Art by Hijaden

Hijaden - Drone Initiates

This is a very typical example of Hijaden's work, depicting two young men in the grip of hi-tech machines which hold them, suspended, in a forward arched position. They are dressed in close-fitting, rubber suits and subjected simultaneously to sensual deprivation and external stimulation. This suspension position with legs spread wide and very little support is quite demanding. 

The setting is a Sci-fi environment, possibly alien, although the master of ceremonies here is remarkably humanoid in appearance. Hijaden calls the unfortunate captives, 'drones'. Their white suits seem to suggest a milking role, a modern update of the white suits of 1970's TV Milk ads. Milking isn't actually happening here, however. It appears that the colour is what identifies them as initiates. They will graduate to black suits in due course.

 

Hijaden - Milking Drones 1

 

Here we see two of the black drones, held in a similar arrangement and being milked by a robot arm. Their faces are masked and there's something going on between their buttocks, which make an eye-catching display. It would probably look even better if we could see the movement induced by the thrust and pull of their attachments. You have to wonder if someone is able to watch them through that panel they are facing.

 

Hijaden - Milking Drones 2
 

This close-up perspective is dramatic and sexy, although the detail is tantalisingly obscured. A similar arrangement to this memorably featured in Milking Factory 3 here at mitchmen. I can't class this as an entry in that series because there are only two donors in evidence and no sign that the milk is being collected. It would appear that the milking has a control purpose, rather than a farming one. Quelling their masculine urges and showing them who is in charge.

Hijaden - Drone Milking Sessions

  This is the nearest I have seen Hijaden come to depicting a milking factory that utilised those marvellous arching positions. Again, though, no collection equipment is shown, and with the drone's bodies stripped naked, the scene is more suggestive of a prolonged torment of unsatisfiable erections. 

It's not clear how the suspended, black-suited, visitor drone fits into the picture. His open legs suggest he is going to be dropped onto those primed erections, one by one, to perform the milking of each and every man (sorry drone) without even laying a hand on them. In that case, it's clearly not going to be collected for onward use.

 *In a separate, recent post, I have presented two examples of mass milking establishments by Hijaden that do seem to be commercial. They use completely different techniques for restraining and extracting from the donors. 

 

Hijaden - Always Watching

 This image perhaps offers some explanation of the purposes and motivations. The young man here having his oral and reproductive functions put through their paces is under surveillance by unseen captors according to the title. It seems to imply that they are aliens, delving into the mysteries of human body functions. However, I wouldn't rule out fellow humans with the pocket to pay for all this gadgetry, enjoying the experiment. At least the aliens have an excuse for doing it. This man's milk is being collected, for analysis presumably, it wouldn't be a viable commercial process.

 

Hijaden - Testing The Deluxe Model.

The title here, by contrast, seems to suggest Corporate branding and profit driven manipulations of a high order. It's reminiscent of Franco's hapless jocks, but they were paired with machines much less sophisticated than this. Normally in these fantasies, the young men respond enthusiastically to their predicament and with firmness, but Hijaden gives us a dose of reality and the more likely, limp outcome. 

The experimenters must have had high hopes of uncovering something better than this when they persuaded this red head to volunteer. Perhaps he's caught sight of that thing just in front of him that looks like a monkey wrench (gulp!). Fortunately (or unfortunately) the unseen experimenters seem to have thought of this and a solution is ready at hand, or at neck to be pedantic about it. I have no more idea than the redhead has about what the syringe contains, but I predict he'll be filling that green, glass pot in front of him in very short order, and having fun at the same time.

Hijaden - Slave Feeding Time

This image depicts a different, more private context, some sort of training scenario. The baseball cap worn by the foreground 'top' reminds me of captured rogues, thwarted in their misdeeds and being rewarded here with some exceptionally creative mutual punishment. However, the comprehensive fetish equipment and cell is probably beyond the average householder's budget. I'm not sure that I can even label these two as buddies. It's all rather conceptual.

 

The detailed imagery, however, is striking. The X-stretched foreground figure in particular. He is obliged to perform another variant of the forward arch. Our downward-looking viewpoint, makes him seem like a top, even if he's simultaneously being treated like a bottom. I'm not the biggest fan of latex suits or dicks on sticks, but the teasing rear opening and inserted plug here are super-sexy. 

 

The kneeling, partner figure seems to have got off lightly in the body stress department. It's anybody's guess how he feels about his 'food' or the feeding connection which he can't shake off, something like an umbilical tube making him dependant.

 

 

Hijaden - Milking Machine

 It's interesting here how unclothing the captive throws the focus of the image onto the machine. He's clearly being milked, but once again it's not obvious that the result of his efforts is being collected, although the top and base of the machine both seem to have hydraulic connections. There's something very business-like and economical about the mode of restraint, suspended from the ceiling and offering up the human to the machine. One can imagine a factory set up like this, where the milkers are rotated by robots, giving up their load to a central extractor and then moved away to rest and recharge while the next man takes their place. A nice dose of realism.

 

Hijaden - Tank Torture 2

What better way to recharge the batteries than this? Not quite a spa but better than nothing. Actually, Hijaden has labelled this as torture. The tight limb isolation bondage speaks for itself and the cock attachment looks as though it's getting hot, like a heating element, although it don't know if that would work underwater, if it is water, that is. It's the water level that poses the threat.

 

One is reminded of the classic, Bound Gods water trial, where Dante is put in a tank like this by CJ Madison*. He's simply restrained, but threatened with drowning as the tank fills up and Madison lies on the lid. Something similar is happening here, the cylindrical tank extends way above his head (it's more obvious in other images in this series). The captive is impaled on a post so he can't float. However, he has a tube in his mouth which is presumably carrying air to him, so it's scary, but not fatal.

*See also Rusty Steele is dunked in a giant fishtank by Derek Diamond at BGods.

 

 

Hijaden - The Pod

'The Pod' also sounds like a relaxing place to be, but it doesn't look very private. More like a sci-fi, display cabinet rather than a place to have a quiet doze. But it's a nice containment image. The user inside is restrained, in a mild-looking way admittedly, but someone has decided his limbs have to be prevented from moving. I wonder if he noticed the sign on the door behind him when he stepped into the pod (assuming he got in voluntarily, which I suppose we can't take for granted). The tube attached to his cock looks like a drainage arrangement of the toilet kind rather than a milking device, but if it's going to be very cold it's usually considered prudent to turn off outside taps so they can't leak.

Hijaden - The Egg

This image obviously derives from the same line of thought as The Pod above. The user inside this container is unrestrained and floating in a medium that the colouring suggests is a fluid. Preservation springs to mind, and you may have noticed that the egg seems to have a decorative frame and been mounted on a stand. However, you can also see gas bubbles inside, like an aquarium, so we can hope this humanoid is capable of breathing in this situation, an alien conversion project, perhaps. That doesn't explain why he's got a raging erection (although it's also welcome evidence that he's alive).

Find more Hijaden images at X.com

 

Mitchell's Cowboy Folio - 7 Bare Foot Prisoners

Feet figure prominently in these two illustrations of Native Americans interrogating captured cowboys and cavalrymen during the so-called 'Indian Wars' of the 1800's.

Mitchell - The Long Walk Home 

'The Long Walk Home' plays on the misfortune of a Cavalryman unhorsed during one of those bloody incidents that marked the struggle for supremacy and land in the mid-west. His captors symbolically disable the feet that brought this unwelcome invader to their land. Being a booted horseman by profession, his feet are probably less hardened than his indigenous captors but it's moot whether they intend to let him use then again anyway.

Mitchell - Bear Claw's Hatred

A similar fate has befallen a ranch hand who strayed into the domain of 'hostiles'.

Bear Claw's hatred is probably no greater than his brother tribesmen above, 

but he is better versed in the old ways of tormenting opponents using barbs and potions.

~

Read Part 8 of Mitchell's Cowboy Folio

Read this series from Part 1

The full Cowboy Folio can also be found at the mitchmen club at Adonis Male

See them at this blog by clicking on the 'cowboy' label below

Mitchell's 'Cowboy Art' Folio - 5 Intimacy and Thorns

 In the 2000's my cowboy imagery moved away from the confines of ranchery. 'Intimacy and Thorns' explored the brutal confrontation between the new settlers of the West and the ancient inhabitants who were gradually being driven from their ancestral lands.

Mitchell - Intimacy and Thorns 2

Cavalrymen have been making raids on the encampments of native Americans to punish them for opposing settler expansion. With the advantage of surprise, the troopers are able to cause havoc and many deaths before they leave. But not all of them escape. 

 

Mitchell - Intimacy and Thorns 1

 A group of Native Americans are out hunting for food, food which has become much harder to find since the settlers arrived and drove away the buffalo with vast herds of domesticated cattle. After days of fruitless searching and frustration the hunters encounter a lone cowboy, out checking fences. The young, hungry bucks cannot contain their anger. They want him to feel some of their pain.

These pictures exploring piercing scenarios were a dark precursor to the 'Cactus Kid' fantasy

~

Read Part 6 of the Cowboy Folio

Read this series from Part 1

find related posts by clicking on the labels below

Captives, Pets and Partners by Planet Gay

Planet Gay - Vampire 1

These first two images by Planet Gay are an unusual take on the Vampire theme seeming to imply that the blood-sucking predator might have an alternative existence as a spider rather than the traditional bat. Trapped in his web the victim awaits his fate. The gleaming highlights on his (rather enticing) body suggest that it's either an unusually hot dungeon, perhaps thanks to all the candles (see below) or that he's overwhelmed with fearful thoughts. 

Notice the cat-like beings in the background.

This image draws on two common themes from bondage photo art - suspension and spider's webs. The combination of the two in this case creates a compelling impression of captivity. The chain webs seen in bondage photos have the same potential but often seem to end up as simple spreader frames for a captive standing on the ground. With notable exceptions of course.

Planet Gay - Vampire 2

The victim, as you might expect from this artist, is a strikingly handsome young man. He courageously matches the Vampire's gaze (a dangerous thing to do if my memory serves me right). No doubt he's wondering whether his captor intends to torment him from the floor - perhaps using the candelabra - or whether he is going to morph into his spidery self to scale the web and one shudders to think what might happen after that. Spiders, you probably recall, liquefy their prey rather than sucking its blood.

This guy's entrapment is more in the nature of conventional bondage than the mysterious stickiness of the spider's web. However, there are echoes of spidery behaviour in the wrapping of his nether regions by the criss-crossing ropes, to create a sort of packed lunch. I suspect the protection and modesty they seem to provide may prove illusory, not least because the ropes bulge outwards at the point of convergence in a manner that suggests a considerable and enticing presence lurks behind them. 

Notice that there are bats in this image instead of cats. This must be where the vamp keeps his pets.

Planet Gay - Art Exhibit

This imagery of two naked men on public display, swimming underwater in a giant fishbowl is equally expressive of pets and captivity although the artist here portrays it as an Art installation. They look like a pair but it's possible these men are complete strangers. Allowing them to have a companion to share this predicament mirrors what we do with goldfish. It's a somewhat perverse kindness. The viewers must be hoping it will evolve into physical intimacy if they hang around watching for long enough.  

Presumably, these men did not volunteer for a lifetime in a goldfish bowl. On the face of it, the exhibits have the option of climbing out of it and jumping down, but it would not be a trivial undertaking getting up onto the rim and the drop is about 20 feet by my reckoning. I imagine the gentlemen enjoying their display might be inclined to grab them if they managed it.

This seems to be a museum-like place and as we know, museums are loath to surrender their treasures no matter how dubiously they have been obtained. So, I imagine there are warders around who might smell a rat if two dripping wet, naked men went padding by. Equally this exhibition might be commercial, a temporary event with the exhibits up for sale. These two can take heart from the fact that it would take a very, rich man to accommodate their particular piece of art so they might end up being returned to the river of life, unsold.

Planet Gay - Cupid's Arrow

There are many ways of acquiring a man as a pet and this would be a highly convenient one if it existed outside of myth, not least because it comes with a guarantee of loyalty without any need for time-wasting, emotional input. I assume that 'cupid' here is shooting the target for himself but strictly speaking he is supposed to operate as an independent hitman selecting people at random who already know each other but are not smitten. 

Cupid here is portrayed as a fully grown man rather than the usual baby-like cherub, which is just as well in this day and age. I'm not a fan of fancy dress in general but find his mini kilt rather fetching. It seems to have an enticingly loose fit around the waist. Mind you, this is a man who would look sexy dressed in a bin bag. I find the target's exploding shorts rather interesting too. His rather severe hairstyle suggests a catch with spirit.

Planet Gay Intoxications

This situation depicts one way of taming a spirited buck, 

but it's led to the potential 'pet' being rendered incapable.

If this mentor is a romantic type, he'll still have a decent enough snuggle partner for the night

Maybe he'll get lucky tomorrow with a convergence of morning woods.

I've tried to come up with a simple, grammatical version of Planet Gay's strangled English but it's surprisingly difficult at this time in the morning!

Planet Gay - Bromance

The conventional way of acquiring a man makes a nice romantic picture here.

Ostensibly it's two military types relaxing by their camp fire at sunset.

One appears to be reflecting on the long, hard day just passed.

The other, I fancy, has a long hard night in mind.

Military men are good material for pets, they like being ordered around.

Planet Gay - Knight and Squire

It's hard enough to win devotion of a conventional nature in real life.

Rarer still to find a man willing to be kept on a chain, even in the first flush of infatuation.

I'd say this dreamy young man has become a pet here really, not a slave.

His master gets the pleasure of owning a handsome and affectionate man 

But with that come considerable responsibilities to look after him.

There's a nice intergenerational flavour to this picture which just about keeps clear of legal pitfalls. It's something that can't be said for all of this artist's work, I've excluded some nice bondage images from his 'Party' series (below) because the captives look too young for comfort.

Planet Gay - Party 09

This image is beautifully romantic and would be more so if it were not set in the context of a military orgy whose state of chaos and drunkenness can be deduced from the figure standing on the piano in the background. The trumpeter's leather pants introduce a scent of S&M and highlights the mild sense of submission in the grape-eater's kneeling pose and the contrast between his total nudity and the feeder's relatively dressed state. The grapes are a classic symbol of drinking and drunkenness and in erotic art can be equally representative of sexual organs and lust. 

This pet's eager look is beautiful artistry.

Planet Gay - Steam Punk Sauna

Another example of pet-like devotion.

The first flush of romance is a joyous, obsessive time when every minute must be shared. The chains of attachment forged by new love are stronger than anything you will find in a fetish and leather shop. The trouble is, this excitement doesn't last for ever, the intensity settles down and for some strange reason partners who demonstrate devotion and affection like this in public become inexplicably attractive to onlookers. Pets have minds of their own and may exhibit an independent streak, so a master cannot be complacent.

There are other categories of men, forbidden but irresistible for gays of a predatory nature - e.g. straight men, best friends, best friends of partners and bar men in gay venues. There's probably a biological explanation. Gene selection gone awry perhaps, although some will credit baser motives derived from envy and frustration.

Planet Gay - Party 06

When infatuation burns itself out and familiarity becomes a bit boring it's tempting to try out shared experiences. Usually there will be no shortage of volunteers in the gay community to help out, but it might be necessary to look a bit harder if you want to find an S&M master to dominate you both. 

Here that innocuous pet lead improvised from a chain becomes an even stronger symbol of ownership and submissiveness. Immersed in this sensory experience jaded partners may find that their limits extended into realms they never dreamed of. Submissive pets may like it more than their masters who find themselves into wading into murky waters where they don't have the same level of aptitude and interest.

Planet Gay - Party 11

Sharing your pet with another dominator might seem an easier option. The proud owner and the pampered pet may both find this situation exciting at first, but a shared pet is likely to become confused about his loyalties. It may turn out he's been unwittingly gifted to a rival. 

This image illustrates in a slightly comic fashion, which may be unintentional, how a 'guest master' may have very different ideas to the loving couple about what constitutes 'having fun'.

This scene pairs with the previous picture (Party 6) where it can be seen going on in the background.

~

These are great images by Planet Gay. Although I realise his art is computer assisted, I am in awe of his ability to populate his images with such gorgeous-looking men and love the light touch he brings to fetish flavoured imagery, producing sweet, well-crafted images of homoerotic intimacy.

This is the third post on Planet Gay at mitchmenblog. 

See also Part 1 - Enslavement Art and Part 2 - Domination art 

Part 4: - Planet Gay's Christmas

The Art of Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh (or 'Gil800' as he signs his pictures) has been around for some years portraying the capture and torment of men, mainly mature ones with bodies of extraordinary muscularity. It's a very S&M gay fantasy, expressing the idea that the epitome of manly strength is not immune to domination and control. 

Remember, you can enlarge all the pictures on this site by clicking on them 

Gilgamesh - Heroes in Trouble

This image by him shows two muscular, hairy men stretched out on the rack in a dank dungeon. The back-breaking variation of this terrible fate, shown on the right is highly original and very erotic. These men are described simply as Heroes by the artist, implying that they habitually engage in worthy missions for the benefit of mankind. But on this occasion, their virtuous aims, extreme strength and manliness, even though they were working together, was not enough to overcome the dark forces that flourish in Gilgamesh's imagination. 

Now they are trapped together in painful restraint, in a stark, bare cell, completely at the mercy of their captor. A pool of water on the floor (something of a trademark in Gil's images) adds to the sense of being forgotten in comfortless, cold incarceration. We do not know if these men are buddies, something closer or simply comrades in arms but in any case they must witness each other's suffering. They lie facing the door, helplessly awaiting the return of their nemesis (as do we, but with rather more different hopes).

 

Gilgamesh - Sneaky Cops in trouble

The theme of a captive forced to watch his buddy being degraded is explored more explicitly in the Sneaky Cops mini-series. Generally Gil does not provide much information about causes and motivations behind his predicaments but he does indicate here that this is a Police, undercover infiltration of a gay, leathermen's organisation that has gone badly wrong. 

This gay man is not intimidated by discovering they are Policemen, nor by their physical bulk, since he is equally well developed and in any case their powerful physiques are comfortably neutralised by the heavy duty chains and pillory-style restraints. 

Gil shows the on-looking cop's horror as his colleague is forced to his knees for a straight bigot's nightmare commencing with the terrifying 'humbler', stretching and presenting his balls for punishment from behind. The insertion of a sizeable butt plug is even more challenging. These cops in their ignorance will not appreciate that it is a perverse kindness, intended to loosen him up for the main event. Sent to investigate reports of sodomy, they will now experience it first hand, spiced with the trappings of S&M. 

Gilgamesh - Captive of the Leathermen (my title)

Leatherman scenarios featured prominently in Gilgamesh's early work, like this example from circa 2006. There's an element of ambiguity about whether this is pure play or something more serious, the handcuff-like cock tether might indicate it's another take on the captive cop storyline, with the blindfold preventing any identification of the perpetrators afterwards. 

The medieval-flavoured wooden yoke and the authenticity of the dungeon setting suggest disturbingly 'unusual' punishments are in prospect for the captive. For now humble clothes pegs apply nagging, point-pain to his huge, shapely pecs - a standout feature of the picture, although his thigh development is equally impressive. 

The viewpoint used by the artist is clever. Peering over the leatherman's shoulder, we can share his fascination with this remarkable physique which he has frozen in a parody of the traditional, muscleman, bicep-flexing pose. 

Gilgamesh - The New Prisoner

Luscious pecs are also the central feature of this picture, which is one of my favourites. This handsome bodybuilder being welcomed to the dungeon by a guard, who looks too pleased by half, is a delicious study in youthful bewilderment and dread. Both men are clothed below the waist suggesting he's a new arrival. "Why have you brought me here?" he would no doubt say if he did not have an uncomfortable ball-gag in his mouth. That's a question Gilgamesh doesn't really answer fully but the confusion and uncertainty of newly captured men is the essence of his art.

You get a glimpse of the artist's Latin roots in the characterisation of the guard. I suspect the juxtaposition with his Anglo-Saxon captive here might be born of a young, Mexican man fantasising about possessing the handsome studs in American beefcake mags. 

He gravitates to more mature men in later work.

Gilgamesh - Incarcerated Adventurers (my title)

The immediate prospect for most of Gilgamesh's captures is incarceration. This scene showing three 'Adventurers' stripped naked, shackled and locked up in separate cells is vivid. The heavy bars of these cells obscure our sight of the victims but it amplifies the sense of uncompromising imprisonment. We get a good enough sight of them in the scenes that follow.

This scene reminds me very much of the fate of the players of Raytown Softball Team in Amalaric's Modern Slavery series. They were similarly treated - physically isolated while awaiting individual assessment and despatch to a suitable slave auction. Separating members of a group in captivity is a basic security precaution, it neutralises the power of the group but also implants the worrying idea that they might be on their own eventually. The sense of comradeship still lingers with these three, encouraging them to vent their anger at their treatment. They don't quite understand yet that their captors are indifferent to it - and may well enjoy it.

Gilgamesh - Defeated Adventurers p0

These 'adventurers' are not split up immediately and their indignation persists in this rather powerful picture as they are taken from their cells and led away through narrow, underground passageways by an uncaring guard whose hood (suggestive of grim, medieval torture and execution) might be expected to prompt a more sober reaction. They can't see the determined malevolence in his eyes yet. There's a heady mix of wounded pride, helplessness and fear in this picture.

 'Adventurers' pop up regularly in Gilgamesh's work. It's a term suggestive of explorers prying into forbidden places in search of hidden 'treasures'. Men who are confident and assertive. We do not know if these intruders are simply curious explorers or opportunistic thieves, but those who pry where they are not welcome have to take the rough with the smooth when it comes to consequences. 

This scenario in which the captive is led away by his captors to a more remote, 'special' place is vividly expressive of a man being controlled and progressively distanced from his old life, descending into subservience. Their nudity and heavy iron collars serve a similar purpose of course. Scenes like this feature in many of Gil's 'storyettes', notably Sergei's Desert Adventure' and 'The Enslavement of Igor' (of which more in later posts). 

Gilgamesh - Defeated Adventurers

At this point the group's indignation is well and truly dispelled as they are lined up in their shackles like new recruits under orders. They stare straight ahead with faces that are meant to be impassive but still betray their anxiety and fear of the man who is now the master of them all.    

Rather than leaving them naked and feeling exposed, he has dressed them in identical 'uniforms'. Their iron collars have acquired rigid, built-in, bit-gags and their previously undamaged nipples have been pierced to accommodate the chunky cross-bars of U-loops. Not least, their cocks have been enclosed in substantial chastity cages hung from chains around their waists although these devices seem designed to deflect arousal, rather than preventing it. 

These hard restraints highlight the muscularity of the men and in a sense show respect for it, but simultaneously they draw attention to points of erotic interest, assigning them a new group identity as sexual objects. Gilgamesh calls this process 'decorating' captives and it's a part of their 'induction' which the captors enjoy for it's own sake. Dressing a man like a doll is symbolic of ownership and control. Having a group of unwilling men to dress in this way must be even more satisfying, a demonstration of overwhelming subjugation.

This group are a good example of Gil's more mature men. Their muscles are still formidable but have lost their youthful smoothness and become as grizzled as their faces. Their bodies have the 'cut' style of musculature that is the norm in top-flight bodybuilding, but it's severity is mellowed here by the softening of tissue with age.

Gilgamesh - Come with me (my title)

This image employs similar fetish motifs and seems to express that idea of ownership in a even more sexual sense, indicated by the intimate chain lead. This top plainly takes a pride in his own, very individualistic appearance and you sense he wants his younger sub to reflect a similar high standard. The emphatic gag tells everyone, not just the sub, that he is a very strict disciplinarian. The captives bewildered eyes seem to be trying to tell him that it's all a terrible mistake. Gilgamesh is very clever with eyes.

There's an ambiguity about time and space in this and other pictures by this artist. The leather and stainless steel fetish gear adorning the sub is very much of today, but the top's knee-length boots and arm protectors seem to belong to earlier, less industrial age, just like the executioner's hood in the previous pictures. It's as though these captives are men who have unwittingly stumbled into a different time and culture. 

Gilgamesh - This Way Please

The last image was an early example of that frightening walk into the unknown which all new captives must experience but this more recent example is much more sophisticated and polished. Gilgamesh says it's a hero being taken to the lower levels of the castle, after being discovered hanging around the treasury. That language seems to imply baser motives than you would normally expect from a hero. 

He's an exceedingly mature hero too but that doesn't save him from being stripped, gagged and shackled in cold iron, just as younger men are. The unclothing has revealed a richly-muscled torso, thickly matted with hair. He is forced to wade through waste water in this subterranean tunnel to reach his place of captivity, another degradation and a sure sign that comforts will be few during his imprisonment. The coming interrogation is a frightening prospect.

The title suggests the guard is courteous, but the facial expressions of both men - determined anger vs resentment and discomfort - suggest that it's purely ironic. It appears the guard is applying pressure out of our sight to compel compliance. We can't see anything but there's a powerful sense of physical interaction. 

Gil uses the same trick of juxtaposing two characters closely together to create a sense of interaction in this scenario where it appears a different pair* of men have reached their destination - a bare room which contains few clues to it's function. Likewise it's not clear what the guard is doing with the the gag but the bigger man stands passively with fearful eyes, letting him do it. He actually dwarfs his guard in size, obliging him to stand on a step to reach up to the gag but he's heavily shackled so his physical strength is useless. However, it's clear that he's psychologically cowed too, incapable of resisting.

*It's possible this captive is one of the three adventurers led through the tunnel previously.

Gilgamesh - (On the) Way To A New Home

 These two men have time to consider what the future holds for them, as they are transported together to a place of incarceration in a prison wagon of some sort. The setting sun suggests it's been a long journey and seems to symbolise the end of an era in their lives. As the stress of the ride and the captivity that awaits them takes hold, they argue about their 'mistakes', a word that suggests they were partners, buddies, working together. 

This little vignette shows Gilgamesh's interest in the feelings of his men as they gradually descend into hopeless captivity. And these are strong men remember. Not just physically, but mentally strong enough to dedicate a substantial part of their lives to developing their amazing physiques and  making their way in an occupation (worthy or not) that has ultimately pitted them against an organisation powerful enough to abduct and enslave them - with impunity.

Gilgamesh - Heroes in Peril

These two men are discovering the continuing unpleasantness of captivity as, fresh from their 'rest' on the rack (top picture), they are readied to witness each other's interrogation or punishment or probably both. Their restraints combine immobilisation with discomfort and produce suggestive, inviting displays. The two hooded torturers and the crucifix on the wall conjure up once again the medieval cruelties of The Inquisition. Perhaps the relationship between these two men is being called into question, so they must suffer together for that reason, but Gilgamesh's tormentors don't seem to need any particular reason or authorisation for practising their craft.

Gilgamesh - Heroes in Peril

Respite from torment comes in a qualified form. Separated from his companion and alone in a comfortless cell, the captive is still kept naked, still gagged and still restrained in harsh irons which deny him even the luxury of being able to lay down properly to sleep. A chunky chastity cage cuts off the possibility of comfort in the fleeting pleasure of private sexual relief.

Ultimately the outcome for all captives in Gilgamesh's world it seems
is despair - and judging by the skull - a lingering death.

More Gilgamesh at mitchmen in Part 2

~

Links (updated Jul 2024)

Gilgamesh on Pixiv

Pixiv has a comprehensive and well organised collection of his work with helpful narratives that add colour and background to the stories he tells. It's the most accessible gallery but recent releases (2024) have censored cocks, the explicit versions are posted on 'X' aka Twitter

Gilgamesh on Deviantart

There's a limited selection on DeviantArt including some older images which are not in the pixiv collection. They have escaped being censored somehow but tend to lack explanatory titles or narrative information, however, this site does provide an easily scannable overview of it's contents.

Gilgamesh on 'X'

The X, ex-Twitter gallery appears to mirror the pixiv one but has explicit versions of recent images which are censored on pixiv. There's no overview, just sequential postings with the stories spread across them, broken up into four images per post. Gilgamesh has gone to the trouble of making sure they come out in the right order. There are slightly different comments, I haven't explored the site in great depth so it's possible there are works there that don't appear anywhere else.

Oztangles Retrospective 2

Read Part 1 of this series

2010

Oztangles - Shocking

 In 2010, Oz stepped up a gear fetish-wise with this depiction of an electro-trial. The facial expression of the subject, a sort of stoic bewilderment, is very effective. I am not usually a fan of long hair but it seems to work here. In combination with a hairy body it seems to indicate a social gulf between him and his neatly turned out captor who is wearing a cap with 'Security' written on it. 

Whatever his day-job, he has changed into a different persona here wearing a leather leotard to deal with this intruder. There's a powerful sense of cold experimentation as he sits at his desk and fiddles with switches, casually looks round to observe what the results might be. 

In this year Oztangle's hieroglyphic logo and dates first begin to appear on his pictures.

Oztangles - Defiance

'Defiance' revisits the 'Garage' scenario from 2009, bringing forward the hairy captive who was suspended in the background then to face his own hour of reckoning. He gets a different treatment compared with his predecessor and from a new tormentor, but the equipment is the same, although it's function here is unclear. The title suggests his vividly erotic response is not what the captor intended.

Although the men conducting both these trials have dressed for sex, they seem content to watch their victim's responses from their remote keyboards rather than getting close up. That sense of distance and control is very apparent in this image, with the results of the victim's excitation splattering uselessly onto the ground in between them.

Oztangles - New Meat

Back-alley pick-ups and sex feature regularly in Oztangles images. I particularly like the biker in this one, casually leaning forward as though he's just pulled up to survey the new prospect. He's not dressed like a leather man, wearing only a jock and 'beany' hat which gives him a youthful, adventurous look. It's a similar appearance to one of the protagonists in 'Alley Cats' (2007)  

The would-be seducer exhibits a knowing eagerness somewhat at odds with his 'rough trade', tattered clothing. His slinky, somewhat feminine pose might put off a regular, leather biker, but it seems to have succeeded in grabbing this one's attention.

Oztangles - Rick Balls

The retrospective connections in 2010 continue with this interesting reworking of 'To The Edge' (2008). The space age restraint unit unit has been repainted a more sober black here. However, there's a total absence of fetish garb and no restraint in evidence, suggesting it's a scene of purely consensual exploration and experimentation going on. 

Oztangles - Acupuncture

This image is more ambiguous in that respect with the subject restrained in a purpose-designed frame to undergo some of the darker arts of S&M. It is a pretty intense scene, but the restraints look comfortable and undemanding. Moreover his 'Master' for this piercing procedure, depicted with blond hair and white jock, does not seem particularly threatening or deeply versed in the ritual. He shows great concentration as he applies himself to his task.

2011

Oztangles - Ophiuchus

2010 and 2011 were prolific years for Oz and that's made it easier for me to find S&M-ish images for Part 2 of this mitchmen survey but I don't claim my selection is fully representative of his output, much of which is devoted to creating beefcake shots and portraits of diverse characters in various garbs and locations. This one is an interesting example.

Ophiuchus is the name of a constellation in the galaxy commonly represented as a man entwined by a serpent. It's also claimed by some to be the 13th sign of the Zodiac and as such Oz has included it here in a series of inventive interpretations of those signs which he produced in 2011. 

You can see he has borrowed a classic pose from the Old Masters as the basis of this composition. It's one normally employed for women, the obvious example being Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus'. The cant of the man's head and his sun-shaped sceptre lend an air of South Asian calmness and mysticism to the image and he's given it an appropriate, temple-like setting. 

Oz seems to have interpreted the snake here as a sexual tempter, loosely coiled around his target and lustfully eyeing the goods which have already yielded to temptation. The eroticism is quite restrained but however you view it, it's quite a pleasing image.

Oztangles - Blue Reflections

This is a good example of the artist's experimentations with render effects. It's based on a character who might have been used in one of his 'Back Alley Sex' images, a handsome hustler simmering with sexuality, but giving an alluring impression of shyness (see also 'New Meat' above). It's possible to see this as a 'sounding' image, but more likely it's simply an example of edging and sticky fingers.  

The sexuality inherent in his pose means that the effect of surrounding him with blue bubbles does not create an idealised, dream-like effect so much as the impression of bubbling, erotic sensations. He seems cloaked in a tactile 'environment' which accentuates his nudity. These also a sense of fragility that goes with the bubbles matching his libido, teetering on the edge. 

The glass column against which he is leaning is capable of phallic interpretation and also fragile in it's own way. It also looks half full for some reason but I suspect it's mainly decorative and a vehicle for some clever reflections.

I will provide links to Oztangle's galleries, where you can view the full range of his work, at the end of this review.

Oztangles - Nightmare 4

Fantasy figures invade this this man's sleep in the 'Nightmare' series. They are intent on nipping him with fingers and a selection of crushing devices of varying severity. The clips on his thumbs and the garotte-like device around his neck are unusually nasty torments for fetish art, more likely to be used in real torture chambers than play scenes and they add a discomforting tang of realism. Miraculously, his cock and balls seem to have been spared attentions so far, although we do not know how the ghoul's pincers or the wares on the table are to be employed. That uncertainty is part of his nightmare. 

I tend to think that torture chairs are an odd concept, the seated position offering bizarre comfort to the condemned man and restricting access to him by his tormentors. In this case it offers him the possibility of escaping the prodigious member nudging his back.

We would frown upon the dwarf-like figure being cast as a villain these days, the character appears dressed as a clown in other scenes (another faux pas?). That dilemma also cropped up in the mitchmen article on BlackProf. The character here seems to owe something to the Batman comics and that ilk.

Oztangles - After The Battle

There's a further flirtation with tricky stereotypes and cruel realism in this picture in which a selection of defeated warriors have been stripped naked and hung on the victor's stockade. Displaying prisoners in this way is an emphatic assertion of control that has it's erotic aspects, illustrated by the parting in the chieftain's loin cloth. Historically, however, it's not simply a humiliation prior to imprisonment, but a permanent punishment and the circling birds are already anticipating that grisly outcome. 

This panoramic composition is not as successful as other images of this period. It seems technically less sophisticated. That's because the characters are diminished in size, so the background setting assumes more significance. In fact the pictures immediately above and below have equally simple backgrounds, it's one of their virtues.

Oztangles - Discipline

This image seems to revisit the 'Garage' scenario with electrically-driven hoisting equipment being deployed to raise a naked captive whose arms and feet are spread-eagled, X-fashion, by separator bars. The villain of the piece (or so he appears) is a striking figure, mature and chunky with impressively ripped muscularity for a man of his bulk. He casually surveys his captive with an undisguised erection that makes the nature of his intentions pretty clear. 

By comparison, his victim is slender, shapely and looks vulnerable. The title suggests this is a 'master and slave' or a 'boss and worker' scenario. The big man's, slightly incongruous leather pants suggest the former but his victim's long hair is not exactly fetishistic and he doesn't radiate experience in the way his captor does. With no sign of any discarded clothing it's hard to tell what their relationship is but there's no doubt about the procedure that is about to occur. The scattering of dildos and spreading of the captives' legs are self-explanatory (to us if not him). The presence of electrical gadgetry nearby adds the prospect of extremity that one suspects this man may find challenging. 

Oztangles - Out For A Walk 2

This unusual image daringly explores the wilder, earthier aspects of an imaginary master-slave relationship. It's paired with another image in which the sub is taken for a walk on the street like a dog and shown pissing on a rubbish bin, but for me this image is more interesting. It shows the sub endeavouring to master the art of pissing accurately while locked in a chastity device. 

His dom stands behind watching his efforts and getting off on the embarrassing spectacle he has engineered by caging him. His camp net T-shirt and sneakers paint him as a rather improbable dom to old fashioned eyes, particularly in comparison with his sub. Perhaps he's just starting out on that road but to coin a phrase, 'clothes do not a dom make'. I find it easier to imagine this as a boss-worker scenario than the preceding image. 

It's probably a matter of age, individual personality and cultural background whether you perceive there to be a racial dimension to this image. If you do the reversal of the stereotypically assumed, pecking order here is interesting but it's a stronger effect in the dog-walking, companion image. That schadenfreude effect is also present in 'After the Battle' (above), but in a rather more drastic form.

Oztangles - Welcome Home

I've chosen a refreshingly different picture to round off Oz in 2011 and in some ways it's the most convincing and erotic of the lot. There are some issues with the feet but that doesn't detract from the emotional effectiveness of the image. The simple passion of reunited lovers is expressed as being both romantic and lustful, although in real life lust after a long journey is a dish reserved for the young! The minimal, tidy background here underlines their preoccupation with each other. The soldier's side cap, discarded on the floor symbolises his escape from the restrictions of the military and return to normal life (temporarily at least). For gay men that situation has all sorts of political overtones, peculiar to the time.

~

This mitchmen review of Oztangles art continues in Part 3

Read Part 1 of this mitchmen series