation, lightly erotic and nicely observed. The treatment of his jeans is so casual, yet so right. The man putting on his socks is also interesting, with nice vest detail, but why is he wearing gloves? 

 

The character raising the alarm is a more conventional Art Bob type, more caricatured but oddly separated from the others. His underpants feature the artist's favoured chequer pattern and some weighty-looking contents which will not see action until the fire has been put out. 

 

Art Bob - Evening Clean-Up

Art Bob captures the simplest of homoerotic torments here. A man watches his buddy as he unselfconsciously cleans his lower regions with flies gaping open, after a hard day's work on the farm. On one level, it's an image that simply expresses admiration for working men, but the artist has added other telling detail.

 

There's the discomforted look of the watcher and the bulge in his jeans. He delicately wipes (hides?) his face as if embarrassed. The water dripping from the bowl suggests an elevated level of erotic intensity, but the drip that seems to be falling from his friend's groin and running down his thigh creates the impression that he likes being watched and admired. It's plainly just an illusion.

 

Art Bob - Down on the Farm

This piece hardly needs the title, which seems like another commonplace, seemingly apt phrase chosen by the artist yet not quite matching what we see. I suppose the double entendre was too good to ignore. In any other context, we might imagine 'going down' is about to be enacted, but the astonishing involvement of the cow and cat diverts our thoughts into a very different direction. It seems incredibly daring but not entirely attractive. The idyllic scene outside seems like another world. 

 

The drawing of the figures is of a high standard, I particularly like the realistic gap at the back of the milker's jeans. Neat. Much of this artist's work suggests involvement with the world of fashion. 

 

Art Bob - Hero Worship

There's a tremendous energy in this picture caught by what seems like hasty sketching. The interlocking curves of the cowboy and his steed beautifully reflect their engagement and struggle, their determination to ride and not be ridden. Tom of Finland also tried to capture this 'man v beast' scenario in a intense sketch, which as far as I know, was never completed.

 

Both artists seem to have recognised a relationship to sexual power in man's attempts to control mighty beasts, which encompasses Bull Fighting as well as Rodeo riding. The rider's backward arching body communicates sexual appeal directly to us, and also to the onlooking cowboy in Art Bob's image above, as the intense shading of his groin implies. Unfortunately the reproduction process has faded his jeans to invisibility, which diminishes his contribution to the image. 

Forward thrusting groins like this figure regularly in this artist's work. There are some others, heavily disguised examples, in Part 2 of this article. I've added a more obvious one below, aptly named 'Horse Play', but it would be remiss to leave the subject of farms without mentioning one of Art Bob's best and most innocent of images.

 

 

Art Bob - Hay Antics

Two young men playfully grapple in the hayloft. It's a nostalgic musing on the truly innocent joys of youth in an idyllic environment, far from the pressures and sordid reality of town living. A scene recounted in many a tale of 'coming of age'.

 

The stalks of hay delicately held between the blond's fingers suggest he has provoked this 'attack' by tickling his buddy.  It's clearly a game his friend is happy to play and you can sense the mutual affection that underpins it. The characterisation of the two lads is at the realistic end of Art Bob's scale with no hint of boyish silliness or unmanly panic. This is the real thing. 

 

There's a pitchfork in the background which might be seen as signalling lurking erotic intent, danger even, but it's hard to see this picture as anything else but a spontaneous expression of friendship which might lead to a stolen kiss and the liberation of a deeper love between the two buddies.

 

Art Bob - Horse Play

This picture has similarities to the art of Spartacus and is not unrelated to the Hayloft image. It's innocent youthful fun on the surface, a study of males at play. Like the rodeo image previously it has a tremendous sense of movement and physical endeavour. The figures have a balance which seems to connect to the artist's interest in ballet which I noted in Part 2 of this article. 

There's balance too in the mirroring poses of the two 'carriers'. It results in the overlapping of their lower bodies, which are one side-step away from direct erotic contact. If the carriers are removed from the image altogether, the two remaining characters are aligned for an even more intimate engagement.

That hidden, erotic subtext derives an extra twist from the characterisations of the two 'teams' which are totally different. The two on the right look playful and innocent, their opposite numbers look older, more serious and distinctly calculating. One of the 'innocents' looks out to us soulfully, as if he's suddenly realised this contest is not what he thought it would be. A discovery no less dramatic than the one that the Hayloft wrestlers might be on the verge of making. 

 

Art Bob - Hang On Man, We’re Cutting Out!

In this image, the artist takes that encounter between innocence and experience further. The fantasy of bikers leading astray 'healthy', young men was a popular theme for gay artists around this time, notably explored by Etienne's Surfer and Bikers images in 'Road Kings' and also by Tom of Finland. 

 The rapid sketching technique seen in 'Rodeo' feeds the comedy here as well as the sense of movement and urgency. The artist hints more explicitly at the logical destiny of the arching body and thrusting pelvis, although it seems an improbable result in terms of the stereotyping of these particular two characters and the physical situation they are in. By intention or accident, the sketching has also created the (more predictable) impression that the pillion rider has a rocket up his backside. 

Unfortunately, in this image, virtually all the background detail is lost, save for a gesticulating arm far behind them, which perhaps implies these two have been up to some mischief.

 

Art Bob -2 a.m. Daddy

Many of Art Bob's images seem to reference heterosexual life, often to illustrate the peculiar attractiveness of straight men to gays and the rivalry between gay men and women for the hand of their beau. '2 a.m. Daddy', however, is a completely unvarnished and somewhat puzzling example of married life. 

I suppose we must view this scene in the context of an era when probably the majority of gay men chose to marry women in order to avoid persecution and live a 'normal' life. That decision was probably influenced in may cases by the relentless, popular characterisation of gay men as effeminate and degenerate. That wasn't how they viewed themselves, of course, but they knew no better.

Art Bob may be representing one such man, wondering how different his life might have been, what else he might have been getting up to at 2 o'clock in the morning. The depiction of the two children is an impressive example of the artist's capabilities as an illustrator.

Art Bob - The Hour Of Decision 

A straight outlook is more directly implied in this image, by the photo on top of the dresser and by the obvious desire of the man getting dressed to please his date, who seems to be the person in the photo and watching him. 

He has a voluptuous physique and there's an erotic, masculine kinkiness in the bow tie coupled with his nudity (somewhat clichéd and devalued to gays, these days, by commercial, heterosexual exploitation). The artist may be hinting at conflicting inner feelings by presenting him with a choice between conventional black and jazzy stripes. Does he mean a choice between being dull and straight and being a more imaginative gay? This was the double life led by many men.

The contrast between his overall nudity and chunky shoes and socks adds even more pungency to his simmering erotic appeal. In addition, the open drawer with its trailing tie, in matching stripes, note, suggests an inner excitement suggestive of his true orientation. Very clever.

 

Art Bob - That's Not Music! That's My Brother

According to the Physique Pictorial caption this is a phone call to his girlfriend, but I suppose we might imagine that's just his cover story. Otherwise, this is strictly neutral territory with no hint of anything more between these two men than commonplace, sibling rivalry and a weak play on a phrase that predates the Hollies 1969 hit 'He ain't heavy He's my brother' by over 50 years. 

The guy on the phone is appealing enough, with a physique, one of Art Bob's best, delicately detailed with light hair. Except for what we can see of his groin, that is. Notice the flecks of shaving foam on his pecs and belly, titillating us with the thought that this straight guy has an awareness of his body image which wasn't at all normal in the 1950s. His younger brother's dress with tight jeans and bare, muscular top suggests similar, promising traits! 

The 1950s retro decor, complete with cheese plant and 'moderne' lightshade is a delight.

  

Art Bob - Detour

Three images by Art Bob, which I have presented in the past, also feature heterosexual themes. In 'Detour' it injects that frustrating but irresistible allure of 'essence of straight' into a situation rife with homoerotic desire. (Follow the links in this section for more commentary).

 

Art Bob - We're Waiting

 

'We're Waiting', is a more comical play on conflicting desires in a mixed erotic triangle. It features strip poker and a secret gay who is one of that predatory breed who believe they will always get their man. Surprisingly often they did, annoyingly, but their chances were enhanced by the prevalence of men living double lives or in mistaken marriages. Nobody here cares about the woman's feelings.

 

Art Bob - Pick-Up

'Pick Up' gently mocks the artifice of women that suffer under a similar illusion, largely based on their self-presentation skills and female artifice, as represented by the dropped handkerchief (or knickers). It's a world I suspect Art Bob was very familiar with in his day job. In this case we can see it's pure delusion.

I have resorted to a magazine cover for this example, it's over-cropped at the sides but is the only copy I have which, for once, shows the background detail as it was meant to be seen. Note the philosophical comment in the magazine title on the bottom row.

~ 

Read this series from Part 1 

I am mulling a Part 4 for this series, watch this space!

Art by Leon

 This is a revised and extended version of an article about Leon in the mitchmen A-Z of fetish artists series, first published in 2010

Leon - Bootlicker

You probably know this image with it's distinctive Tom of Finland flavour*. Leon's would-be sub, practicing on empty boots and pretending he's restrained is rather charming. He's very neat in appearance and has even kept his socks and underwear on. The reality of the roleplay he's imagining would probably be very different.

*I don't think Tom ever did anything exactly like this. The little known image below is more typical of his rather less earthy approach.

Tom of Finland - Boot Worship

A little-known boot-worship sketch by Tom of Finland ca.1978. It's another example of an imperfect sketch being better than the polished final product in some ways. The depiction of the face, without hard edges added, is marvellous.

Leon - Down-Trodden (my title)

A man who pairs up with a true master can expect to be kept firmly in his place. This man is much more mature than the kneeling sub above and that makes his humiliation all the more acute, but it seems he's experienced enough to take it like a sub should, in fact he's positively aroused by it. 

His clothing is intriguing. It's not exactly dungeon attire, suggesting this is not a staged roleplay. Rather it's almost as if he's just come off the street. The dark vest/singlet is the garb of a man who does manual work, which accords (stereotypically) with his hairy torso. The slim shoulder straps, however, are more like gym attire which offers another explanation of where those shapely pecs came from. His trousers though look more like part of a suit than workman's clothes. 

Leon imagines boots as having phallic qualities here by illustrating a symmetry between the toe of a boot and the tip of a cock. 

Leon - Power Down

Leon's art comes from the 80's era of Drummer and this must be such a magazine illustration. It's a notably different take on fire fighters compared with the chocolatey, bare-top beefcake that spawned a thousand calendars. There are a variety of fetish references included in this picture - Helmet of course, but also the mask with air tube, axe and thigh-length boots made of rubber. The daring analogy with enemas reflects the pre-AIDS era of celebrating all things gay and pushing boundaries. Physically daring as well, to use a high pressure hose.

Leon - Electro

There's a distinct touch of Tagame in the depiction of this man being subjected to electro-stimulation with an arty embellishment suggesting deeper pleasures. Once again he shows a mature man with a stocky build and very hairy torso. These days this open-legged pose has become a tentacles cliché, it seems too static and relaxed for a situation in which either energetic squirming or arcing rigidity is to be expected. Nice draughtsmanship though., with an arty embellishment implying deeper pleasures.

~

Leon has an accomplished style so it's surprising but I haven't found a website or gallery link for him. 

More Leon at mitchmen

Hunk Hunt - Jase Dean 4 (True Male)

When it come to asserting masculine credentials, the Fireman seems to be one of the few professions still revered in homoerotic iconography. Construction Workers, Cops, Sailors, Soldiers and Bikers, don't seem to cut it any more. Maybe that popularity is because Fire Fighters also appeal to women, they like the connotations of rescue.
(well I wouldn't refuse help if he arrived looking like this!)

In this picture by Simon Barnes, the sweaty musculature, drooping waistline (precariously sustained by a single, long strap) and shaved lower abdomen leave little doubt that Jase is up for being ogled.

This image by ASN recreates the famous, much copied, beefcake photo of 'Fred with Tires' by Herb Ritts, which adorned a million bedroom walls back in the 80's. It's a ringing proclamation of earthy manhood but the change of venue, from anonymous workshop (in Ritt's picture) to a whizzy Motor Sport set-up for Jase, adds a touch of modern glamour. The exposed underpants are also a modern finesse (click picture to enlarge, as usual, if you can't see). Jase's tyres are wider than Fred's and pay testament to his strength, but they conspire to produce a less elegant pose. 

 

This image is much more effective.
Arguably the best of these 'workman' shots, it's certainly the sexiest.
Jase adds his own brand of youthful 'come on' that includes
 scratching his head as though wondering why anyone would bother .

The blacksmith is another reliable shoe-in for muscular strength and partial nudity and he would probably be another homoerotic icon in his own right if the trade was more visible today. They still pop up in fantasy movies fairly regularly, I featured 'Thor' at my gateway blog some years ago and more recently Blacksmiths have turned up in my articles on BrosFate and Homoeros.

The role seems to fit Jase like a glove (which he isn't wearing unfortunately)
The leather apron seems to have morphed into a something resembling chaps,
but ones with a willful mind of their own. The sexily low-slung belt does not dispel this disordered impression, but it makes a great picture!
I've not ID'd the studio yet.

 Meanwhile, back at the deserted factory,
Jase is wrestling with the eternal temptation to slip off his slip.
As we saw in the last post, earthy Industrial surroundings
seem to trigger that desire in him.

Jase slips off his underpants down, but only as far as his thighs,
which is actually sexier than simply kicking them off, ask a stripper!

One of the less appealing facets of this type of arty photography is that the model is expected to expose his bare bottom to damp, cold, dirty factory floors and walls (amongst other trials, like sitting in cold baths and tepid showers to prevent steam).

I imagine some photographers delight
in inflicting such discomforts on attractive models.
Jase looks as if he's wondering about that too
and that story about having to keep the underwear clean.

Whatever the reason Jase decides to get back on his feet
to grasp the nettle handle and boldly reveal all, well almost.
There's a charming mix of coy daring and inner modesty
in this crouched position, just below the level of the window.
The non-commital facial expression, seems to await a reaction.

In this pose his thighs obscure more controversial regions,
but I can't say I feel cheated, quite the reverse,
those generous, meaty haunches
 are a marvellous, erotically-charged sight.

Praising the worker as a naked hero is not new, it comes from Victorian times
and survived the corrupt magnifications of the Soviet and Nazi eras.
It plays a more decorative role in our aspirational modern culture
where physical labour is mostly applied to pens and keyboards.

I don't know for sure if this picture comes from the same shoot but it's a nice fit.
For some reason it seems to bring out the model's nudity rather than his muscularity which is the opposite of what you might expect but seems at one with the  unassuming and slightly equivocal strip-down that preceded it.

In fact Jase's playful side seems to have resurfaced here,
it looks like he's hiding behind that mighty wheel, rather than heaving it.

After all those exertions in messy places a long hot shower is called for.

Actually, if a photographer's around it probably won't be hot,

But Jase seems to take that in his inscrutable stride.

There is something of an enigma about this model and this unusual image
seems to have captured two sides of Jase by some spooky, supernatural process.

One a man with doubts and uncertainties, his mirror image calm and optimistic.

If Jase's chunky thighs didn't grab you, this flash of vulnerability should.

But I'll stick with the thighs for now,

the strong man is back to grace this image, wearing chunky boots 

that maintain a tenuous link with our 'working man' theme.

This picture restates the prohibition on frontal nudity 

but, as with the drawn-down vest in the last article, 

the curtaining shirt tail switches our attention 

to the outer thighs which look absolutely massive. 

Jase's cupped hand provides an extra tease.

That humble shirt is also working to highlight his bicep muscles and contributes to the framing of an impressively thick neck. Some may not like bulkiness like this but I do and David Vance has brought it out in a pleasing way where others have failed.

Providing a matching pair (so to speak), this rear view provides the perfect complement and that shirt tail is working hard again to showcase a most perfect set of buns. The check pattern seems to add a sense of upper body bulk which eluded the photographer of 'The Wheel' above although we can all see it's all there in other pictures. The shirt also seems to draw out the boyishness in the  model's face.
No one will ever love you as much as that shirt does, Jase.

Except, possibly, David Vance who sees him here as a reclining, god-like figure,

Perfect beauty , unselfconscious, lazily dreaming as the world whirls by.

Or perhaps, in this surreal fantasy

 as one who stands at, or crawls toward the threshhold of deity.

Emerging from the shadows with buns that make you cry with pleasure.

Make the most of that sphere, it's the only ball Jase will let you see.
(But I do love sticky-out ears!)

And yet a man is just a man and this simple 'academic' pose is ages old

It might have sprung from the hand of da Vinci,

and the sober colours from the brush of Rembrandt.

The same line of classical thought seems to have occured at Snooty Fox,

Perching Jase on a pedestal as a modern  version of 'The Thinker'

Jase supplies a slightly irreverent interpretation of the role,

proffering the hint of a smile and seemingly poised to leap off

before long in search of more interesting pursuits.

Even lounging at the beach, Jase can summon up a myserious aura, 

those piercing blue eyes would make anyone quiver,

but if I'm honest, it's his 'sunny side up' that really mesmerises me.
It's shallow I know.  

So you won't be surprised by this late entry from the poolside.

   It shows, somewhat unexpectedly, an elegantly lean physique

topping off those sturdy thighs and chunky buttocks

and proving the wheel photographer wasn't so wide of the mark.

Jase is a remarkably attractive man,

But I wish he didn't look so worried!

When I'm looking for 'hunk hunt' images, especially with muscular subjects, I can usually find ones featuring objects with fetish connections, like big chains or leather garb or rope at the very least, but this is all I can find for Jase..

The rope is casually curled around Jase's torso,
but with that cap he manages to make it look just like
 a bit of sailing paraphenalia , which is probably exactly what it is.
Even I can't detect a darker message, faced with those flirty pursed lips.

~

I hope you have enjoyed this little tribute to Jase Dean.
For avoidance of doubt, I don't know Jase and I haven't haunted his social media to compile this article. The views and musings in it are purely my own based on the imagery presented here and are not claimed to be factual statements about him.

I seek only to entertain and pay tribute to a beautiful man with an interesting personality that shows through his fascinating and inspiring portfolio.

 Read this series from Part 1:  'Funny Things Happen At Christmas'

The Bondage Leanings of Michael Stokes

Michael Stokes is perhaps best known for his calendar style images of uniformed men

 and in particular (for me) some great shots of the luscious Colin Wayne
(who sadly has yet to offer up his body to a rope-master!)

Fireman Colin Wayne

However, sprinkled amongst this photographer's work are some evocative bondage references

This rather genteel restraint of Attila Toth harks back to the coded messages of 50's/60's vintage beefcake put out by AMG and WPG. This model wears more clothing than they did then, but that does not detract from the image and has the effect of placing his imagined captivity more in the present day, 'real world'. The model's lean, clean cut, boyish look is somewhat reminiscent of Tin-Tin style adventures. His light build and youthfulness is contrasted with a heavyweight rope that would secure an ocean liner, thereby implying an predicament of some severity, which is nicely reflected in his slightly mystified expression.

 This example is a dramatic contrast in technique, with the model clad in a seriously sexy grubby jockstrap (and dare I say moist? - click to expand!). He's blindfolded and secured with rope that's more believable than Atilla's, even if the knots aren't!. His bindings are configured asymmetrically for artistic effect but it opens up his torso to the looming electrical monstrosity towering over him, which seems to represent an undefined but rather unpleasant threat, and judging by the way he's reeling away, it already has him in it's thrall. It's like a 1950's B-movie with invisible beams but the modernistic villainy is set alongside an elaborately carved chair. It's worthy of The Inquisition, but with an upholstered seat, probably unsuitable for serious torture exercises. 

I haven't identified the model yet (do any of you know?)
Answer in comments below

 Rodney Santiago seems to have wound up in the same dangerous place, three years later according to the dates on the photos. However, there's a distinct sense that the danger has gone, the model seems quite relaxed in restraints that seem tokenistic and almost girly. 

The imagination has to work hard on this one but we can feast on Rodney's buns.

 In these two images Stokes conjures up a whole world of captivity with Kyle Clark as the hapless victim. His slightly gaunt-looking face (no doubt a by-product of engineering that amazingly cut torso) gives him a mature and slightly 'hard' appearance which is the direct opposite of Attila's boyish appeal above. To me this suggests a worthy captive, a more equal contest between man and chains, 'the Beast being tamed' if you like. The second picture, where a mask is added, amplifies that idea and if you switch between the two pictures you'll see Kyle seems to relax/droop into his restraints in a submissive way that is surprisingly erotic.

These two pictures play with captivity in general.
In both cases the element of nudity introduces a distinctly erotic flavour but not the same one. 

Bryant Wood's chain gang convict on the left would barely register on the sexual senses were it not for the spectacular, gleaming torso artfully revealed. Convicts are not meant to look like this! One can only conjecture the effect on the other prisoners but it's as if Bryant is sadly contemplating how all the effort put into that physique has only made it into fodder for hard labour. 

The right hand image is quite different. With total nudity implied, this is a caged victim of a very different hue, alert and anxiously awaiting the attentions of his captor, which are not expected to be benign. I've commented before on the difficulty of making cages and prison bars look erotic, but the photographer has made a decent job of it here, with the help of a striking model and a tantalising glimpse of his pubes.

Lest you doubt the erotic intent of Michael Stokes' experiments with bondage!

This image will probably still be posted on the internet when all of us have gone.

It's Pure Lust Dust.

I think the model is JR Bronson but will accept corrections! 
If I'm right Michael Stokes has certainly brought out the best in him

This image is simply magnificent on all sorts of levels. It isn't really depicting bondage but flirts with spread-eagle restraint and crucifixion alike - or even descent of an angel. The loin cloth contributes mischievously to those associations, but it is in any case a garment that I find erotically interesting with all sorts of historical and cultural connections that fire the imagination.

It took two brave men to make this picture, the photographer and the model. 

It doesn't have the same intrinsic beauty as the preceding picture and fetishists will look upon the result with different eyes to the rest of the world, but no-one could deny the powerful impact of the clever, pseudo-medical imagery. It graphically spells out the pain of an invisible sort of restraining bondage, one which most of us will never have to experience. Great stuff. Good job.

We finish with this cover of one of Michael Stoke's publications 

which returns to a more classical theme of Herculean pulling.

The straining makes all the difference!

See more at Michael Stokes Photography

also Stokes Photo on Twitter and other social media,

Michael Stokes on tumblr