Mitchell's Cowboy Folio 12

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Punishment Art by 'G'

This remarkable image seems to show an athlete being punished by man who is semi-formally dressed in clothes that have a military cut. The T-shirt suggests he might be his coach or it might simply be a military undershirt. The athlete's hands are tied together and his feet, though not tied, are also close together, as if in obedience to a demand for military neatness. 

He is suspended, stretched out across his mentor's feet and a low table in a beautiful arching pose that accentuates his buttocks and conveys an impression of extreme defencelessness. The instrument of punishment is a ferocious-looking multi-tailed whip which flails in the air above them suggesting extreme anger and pain lies in store for him. In reality, the wielder is standing much too close to use it effectively, but this close positioning suggests intense, personal emotions are in play. 

The style of the image is strikingly artistic and modern with a slightly fuzzy appearance that belies the level of detail where it matters and there's a similarly loose approach to perspective. Compare with the Art of Vern Dufford

This picture is simply signed 'G' but the artist was identified as 'Greg' when it appeared in 'Mandate' magazine in 1985. Tim in Vermont website attributes it to Greg Maskwa (aka 'greg') who was certainly a contemporary. Maskwa (not previously featured here at mitchmen) was a prolific artist in the leather-rich 1980's and is probably best known for his image below called 'The Oasis'.

'greg' - The Oasis

 These two images are quite different in style but they both have been created using very distinctive, professional 'studio'  techniques. Greg did not always use his distinctive logo on his images but I've not found one that does have it with a similar style to 'G' Greg. You can draw your own conclusions about the source of the liquid spilling from the boot.

Greg - The Olympians

I haven't found any other fetish images by 'G' but this shower scene shows a similar mini-drama unfolding in the contrasting halves of a diptych. On the left two (swimmers?) are showering in a perfectly normal way with a nicely muscled, broad back on view. On the right the blond has actually removed his trunks and has attracted the attention of the third man, seemingly drawing him away from that glorious back. He spans both halves of the image with an air that suggests he is not a man to be dallied with. The faces are stylised but rather sexy.

~

for similar posts at mitchmen, click on the labels below

Domination Art by Russ 3 Cops and Leathermen

Read this series from Part 1

Russ - Cop Search

This scene is a perennial, favourite opening for a porn story, a cop searching a motorist whom he has just pulled over for some violation or another. His fingers go looking for incriminating evidence (or something) up between the suspect's legs. Cops in this era are Tom in Finland country, but for me this image has a sniff of Etienne about it, blended into Russ's eclectic but unique style. 

There's a classic video that opens like this with the subject dressed in sexy, khaki shorts which somehow make his search all the more invasive. Having established the suspect's suitability, the two men adjourn to a barn where the cop administers a fierce belting before... well, you know! I know it as The Barn but I don't know what the correct title is or who made it. Anyone know?

Russ - Cop Probe

When a cop's got you on the rack in a remote lay-by, things can happen that aren't supposed to happen - whether you like it or not. There's a trade-off in this story, just as there is in  Night Patrol by Etienne - sex in exchange for tearing up a ticket. In Night Patrol it's an act of appreciation (or a cruel joke) after the cops have had what they wanted, here it's an up-front deal, but the cop's clenched fist is a tell-tale sign that the suspect doesn't really have much choice. 

It's tempting to see the influence of Tom of Finland here, in the content and composition if not the style. His 'Highway Patrol' (Kake 22) was also published in 1980, and has a similar scene to this in it, except that it's the cop that gets some cum-uppance in Tom's story. 

It's also interesting to compare this scene with the climax of Night Patrol by Etienne. In that story the shafting of the suspect over the bonnet (hood) of the Police Car is spectacular but doesn't look quite 'right'. Russ adopts a less ambitious approach to depicting what is essentially the same scenario and while it doesn't capture the same sense of excitement, it's more convincing anatomically and sexually it's more intense. Penetration imagery in this era didn't usually show significant shaft length between the two men like this picture does. 

Russ - Cop Probe

After reneging on the ticket deal, the cop discovers his two victims are leather guys and have got teeth. Here he suffers the humiliation of being taken captive himself and having his uniform ripped open. More painful retribution will follow, but that's not all. It seems he has a evil, murderous reputation and the leather community decide to exact their own justice by taking him out of circulation. The eagle badge in this image represents their adoption of him and is a prelude to his new life of indefinite captivity and painful servitude.

Cops differ from other gay sex-icons like the Sailor, the Cowboy and the Superhero, in that they are not just figures of lust in their uniforms but threatening, all-powerful and unpredictable men to be feared. Gay porn usually provides a psychological palliative to that fear with the fantasy that they are (only) out for sex, but there's a greater satisfaction to be had in turning the tables on the truly nasty ones.

There's another of Russ's mouth-stuffing gags in this image. The moments he has chosen to illustrate for this story do not have the same energy as the earlier images in this series of mitchmen posts, but there is greater erotic intensity. He understandably uses solid black shading for the cop's uniform in these pictures and it produces marvellous effects in the cop's leather pants and boots, but is less successful elsewhere where it replaces subtle line shading and disturbs the visual balance.

Russ - Jones Beach 1

In 'Jones Beach' a young surfer becomes besotted by a vision in cut-offs and shades. This very 80's object of desire reacts aggressively to his attention, pouring homophobic abuse on the young man. However, that doesn't stop him from lingering with his admirer and coercing him into a sequence of humiliating and subservient acts that suggest a very different agenda.

Russ uses his softer, more realistic style here, capturing the open space of the beach with it's constant, lurking danger of discovery, not least by Police patrols. That threat makes the victim's predicament seem both frightening and exciting at the same time.

Russ - Jones Beach 2

Eventually, the surfer/swimmer is taken into the trees for an even more painful test of his admiration, out of sight of passers-by. It's already clear that his hero's homophobia is a front and having punished the hapless beach boy, he demonstrates that the gay ways he professes to despise are not entirely alien territory to him.

After he's taken his pleasure he leaves the surfer in the bushes, still tied up and bent over a bough. There he's visited and taken advantage of by those who haunt such places, including a cop. Eventually though, his new-found master does return to claim him in a happy ending with a twist.

Some of the detailing in this picture is quite remarkable - for example the bully's boots and the bough over which the victim is bent are graphic art of the highest quality. Notice the return also of the dangling gag.

Russ - White Water Run 1

These illustrations were provided for a story about a leather clubs motorcycle 'run' and they are focussed on the induction processes of that world. In this image a young, blonde acolyte is being trained in submission with some boot-licking practice. This is a similar scenario to the surfer training in Etienne's Road Kings. This trainee's "Gates of Hell" cock strap was a much advertised accessory in the 80's but they don't turn up in art very often, probably because they require a raging erection, but at least this cock is pointing downwards! 

The artist's depiction of the muscular, leather man here is a striking success, creating the impression of a firm, but benevolent master. There's some similarity to Tom of Finland's creations but this is a totally original and very perceptive image. The on-looker in the doorway is an existing slave in the story but you can imagine other scenarios, e.g. a buddy awaiting his turn to be trained (willingly or otherwise).

Russ - White Water Run 2

This domination image owes a lot to Macbeth with a more forceful boot worshiping scenario being enhanced by a variety of exaggerations of scale and drama. The big boots that typified Macbeth's work are given an extra cruel twist by Russ who adds pointed studs to the soles but he doesn't use the same crazy perspectives. His more conventional viewpoint produces a result that is less wild, less energetically aggressive but more intense. The heightened sexual flavouring (including the giant cock) is all his own work.

Russ - White Water Run 3

In this spit-roasting image Russ pays homage to another great artist of the 80's, the Hun. He's extracted one of that artist's typical scenarios and replicated the facial expression of the victim too, but the resemblance ends there. Russ has translated the scenario to the world of leather clubs rather than the Hun's preferred hunting ground of prisons and sleazy truckstops. Russ makes the man in the middle here more mature than the Hun's innocents too. He has used his own, more realistic figures and drawing style to recreate the erotic essence of The Hun's imagination.

Russ - Leather Man (cover for 'The Leather Journal')

This striking cover illustration is a decade on from the imagery Russ did for Larry Townsend and it's a more mature, accomplished style. I'm not 100% sure it's the same man but if it is, it shows considerable artistic growth. 

The spiky cartouche framing the subject is a modernistic, vaguely satanic expression of the fiery, hard passion (bordering on anger) that lurks within the Leather Man's soul. It's scarcely subtle but expressed  much less directly than the flailing belts and harsh domination that mark out the action pictures in this collection. There's an interesting construct where you might expect a motto to be that brackets, almost nudges, the sexual centre of gravity, depicted as a latent source of great erotic power, but temporarily restrained. This slightly mystical interpretation of the leather religion is contrasted with a meticulous depiction of his elaborate leather outfit and carefully trimmed hair, showing the more worldly, conforming, sometimes vulnerable dandy that is also part of this tribe's character. 

~

Russ has a unique style that draws heavily on the inspiration of the artists of his day, but the drama and passion that infuses his best images is probably better executed than any of them. There are glimpses of extremely accomplished draughtsmanship alongside more mundane imagery, but it's not easy to identify a recognisable, unifying style in an era which was rich in artists with unique signatures - The Hun, Macbeth, Sean, Cavelo, Etienne and Tom of Finland. This is perhaps why Russ has received less recognition than he deserves over the years since then.

There's no site for him as far as I know.

Read this series from Part 1

Dueling Humiliation by Art by Jz(?)

1

Two young men confront each other over a terrible crime.

Their Shakespearean tights (and contents) are a double treat.

2 
click to enlarge

Cut to the chase and both men's clothes get the full Zorro treatment we have all longed to see.

Green tights proves to be packing a memorable package as well as a sharp sword.

It's hard to know what is frightening his opponent most.

3

Naked with feet trussed  the snivelling coward proves to have a lust-worthy physique.

He's dragged through his own piss as though the victor intends to hang him out to dry.

This image is the highlight of this little storyette.

4

In the end it's an un-Shakespearean shibari harness he's subjected to

and a public punishment with penetrating potential 

and for which the emptying of his bladder is sensible preparation.

 ~

I can't make out the artist's monogram to give him full credit and a link, it looks like Jz and possibly a 't' too, plus a self-deprecating crown. His style is lush and attractive, very sensual and he breezes through a fine selection of relatively rare fetish interests in this brief tale. There's scope for a lot more direct eroticism too, but he leaves that to our imaginations. This work has the ring of youthfulness running through everything - the plot, the dialogue, the celeb casting and the milking (as it were) of rude, bodily functions. However the freshness, succinctness and originality of the piece is ample compensation.

Identification advice would be welcome.

check out the labels below for similar images at mitchmen

More Domination art by Paragon Illusions

 Read Part 1 of this article

Paragon Illusions - Lessons

I love the devilish simplicity of this image which shows the training of a sub volunteer getting under way. This levered arm restraint isn't bondage art by any stretch of the imagination but it leaves  the captive with virtually no freedom of movement and imposes a defenceless, head-down, bowing stance on him. Humiliation can quickly become a painful torment if the tension of the rope is increased. The top here seems to be deliberating whether to do that or simply tether the rope sustaining his captive in this undignified position. 

Paragon Illusions - Basement Pleasures

This image captures the highly charged moment when a sub is first introduced to the intimidating arsenal of his mentor - and intimidated he clearly is, but it's a bit late now to change his mind. Already naked but still modestly covering up his private parts, there's a hint of the novice about him. The handsome top by contrast is disarmingly dressed in everyday jeans which seems to amplify the isolation and vulnerability of his subject. He seems to be encouraging his man to choose his own restraint gear for his session. It's a rather sophisticated priming technique which tests the subject's mettle and appetite before he is even secured. Involved but not yet committed as the chicken and pig gag goes. Sort of.

Paragon Illusions - Don't Cross Daddy

There's a superb sense of domination in this image with the sub secured with simple but rather glamourous, stainless steel manacles and seemingly wilting as the top starts to assert his authority. It's suggestive of the classic horror movie 'reveal' where the sub may start to wonder if he's been naive or over-trusting. There's a lurid example of this in the closing moments of the movie '30 years of Adonis' by Scud

I can't say I'm enamoured of the 'Daddy' concept, there are too many dubious associations and for me a man should always be manly, not childish. The tone of the title seems to have little to do with parenting.

Paragon Illusions - Surrender Sessions 1

This artist has produced a series of images called 'Surrender Sessions' and this example epitomises that theme with the sub allowing the top to restrain him. Once again it is the simplest of methods but once the chains are tightened they will totally immobilise and expose the captive. 

The 'surrender' is a magical moment for both men, particularly if this is their first encounter. This sub's hairy, muscular torso seems to epitomise manliness, an exceptional prize for the top to acquire and practice his magic and lust upon. The sub's unresisting acceptance of restraint delivers him into the hands and desires of his new master, totally under his control, protected only by their safe word and trust. 

Paragon Illusions - Surrender Sessions 4

This remotely controlled, collar snare is based on the device used to catch dangerous and elusive animals. It  leaves the subs hands free and able to defend himself in theory, but he cannot escape and cannot even touch the man holding the control rod. A strong man might break free but for the lesser mortals it's a recipe for a particularly humiliating form of control which ultimately compels submission and obedience to his master every command.

Paragon Illusions - Surrender Sessions 6

There's no restraint at all in this situation, just an elaborate and emphatic chastity device, denying the subject control over his own manhood. The master is seen revelling in his beauty and his submissiveness, which allows him to touch and appreciate his body. Behind the sub there is an unusually spacious cage which it seems he will be expected to enter when instructed to do so. There he can be left unattended and detained for as long as his master wishes, safe from outside interference but abandoned and alone, wondering what lies in store for him. 

Paragon Illusions - Dreaming

This artist's work is rich in hairy and muscular men of all ages, so when he depicts a striking and mature one like this at play in a swimming pool (in wet underpants) one can only wonder whether his destiny is be a top or a sub.

Paragon Illusions - In Training

Older men are often portrayed as tops, their maturity is assumed to have endowed them with wisdom and experience with younger men should learn and profit from. Paragon follows that convention in this image but but the forcefulness employed here in order to bring the errant young man to heel doesn't seem to quite accord with the chivalrous code of consensuality and trust building normally attributed to the leather community. However, the picture itself is all the better for that edginess.

We can also celebrate here an intergenerational image that does not flirt with the forbidden.

Paragon Illusions - Brute Force 

The artist generously offers us the other side of the coin here with the forceful 'Mister red pants' lured from his idyllic pool to a grimy basement where he is meeting his match. The title and setting leaves us in no doubt that this is not a playful, poolside game but an attempt to impose domination upon him. We might suppose that this may ultimately lead him to the delights of bondage and physical torments. As the saying goes, it's never to late to learn. It's a delicious contrast to the preceding image.

Paragon Illusions - Servitude

This isn't necessarily the same men but the progression is appealing. This prisoner has been stripped naked and the loss of those striking red underpants (or their equivalent) deprives him of more than just his modesty, but something of his identity too and in a curious way, his ability to defend himself.

Prisoner he most certainly is, the stark bars in the cell window tell us that. The artist's title, blunt as ever, suggests that his naked incarceration is intended to be lasting and demeaning, whether he likes it or not - and all the indications are that he doesn't. Not yet anyway. He hasn't surrendered yet but there's a strong sense coming out of this picture that he is not capable of avoiding that fate, despite his hairy muscularity which of course make him a highly desirable addition to the Maser's collection.

Paragon Illusions - The Examination

Strapped down on an examination table with arms extended in a cruciform shape, this captive seems oblivious of his position - or perhaps he is repelled by the sweet nothings of his captor. Unusually for an examination room this one is devoid of any equipment or paraphernalia which might give a clue to what it is used for. What form his examination will take. Perhaps that is what is being explained in his ear. The nudity of his attendant seems to rule out everyday medical stuff.

The captive is dressed in a good quality, leather jock strap and I'd hazard a guess that there's another item fitted to him underneath to help him fill out that roomy pouch. We don't know if he arrived wearing it and looking for an earthy experience or whether it was provided by his host while he was out for the count (having foolishly accepted some hospitable refreshment). That leaky tap or broken light switch will just have to wait!

Paragon Illusions - Piss Pig

The device worn by the young man in this picture is a bit niche but I've included this image not for it's earthy bluntness but for the gorgeous depiction of the man positioning himself to use this unusual facility (evidence suggests he hasn't started yet!) His bubble butt and slightly sagging jeans, showing just a hint of crack, combine with a broad back and long, slim legs to produce a figure almost any gay man would be happy to kneel before. For a more ordinary exchange at any rate. Note the contrasting characterisation with the bulkier man at the far urinal.

I love the small detail of the empty glass he resting his hand on, not simply because it indicates a voluminous discharge is imminent but because it's very nice piece of male characterisation.

Paragon Illusions - Release Your Dreams

Something completely different. A man with wings is chained between two pillars at the mercy of a (youngish) human. Typically in gay erotica, angels and the like are vessels of virtue, ripe for re-education in the ways of the flesh and this one seems no exception. In that context it's amusing to see the seducer portrayed as a much younger man who isn't offered a man like this every day. However this is a dangerous path for any man to walk down let alone an angel. The celestial one looks totally horrified and it's a great look! I suppose immortals have longer to regret their mistakes.

I'd caution them both to look at the colour of the sky though. There's a storm brewing.

Paragon Illusions - Waiting For His Return

~ 

Read Part 1 of this article

More Paragon Illusions 

also DeviantArt and many others, just search!

Art by Shenguanlin 2

Part 1 of this post

Shenguanlin - Sock Mummy

 This image is something of a first for this blog. Normally posts here feature conventional photographs or artwork but I suppose you'd call this an art installation - on a miniature scale. It's simply a plastic toy, a male figure, put inside a sock and bound up with tape (which looks like old cassette tape) but the end result is astonishing and it's an image I can't get out of my mind. 

The knitted body sheath itself is unique, a departure from the usual body wraps of leather, rubber and white tape. Loose fitting and soft, it's unexpectedly sexy, with the surreal overlay of actually being an old (and smelly?) sock in reality. Underneath, the outlines of the figure look uncannily realistic and Shenguanlin has contrived pockets of sexy shaping at strategic locations. 

The tape restraint is comprehensive and almost completely symmetrical (with one sexy, mid-body exception). The upper body contours are flattered by a pattern that looks immensely secure. Obscuring facial features doesn't usually work for me, but an amazing amount of personality comes through in this case. Twist of the head creates the bizarre impression that there's actually a real man inside.

The figure (and his discarded boots) are surrounded by messy, desk detritus with an unpleasant stain at head height contributing an air of casual neglect.

Shenguanlin - Boxed 4

This image has similar characteristics but with the captive subjected to more usual mummification techniques, multi-layered and supplemented by an array of straps. He's also been fitted with a selection of erotic attention-getters - Shenguanlin's, trademark, cock and ball cage, plus electrical and vibrator attachments with further secondary pain from simple nipple clips. A tube recycles the produce into his mouth. On either side, other men who are simply restrained in their boxes seem to be drawn to and perhaps excited by his special treatment. They are all struggling and complaining.

It's not clear if these men are boxed up for onward shipment or if these are simply storage cells. If you study the edges of the boxes above their heads, it looks as if the man in the middle is not in a box like the others but in a sunken area, like a drawer that will close, sliding under the one above his head to leave him enjoying his privileges in darkness and peace.

Shenguanlin - Locker Room Slave

This attractive Rugby type is stored alongside a bag of smelly rubbish. The title suggests that his teammates intend to make use of him but the multiple restraints will limit their options! I suspect the ring shape buried inside his gag is the clue to the form his 'enslavement' will take. His torn clothing suggests he didn't volunteer for this role, but the holes in his socks are more likely to be indicators of self-neglect, an attitude which may have helped bring this predicament about. He's a handsome figure though, very desirable should they choose to put him on the market.

Shenguanlin - Fantasies Come True 2

This picture looks at another widely frowned-on male phenomenon - jerking off in front of the computer. Once again the floor is strewn with possessions the man is too lazy to put away or clean. However they do reveal his active, sporting interests which have yielded him a chunky physique. 

Rolls of tape scattered around and pictures on the wall show his interest in bondage and humiliation.

He's stripped to his jock and rugby socks, suggesting he hasn't even showered and changed after his last match. He is innocently enjoying a bondage clip in the privacy of his home when an intruder enters, unheard (thanks to the earphones which he uses to keep his vice a secret from his neighbours - or so he thinks, anyway). He doesn't realise he's not alone until a wad of material is clamped over his face.

When he comes to, we can imagine his initial shock quickly giving way to a feeling of naked vulnerability, then embarrassment, fear and finally maybe, a perverse sense of excitement.

Shenguanlin - Fantasies Come True 3

The intruder is masked and clad in a (fashionably grey) skin-tight suit which showcases his highly muscular physique (etc). This character, close up, would excite most of us. We've seen him before as the preparer of captives (in Part 1 of this post) and the wall art tells us that this sportsman is familiar with Shenguanlin's work and knows what happens to his captives. What must he be thinking as the intruder ties him to his chair? The man in his video suffers a similar fate, hence the title. 

Soon his face is enveloped by layer on layer of his own soiled shorts and underwear. The intruder goes to extraordinary lengths to tape him to his office chair, tying up his arms and torso in a shibari-style harness. His nipples are clipped and a vibrator positioned to continuously sustain his erection.

The intruder only speaks to give him a sarcastic instruction.

There's a delicious ambiguity in  Shenguanlin's titling here. Is it this man's fantasy to be tied up and abused by an intruder? Or to inflict that fate on someone else? Is this his dream come true or a true nightmare? Would he perhaps have relished being abducted and put into degrading service like the men in the pictures on the wall? Unexpectedly, the ending of this series of 5 images is more prosaic.

Shenguanlin - Public Oral Sex Station

The most demanding fate a Shenguanlin captive can suffer is be bolted into a rigid body shell, perfectly moulded to his shape and used as a drainage vessel for men in need of relief. This is a particularly fiendish variant, with the unfortunate obliged to induce the means of his own humiliation. Fixed to the wall, he has a motorised piston attached to the back of his head, so that his users doesn't even have to move their hips to enjoy the sensations of his ever-open mouth. They can even adjust the speed via a control on the captives collar and enjoy a stimulating video while he sucks them off. 

The gadgetry on the wall suggests a payment is required, these facilities don't run themselves, you know! It reminds me of those service station air pumps where you pay for five minutes at which point it abruptly cuts off. I have visions of a customer, shaking with undischarged excitement, desperately fumbling for his credit card having miscalculated his timing, while at the next station a stag party have clubbed together for a session and are frantically trying to get everyone 'done' before their time runs out.

The individual service providers all have identity labels which even display their faces. It allows them the dignity of retaining their identity. Unfortunately it also means that contented customers can remember their favourites and recommend them to their friends.

The depiction of the man who is enjoying being serviced here is sexy in itself. His powerful arms and undone, sagging jeans are inviting, especially as his attention is otherwise engaged. 

A glimpse of buttock cleavage wouldn't go amiss! 

Shenguanlin - Wall of the Mummified

This captive is cruelly set the task of solving the riddle of the mummy's wall. The sight before him and the prospect of joining them would intimidate most people. His nudity makes him seem particularly fresh and unspoiled, as do the socks and shoes he's been allowed to keep on. Presumably the rest of his clothes lie in the heap in the background, never to be seen again. 

We've seen the row of mummies before, usefully employed in the Milking Factory 14 post. I find them a little over-dressed and inward-looking in purpose here but I have no doubt the artist greatly enjoyed depicting them. The glimpse of No 4's head over the guard's shoulder is tantalising .

Milk Source

Shenguanlin - Milk Source 1

Sadly, this vivid, solo image does not qualify for the Milking Factory series, but we've previously had a solo Milk Dispenser Kiosk at mitchmen blog. Shenguanlin's fantasy is altogether less wholesome. 

The provider is securely and neatly tied up as we would expect from this artist and he's suspended in the air. He's a butch number too, alluringly clad in a tight tank top/vest which (somewhat irrationally) suggests a product with a strong flavour. So far, so good. 

However it appears that you get your shot of milk strained through the pouch of his jock-strap, which doesn't look like it's seen the inside of a washing machine recently. It's a niche product you might say. Nevertheless, it appears that demand for the stuff is sufficient to warrant placing him in what looks like a smart looking bar/catering facility. The absence of a reservoir for his product suggests he's very responsive to demand. I suppose that is thanks to the encouraging vibrator and the olfactory fantasies he is enjoying from smelly trainers and used underwear.

Shenguanlin - Tied To Posts

This image shows two similarly hunky captives, teammates, tied to posts and endlessly aroused. 

Apparently this is part of their preparation before being suited up for oral services. 

In the background two plastic bags, presumably containing their clothes, await disposal.

This imagery has quite powerful connections with vintage stories of cowboys and jungle explorers taken prisoner by locals and facing extremely unpleasant endings.

Shenguanlin - In The Closet 2

This is a relatively innocuous bondage image but I like it. The characterisation of the captive as some sort of mechanic is different to this artist's usual stereotypes. His overalls are unusual with images associated with automotive repair arranged like a starburst around his crotch to give a 'restrained bulge' effect. Glimpses of skin through little holes suggest internal pressure amplifying external wear. His boots have been removed and his overalls have been opened at the top to reveal muscular shoulders and an earth-coloured vest. Propped up against a post he waits, alarmed and confused. 

Shenguanlin - In The Closet 5

Later images in this series show him fully stripped to reveal a hairy body and extraordinary steam punk tattoo. He's milked along the way of course. We are left to imagine what happens next.

I can't work out what the spike on his shoulder represents.

Read Part 1 of this post

More Shenguanlin on Twitter

Domination Art by Paragon Illusions

Paragon Illusions - Acquiescence

A young man prepares for his first fetish experience. His hands are clasped behind his back, submissively anticipating restraint, but his teacher has decided that first he must learn unquestioning obedience and so, symbolically, he gags him. No questioning now, no answering back.

Great image!

Paragon Illusions - Weekend Play Toy

On a lonely road at night an expensive car draws up. A man gets out and stands, looking around. Then he begins to take off his expensive clothes - his jacket and tie, his trousers and shirt, carefully folding them all and storing them in the boot of the car (the trunk). After a second or two of hesitation, he takes off his underpants too and drops them on top of the pile. 

Next he opens the box that was delivered to him that morning. He takes from it a length of chain, winds it tightly round his ankles, as instructed, and secures it with a padlock, making very sure that the chains are tight, because he doesn't have the key to release them for a second attempt. He takes a second length of chain from the box and winds it round his wrists, which is more difficult, he has to use his mouth as well for this, but he practiced it (as instructed) before he left home. This time though he has to finish by closing the padlock, After that there will be no going back.

His decision made, he closes the boot-lid and hobbles round to the front of the car to wait, standing between the headlights. It's a cold, cloudless night and he shivers. He arrived a little early, wanting to be sure he had time to do everything just right. The man who is collecting him is probably watching him right now, but he won't show himself before the pre-arranged time. He may even turn up late, that is his prerogative. They have the whole weekend in front of them.

Paragon Illusions - Fantasy Fulfilled

In the first two fantasies, the subs offered themselves up completely naked. Clubland pick-ups usually come ready-packed in leather gear so it's a rare luxury for the top to be able to clothe a new acolyte to suit himself, in his own taste. For the newcomer, spread naked and waiting in the dungeon chains for the scene to begin, the buckling of someone else's harness tight across his chest, entrusting him to wear it, is an exciting expression of acceptance. The securing of the top's chastity device between nervous legs is an unsubtle assertion of his total control. These introductions complete, he is free to assess the man at his disposal for what is about to unfold. 

There's an inter-generational element to this image which changes a conventional 'training' scenario into something more interesting, with genuine mentorship and learning. 

Paragon Illusions - Board Bound

The training of mature men is no less exciting than instructing the uninitiated young. In fact, maturity and bulk in a sub add a suggestion of humbled pride to his act of unforced submission. This top seems to be making the most of it, pausing to observe the sub's reactions before securing the fourth and final limb in the fetters. He's clad his student in a bulky steel collar and mounted him on an uncomfortable, crude but strong open frame in symbolic containment of his superior, physical size. 

Now he can start to assess his inner strength and devise his training strategy.

 Beards on young and older men have become more favoured in recent years and this artists work reflects that with a pleasing spread of ages and nice balance between realism and ideals in body types. His participants all look different and, in their own way, desirable.

Paragon Illusions - Dare Taken

A strikingly attractive man bends his partner over a leather horse to make him pay a hot bottom forfeit. Somehow the artist has managed to capture a good sense of his forcefulness and their struggle.

The playful title here implies an equality of status that isn't evident in the imagery, with the shaving of a man's head being a classic degradation technique. Some subs do it for themselves which seems to miss the point and undermines a top's control. Perhaps that is the 'dare' at the heart of this piece.

Paragon Illusions - Disappointment

This misty image is a beautiful statement of forced submission. It owes a great deal of course to the imagery of captured agents and interrogation chairs in spy thrillers where the audience is split between those who fear their hunky hero is about to experience unpleasantness and those who desperately hope he will. That source does not detract from this artist's interpretation, the muscular captive's bowed head here is particularly expressive. However, it does make the adaptation to a leather/biker scenario a little confusing. 

You can interpret this as a biker gang boss rebuking an underling for a mission failure, but a studded paddle would be an unlikely interrogation tool for such a man, particularly when faced with a seated captive. In the fetish world, folding chairs like this are more likely to be found in the wrestling ring than a dungeon.

The artist's title is typical of his work, suggesting a deeply involved, consensual but strictly hierarchical power relationship between these two men. It seems to have gone off-script here with the dominant partner left nursing a bruised lip having been obliged to reassert his control. The remedy seems to be to sit the cowed offender down for a dose of Daddy talk (laced with emotional blackmail) after which he will agree to lower his thick leather pants for a spanking he'll never forget.

Whether you buy that or not, it's still a great picture.

Paragon Illusions - Factory Fantasy

The mysterious imagery of abandoned factories has a special place in the world of fetish where the vast, enclosed but neglected spaces and their trappings of chains, machines, furnaces and mobile cranes provide a wealth of intimidating atmosphere and kit for any would-be dominator. The setting was memorably featured in the Zeus 'Steel Dungeon' videos (1995) while 'Shooting the Past' by Priapus (2017) provides a gentler, more recent example. 

Paragon's take on the theme captures the spooky essence of the setting rather well, with the dark, misty lighting and invading undergrowth creating up a great sense of remoteness and isolation, that guarantees privacy for the protagonists or, if you prefer, eliminates any chance of rescue. His title cleverly damps down any suggestion of impropriety in what is about to happen whilst leaving the story of how this man came to be here naked and chained and his relationship (if any) with his 'captor' cloaked in ambiguity.

Paragon Illusions - Lesson in the Rain

The natural world in this piece becomes an even more active participant in the fetish experience, with a sub forced to stand outside, naked in (sleety-looking) rain. His top watches him from the warmth of their sitting room, able to enjoy his discomfort but also the embellishing effect of the gleaming water on his skin tones. It's very reminiscent of the work of Okawa and other Japanese fetish artists who put their subs out in the snow. I'm glad to say Paragon's victim looks a a good deal older and more than able to look after himself. This is one of my favourite images by this artist.

The artist's commentaries visualise a consensual contract that permits this sort of humiliation as a honourable, character-enhancing experience for the sub, much as Military Training does. Amalaric by contrast is rather good at thinking up other, thoroughly disreputable ways to persuade strong men to do want they wouldn't do otherwise.

~

More Paragon next time