Most of you will
have seen some of the work of the artist 'Valentine'. You almost
certainly will have come across his historical reference books
'Beefcake'
and 'The
Life and Times of Tom of Finland'. Despite this he remains
strangely unknown, his art un-discussed and seemingly
'under-appreciated' although it certainly has some very special
qualities.
1
This cowboy image
from the Drummer era is probably one of his most widely recognisable
pictures. It's a terrible reproduction but still infused with
sexuality and fetish and you get an immediate sense of artistic
ambition. The cowboy (a notably mature man) is actually holding up
his captive's right leg thereby drawing the two of them together
visually, physically and erotically. The washed out scan is only
partly responsible for this not being immediately obvious, the
shaping of the captive's ass also misleads the eye.
His toes wriggle
suggestively in the vicinity of the cowboy's peeping ass cheeks but
somehow these two erotic elements which would normally be arousing,
seem to be almost 'un-activated'. They don't seem to contribute to
the thrust of the picture - which is of an impending thrust of
course! There's a strange mixture of iconography too with a jumble of
cowboy hats, antique naval pulleys and modern work boots (which are
rather nicely detailed). All in all this image is quite
representative of Valentine's interests.
2
You can sense the
awkwardness and apprehension of this young man entering into a
strange new world of adult, sexual domination but his excitement at
the prospect is equally apparent. There's a strange, traditional
formality about this ritual, he's naked and collared but his older
mentors still drape him with a sheet to collect the trimmings from
his haircut.
There's tenderness and concern in their treatment and
they clearly want him to look his best for whatever they have planned
for him. As cross-generational images go this is remarkably
sensitive, compare it with Axel's
approach in 'Dogboy'
which has quite different overtones of domination and 'pet-ship' and
of course Fellows
who usually takes an even less caring slant.
There's an element
of photo-realism about this picture that is very attractive and
reminiscent of the style of Lord Iron and in fact both artists
regularly featured in Handjobs Magazine (which is now defunct).
3
This more
conventional scenario rendered in the same style treads the same path
as many a porn shoot, a mildly fetishistic spanking being an
adjunct and catalyst to raunchy sex and domination rather than
humiliation by authority. Whilst there's a cross-generational flavour
to this piece the characterisations have more to do with conceptions
of masculinity than age. The rough, hairy, tough guy is the very
embodiment of conventional masculinity, the fantasy 'catch' of many a
young man taking his first groping, steps into adulthood and needing to be desired.
4
This image is from
the series 'Shanghaied'
(1996). It shows two naked butt-buddies who have just been kidnapped
by a press-gang. They are being tied together for simultaneous
transfer to the Royal Navy ship. Valentine suggests a moment of
romantic 'connection' between the younger captive and the sailor
tasked with binding them together. This little cameo recreates every
young man's fantasy (surely!) of being and seduced by a kind, handsome, clean
but worldly sailor. Valentine's depiction of the naval rating is
beautifully observed and conveys the same gentleness and concern we
observed in picture 2. There's absolutely no sense that this bondage
is connected with pain or punishment, it's more like the packaging
and protection of a precious gift.
Valentine's
technical style is quite adventurous here, combining a romantic,
stylised setting sun with just a hint of sail and yardarm to set the
scene in a way not unlike modern theatrical staging. It contributes a
touch of class to an image that is insightful and sensitive, but
nevertheless the eroticism is absolutely electric, a notable
achievement.
But there's
another thread to the narrative of this picture - the hairy shipmate
who ends up helplessly playing gooseberry while his lover is seduced
in front of him. There is an array of visual signals suggesting he is
being pushed out, most obviously the sailor's fist seemingly knocking
his head away. There's a further distancing effect created by moving
him to one side to show more of his hairy, bound body. The technique
of 'cutting off' legs was widely used at one time for artistic effect
and style. It simplifies and focuses the image and can be used to
exaggerate the bulk of thighs and upper arms for erotic purposes.
Here, however, Valentine has cut off the two captive's legs in
different places creating a false perspective which visually moves
them further apart. Cover up the lower part of the picture and
you'll see they suddenly seem much closer together.
This separation
effect fits the psychology of the scenario but does not quite gel
with the idea of tying the two men together in the first place.
Mick's hairy body contributes significantly to the sexual
'temperature' of the piece but the erotic potential of a three-way
scene goes largely unfulfilled, in fact it's actually not that
obvious at first that the two lovers are tied together. One
wonders if this picture has evolved in the making and ended up in a
different place to the original destination. If so the diversion has
still been worthwhile, but like the cowboy image above there's a
nagging lack of cohesion.
5
This is from a
different, Pirate Abduction story but it shows the same powerful sense
of drama and simmering sexuality. These men climbing aboard their
target vessel look rough and scary but excitingly masculine at the
same time. The character leading them on the right is something of a
'tour de force' in the portrayal of eroticism through partial-clothing.
His elegant nudity is absurd yet irresistibly alluring and the
balletic pose is another sign of Valentine's familiarity with the
cultivated Arts. The impish, third pirate pushing between the
bollards is also imagery borrowed from classical theatre, it's used in crowd scenes
(like Falstaff tormented by the fairies in Mid-Summer Night's Dream
or the Baron's adultery exposed and ridiculed in Rosencavalier).
However, Valentine doffs his hat to the more down-to-earth traditions
of hidden homo-eroticism if you note where the point of the leader's
sword is heading.
6
At the end of the
day, erotic art is all about sex and Valentine is no slouch in that
department. This image positively oozes with arousal and lust as
'hairy Mick', who we saw cast as wallflower in image 4, becomes every
man's desire. The chains and arm-lock on him provide just a
suggestion of fetishistic compulsion on the part of his most eager
admirer who is edging up behind. I'm not normally excited by men in
historical costume but the thick hairy legs of this character on the
right, disappearing into his chunky boots make me waver in that view
(although thinking about it waver is probably not the right word for the effect they induce!). There's some interesting hand work in this picture, try working out whose goes where.
7
If I have cast
aspersions on the coherence of some of Valentine's work, this final
example certainly doesn't seem have that flaw. The yin-yang
composition is impeccably balanced with a distinctive frame breaking
detail more typical of 80's art.
The image makes a powerful argument
for the innocence of inter-generational friendship. The
man-made chains of oppression are recast as the unbreakable bonds of
love. The autumnal, fallen oak leaves and acorns (and other seeds)
scattered around the fugitive lovers on the forest floor are
poetically suggestive of strength derived from the natural order of
beginnings and endings. Here we have age and youth, inseparably related in the
cycle of life. However, while this botanical analogy is consistent with the view that our sexuality is innate and preordained in some way, it doesn't really encompass love,
sexual relationships or even mentoring which are the preserve of
animals able to make choices.
Valentine produces
great erotic art which is raunchy and full of originality and
intelligent detail. If I have been unkind in pointing out (what I see
as) flaws it's not because I lack in admiration for his work, far
from it. Valentine is a marvellous artist who deserves to be much better known and appreciated.
In some ways his work reminds me of Etienne-Stephen's art. The feet and
slightly awkward depiction of the arm-lock in image 6 for example
could easily have flowed from that man's pen. Likewise the artsy,
balletic poses and the interest in historical and costume settings.
Etienne too seems unjustly neglected these days.
There's a good
selection of Valentine's work at daddyzhere
For more articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or search for specific artists using the index page or search boxes (top right)
For more articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or search for specific artists using the index page or search boxes (top right)
