A-Z of Fetish Artists - Rex

 

Rex - Clamped

Slightly out of alphabetical sequence we arrive at Rex, whose accomplished hand has graced our fetish world for 30 years or more. Having said that, you won't find much S&M play in his pictures, this clamp picture, in which you can feel the pain of those vicious devices, is a relatively unusual subject for him. The dark, pointillistic style is Rex's trademark. The subtle depiction of the abdominal muscles and veined arms is marvellous. His pictures are always full of interesting details, like the stylised backswept hair and the gleaming ring of the screw clamp. 

 

Rex - Traffic Patrol

Rex's men owe something to Tom of Finland, like these cops with their square jaws and fleshy lips (maybe a touch of Etienne too in the snub nose). The Mohican-styled street yob fouling the pavement and due for a comedown also has echoes in Tom's later work but it's the man in the shadows who is true Rex with unkempt hair, pugilistic nose and smoking cigarette in his hand, rough and dirty, probably with sexual manners to match. 

This atmospheric composition is much more sophisticated than Tom's work but has the same story-telling power, your imagination can run riot visualising what will happen next. Rex's pictures look completely different to Tom's because of his style and use of dramatic close-up. 

Search out copies of his pictures which have not been 'sharpened' by those collectors who don't like the 'fuzzy' appearance - it destroys the feel of the picture.

 

Rex - Lickin'

Rex's pictures typically show sleazy, sexual encounters in rough and ready settings. Leave the gymnastics aside here and you can almost smell the odours of lust and sex in this encounter and you just know those uplifted socks are pretty smelly too. The incidental detail - torn vest, tattoos, stubble, cigarettes, beer can and glimpse of jockstrap in the draw all create a powerful sense of masculinity let loose. The backgrounds are equally precise but sometimes it's maddeningly unclear what exactly they are. Sometimes the perspective appears flattened, creating a crowded, compressed and claustrophobic effect.

Rex - Cubicles

This sense of intimacy and claustrophobia is also expressed in a group of pictures which show men in box-like settings, like adjacent hotel rooms, cubicles in toilets or the infamous steam baths. This idea is borrowed from the movies, the parallel activities are private and yet not private, separate yet shared, it's like a deconstructed orgy, but it's only us that get the grandstand view as voyeurs. There's some nice drawing in these miniatures, the uncertain expressions on their faces make it curiously erotic. 

 

Rex - Hotel Rex

This picture springs from the same inspiration as the cubicles series. In a sleazy hotel room a biker kneels and feasts on the sweaty, sock-clad feet of a tough-looking sailor who reclines patiently, in control and already up for more. The vial in the biker's hand is probably poppers pointing up the intensity of his moment. 

In the mirror we see the mysterious reflection of a second, younger sailor who looks just out of the shower. It's not clear if he's disinterested, shocked or maybe he's just bored waiting his turn. He could even be looking at a fourth unseen man. 

The characterisation of the three men is all quite distinct and sexy in different ways and the detailing of the sleazy, hotel room is just astonishing - note the two toothbrushes telling us that two men (presumably the sailors) share this room.

 

Rex - Operation

Medical fetish art is something of a rarity so I had to include this group of authentic looking doctors carrying out a highly unorthodox operation on a captive, gagged patient. Not for the faint of heart, perhaps, the surgeon is literally weighing up his options, but it's a logical, if nightmarish, extension of the Doctors and Nurses control fantasy. Rex has a penchant for going just a bit too far! 

In this picture, the patient's anatomical proportions are not strictly observed - he has rather short legs. Oddities like this occur in other Rex pictures too (see lickin' above). It's surprising given his sophisticated technique and carefully crafted detail and suggests to me that passion sometimes plays a major part in the creation process. 

Rex - Pay Before Pumping

Finally, a fairly well-known picture that combines great artistic technique with off the wall fetish. The young grease monkey's mouth is held open by metal tubing stuffed down his throat. It looks to me like a petrol pump nozzle or a bike exhaust fitting but I don't mind being corrected on that - see comments below. What's indisputable is that he's being forced to drink body fluids mixed with goodness knows what residues from the improvised funnel. The dramatic lighting and amazing snatches of incidental detail (have you ever seen bollock gooseflesh depicted before?) make this a memorable and highly erotic image.

~

There's another great picture by Rex at mitchmen blog in Classic Homoerotic Images - 1

See also mitchmen A-Z of Fetish Artists - Zach

and mitchmen A-Z of Fetish Artists - My Favourite 'R'

The Legend of The Path of Pain also at mitchmen blog

plus In Praise of Sailors -17

~

I don't need to talk up Rex, his artistic credentials speak for themselves. His fetish imagery, full of subtle nastiness and power plays between men, is always exciting and interesting. There are two further important areas of his work concerning animals and intergenerational relationships which I have not discussed here because I don't feel they are appropriate subjects for this blog. However, I will say that his slant on these two taboo subjects is worth investigating.

His work takes a bit of finding. He now has his own a site at Rexwerk with some examples. There is also a collection at Delftboys (if you can penetrate the maze) and as always Pax's GMBA archives (see sidebar for link) are a rich resource.

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Reynolds

This is another one hit wonder for me though I have no doubt the artist has produced much more work. I just like the simplicity of this hands-tied pose and the assured style with interesting use of colour to suggest highlights and body hair.

I don't have a website for him - info from readers welcome!

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Ray (or not?)

Foot Fetish by ?

I have a feeling this is a fake, not the picture, the signature. It's written in bolder ink than the date and the drawing itself and I don't have any other pictures with the same name, the style is a little like Marquis. It's worth posting the picture, however, for it's collection of foot-fetish variants.

Info from readers about this picture would be welcome!

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Raute

 

Raute specialises in scenes showing corporal punishment of young men using canes and similar implements. The situations shown appear to be domestic in nature and are not overtly sexual. The adults are always fully clothed and decent but the boys are sometimes very youthful indeed and often take their canings on bare bottoms. It's not the type of scenario I feature in this blog but I will acknowledge Raute's popularity with the spanking fraternity and his prodigious output.

'

 

For me, his depictions of adult men are frequently better than the youths, they are well observed and convey a sense of strength and maturity that hardly needs contrasting with willowy boyhood. This picture shows artistic maturity too, a clever, dramatic composition capturing a sense of dominating power and heart-sinking fear.

 

This example depicting the mechanics of caning is more typical of Raute's style than the sophisticated compositions of the first two pictures above. I have included this one because the rangy, young man seems old enough and is still dressed. As a shorts and uniform man, I will admit to a guilty fascination with the lederhosen and military/scout uniforms which Raute features. The clumpy boots are a nice detail.

  

This final dramatic example is probably known to many of you, the recipient of this bare bottom beating with a rubber tube is no kid either. I've attributed this picture to Raute on the basis of the drawing style, but the use of the handcuff restraints and hosepipe are not typical of his work. 

Maybe someone out there can verify this for me?

I don't have a website for Raute - info from readers welcome! 

There are selections of his work in most spanking groups - try Jockspank or M_Spank_M.

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below 

or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - RAS (RA Schultz)

 

RA Schultz appears under R in this survey by virtue of the RAS signature he uses on his work. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of humongous dicks in the 'Giant' series but I found a good selection of fetish images amongst my collection of his work. The first picture shows both facets. The power contrast between the street-clad, grovelling youth and the black, leather guy astride his big, shiny motorcycle is highly erotic. Is this a vandal caught out and disciplined? The towering dick is a bit much but at least it's erect, the big floppy ones often shown by RAS are not my bag at all! 

 

More sexy grovelling here as we see another stereotypical leatherman who has somehow persuaded two rather good-looking men to strip and provide him with some sexual release. These are possibly construction workers judging by the stylised, industrial, bridge-like setting. The square jaws and stubble on the two men makes their submissive acceptance of humiliation and penetration seem very uncharacteristic as though the leatherman has some strange hold over them.

 

Schultz's pictures are often illustrations from magazine stories, condensing different elements of the narrative together and this composite of an unorthodox military induction is a nice example. Haircuts in the military are part of the legitimate imposition of obedience and discipline but it's not usually at the hands of an MP in his underwear! The forced body shaving produces a glimpse of gleaming tumescence as it homes in on the pubic area but the boot licking that follows is a prelude to some painful punishment, some of which is shown below. 

 

RAS has done plenty of bondage images but this explicit paddling is unusual, he generally only hints at fetish pain and invasion by having characters brandish fetish devices before the captive. This image is a bit of an odd, mismatched 'composite' but RAS has captured with a few lines, a distinctive older man's face and body which we all recognise as 'real'. The odd angles are a quite common stylistic feature in Schultz's work.

 

This memorable image showing a young man being tied up in electrical cable has a great deal of drama and energy and captures the sexual excitement of forced submission and immobilisation in a way that has rarely been bettered. It dates back some years as you can tell by the Nick Shadow logo and the retro hair style but is no less effective for that. The shading of the bigger man's arms and torso, suggesting sweaty exertion, are a nice touch. 

 

This final, explicitly sexual image is another little gem summing up the essence of bondage fantasy. The older top has an interesting, manly man's face, a chunky muscular body and hair in all the right places. You can sense the lust raging through him as he takes his captive. The bandage-like bondage and tape gag (here supplemented by a restraining hand) seems to have had a fascination for Schultz, it certainly accentuates the helpless position of the captive. 

 

It's hard to sum up RAS, I love his take on masculinity (beyond the cocks!) and he's produced some memorable fetish images, stylish, quirky, a little bit posed and sometimes frustratingly imperfect. It was quite hard for me to make a selection for this article, to find a theme. In the pictures above the style is simple but there are occasional glimpses of a more lusher technique and in fact some of his vanilla images are stunningly sensual, I couldn't resist including the bath-house scene below, check out the man on the right. 

 There's much to admire in his work. I don't have a website for RAS - info from readers welcome! There are selections of his work available if you google around.  

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Rapp

Rapp - Soaking

This is one of two pictures I have attributed to Rapp, the other is group of 3 posed leather guys not dissimilar in style to the previous RAM posting, but this one is much more interesting in both subject matter and technical style. 

I'm not terribly enamoured of the master-slave relationship model but I do get off on collars and as a straightforward domination/humiliation image this picture certainly gets my vote. I particularly like the depiction of the cute young 'slave' and the clothing details. The pointillist technique is impressive (check out the splashing beer and wet hair of the 'slave') and the tricky low viewpoint investing the bearded top with a bit of extra dominance is carried off pretty well. I'm guessing the large area of blank space which somewhat unbalances the composition is intended to accommodate text on a magazine page (Drummer?). 

Clearly an accomplished artist and I wish I had more of his pictures if they are like this!

I don't have a website for Rapp - info from readers welcome!

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - RAM

RAM - Biker 3

I generally omit from this survey those artists whose fetish credentials boil down to leather jackets and little else, but I thought RAM was worth a mention for the quality of his work. You can see the photographic origins of this image and the influence of Lüger (Jim French) in the composition although it must be said that Lüger managed to inject much more eroticism into poses like this. RAM seems to have positioned the cowboy's 'stroking' arm so that it is possible to 'read' it as belonging to the biker (if you can suspend your knowledge of how arms work!). A bit of a strange addition to my 'hidden eroticism' collection.

I don't have a website for RAM - info from readers welcome!

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Rader/Raider

 Rader - “Beaten”

Brad Rader is an interesting artist. This picture is probably one of his best known images, a study in unrestrained anger and violence. The situation seems to be consensual judging from the state of arousal of the recipient but you wonder if boundaries are being crossed. The equipment on display, an odd mixture of standard 'dungeon' paraphenalia and potentially lethal household tools, does nothing to dispell the sense of danger. It's a disconcerting image if you reflect upon it, comparable with Greasetank's cruel sadism and makes the average, real-life S&M encounter seem quite tame, but I suspect this daring picture brutally portrays an unspoken temptation that lurks in the soul of many fetishists.

 Rader - “Burnt Oranges”

“Burnt Oranges” is equally challenging. Is it depicting a lovers' tiff between an older and younger man - or something more sinister? A hapless cabin boy trapped into extra duties on his rich employer's yacht? Power and coercion fantasies are the foundations of S&M fetish but this simple picture lays it bare, all the more disturbing because the protagonists look so unequal. Rader uses a completely different drawing style here, cleverly invoking a decadent 20's atmosphere (like Prevot does). The figure drawing and composition also reminds me of the work of 'Teddy of Paris' (who I have yet to review) but in fact Rader uses a wide variety of styles and does sometimes mimic other artists. 

 Rader - “Hot and Hairy”

“Hot and hairy” is vanilla in comparison but amazingly sexy. A muscular, hairy man gets dressed, seemingly unaware of the young man in the doorway casually lusting after his body. I particularly like Rader's sensuous depiction of the T-shirted observer showing that he can draw realistic figures and capture male traits. The relationship between the two men is undefined but the flag on the wall suggests this might be the younger one's fantasy. As for the bizarre portculis headboard on the bed, this could signify an interest in dungeons, toy soldiers - or maybe nothing at all!

Rader - “Love For Sale”

In “Love for Sale” Rader reverses the hot and hairy scenario with telling effect. He exquisitely captures the immature awkwardness and innocent pleasure of youth and contrasts it with the frustrations and degeneracy of later life in the form of a drunken, dishevelled, overweight adult leering in through the doorway. More illicit desires are lurking here, we're back in Harry Bush temptation territory but with the lust explicitly shown and a disturbing domestic setting. The college paraphenalia, body hair and the subject of the song suggest that the young man is old enough, but he doesn't particularly look it. Fortunately (for my sensibilities at any rate) the desire goes unfulfilled and that artistic restraint allows us to see a piquant commentary on the reality of gay men growing old, 'Hot and Hairy' seems a long time ago now.

 

Rader - “Prison Scene”

Anger, Violence, Coercion, Lust, Rader's work is a compendium of fetish essences with their ambiguities and paradoxes explicitly revealed. Superficially, this prison scene could be about shaving, ritual blood mingling or outright mutilation. Rader's humourous slant takes the edge off, suggesting a boyish prank is in progress, but the harsh, glinting blade, the legs prised open, the contrasting states of arousal and the inescapable bars, leave no doubt that the real subject of this picture is fear, literally naked fear. I've rarely seen it so graphically expressed although it's an emotion which is present by implication in most S&M activity. Fear of course is linked with sexual release by nature (survival of the species and all that) which maybe tells you something about the sexual behaviour of oppressed minorities. Rader shows us things about ourselves we didn't really know.

Rader - “Barn Flogging”

Out of fear comes anger, which brings us full circle back to the beginning of this article and another brutal punishment scene. But this time the participants are not the aging adults of my opening example, playing out their world-weary abuses. Here the victim is young and clean cut while the whip is in the hands of a man who is ruggedly handsome and muscular and who, were it not for the disfiguring, out-pouring of anger, would be the epitome of attractive male virility in it's prime, every young man's hero. Perhaps it's fanciful, I can see in this picture a mirror held up to our own feelings - pain repaid in kind, innocent love punished, suffering shared.

I don't drool over Raider's men as I do with Tom of Finland's (for example). The distorted anatomy and harsh shadowing isn't sensual but it brings out the drama and emotion of his situations in a way that you can't ignore. I regard most erotic art as simple entertainment, but looking at these drawings I feel that the artist has reached deep into his soul to draw out and force onto paper feelings that are not comfortable and which are actually quite hard to communicate in a tangible way. 

It's quite an achievement.

Raider's web site is called Flaming Artist and has a selection of images showing other equally interesting facets of his work.

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

A-Z of Fetish Artists - The Letter 'R'

  The letter 'R' includes it's own quota of 'stars' - Brad Rader, 'RAS' (R A Schultz) and Rex. 

I usually start off these reviews with 'honourable mentions' of artists whose work I like, 

but who don't qualify for the series (for my inclusion criteria look here).  

This time I've chosen a major figure to set the scene - RW Richards ('RWR').

RWRichards - At The Pool

RW Richards probably doesn't count as a fetish artist, much of his work is middle of the road erotic-romantic, indeed his distinctive, deliberately graphical style could have graced the cover of any romantic novel or fashion spread from the last century (with appropriate censorship of course!)

This languorous evocation of a summer heatwave and the lustful sights it produces is spot-on
It reminds me of Harry Bush's tempting youths (technically and psychologically) but there's a more confident mindset behind it and these are real men, not boys.

 

RWRichards - Shower

Richards' men have smooth, shiny skins and large eyes with luxurious lashes which are not particularly masculine traits but that's more than made up for elsewhere in his figures.

In this shower scene it helps create a striking contrast with the beautiful Adonis, humbly kneeling before the grizzled, self assured older man. It's a power play which is also the essence of fetish and shows that an inter-generational image can work perfectly well without relying on immature boys.

Richards' treatment of water in these two pictures is interesting for aspiring artists.

  

There are further articles on RW Richards in 2020.

For other articles in this series click on the A-Z label below or use the search box to find a specific artist

New Artist - Kajlet

'Nailed' by Kajlet

Kajlet, the artist who created this image was unknown to me until recently but I suspect he's going to become better known. He draws a wide variety of bondage and torture scenes, not just crucifixions. The super-inflated leg muscles are reminiscent of Kalabro but Kajlet's captives are more mature and stamped with attractive virility.  I particularly like his use of clothing, like the Adidas Swim-trunks here, to suggest a situation and something of the man's character. The tribal tattoos place us firmly in the 21st century. 

You can find more of his work at Kajlets Art blog 
(link updated May 2014)

Wet Bondage

Fraser is given a pasting at Straight Hell. The arm-bar hogtie looks very good.

Chaz 4 - Second Chances

 

s1

Chaz is set for a new future in finance,

the prison-issue, orange tie is the only reminder of his rehab program.

s2

At his first interview he's keen to impress. “Work hard, play hard” is the motto of Citiwank and what boss could fail to be convinced by a muscular pec emerging from an open white shirt?

s3

In the white hot dealing rooms the guys often have to resort to ditching their stifling suits, so there has to be a strict underwear dress code:- white, clean and not too brief. No frilly pants, no thongs. But they'd never thought it necessary to exclude swimming trunks.

s4

Chaz's secret is revealed, his fetish for inappropriate clothing has not been cured, merely concealed under his business suit. Chaz curses his foolishness.

s5

But our Chaz is a fighter. He sits down with his colleagues to convince them that wearing swimwear assists decision making - and it saves him time when he goes for his daily training at the pool. It's not very convincing but many of them find it sexy anyway. They don't say so because they are enjoying his embarrassment - and his crotch.

s6

The impromptu seminar has brought the dealing room to a halt.

Chaz is summoned to the executive office and given a stern dressing down for distracting his colleagues. The outraged Executive demands his swimming trunks be handed over for examination and confiscation. Fashion Prison beckons to Chaz again.

s7

Chaz bravely pleads his case, demonstrating how the handcuffs shamed him. He recounts the daily ordeal of showering with dangerous, frustrated, criminals, a recollection that brings about a involuntary change in his body, revealing potential that impresses his boss no end. Sensing his last chance, Chaz goes for broke.

s8

The Executive looks down at the tattooed back of the naked, young man grovelling at his feet and trembles with pleasure. There are few sights to better male bravado brought to heel. 

It's one of the pleasures of his job.

He feels he ought to try and take advantage of Chaz's obvious talents. He's wasted in the dealing room, far too distracting to the other men. But there is another vacancy just come up, for a gardener at his private residence. He'd already lined up that nice Nick Sterling, but it wouldn't harm to give Chaz a trial too. 

He wonders how Chaz would look in cut-off denim jeans.

Chaz 3 - Punished

It looks like my plea of mitigation last time was unsuccessful. 
There's only one place for those guilty of inappropriate dress and that's the clink.

 

J1

Stripped down to basics, the real man emerges and he suddenly looks a bit of a hunk.

Any volunteers for visiting?

 

J2

Showering and laundry all in one, don't get too cocky Chaz!

J3

Back to the wall. Showers in prisons can be scary places!

J4

Plumped up pecs and sticky-out ears, mm-mm.....and handcuffs too!

Chaz plays his 'get out of jail' card for the governor.

Will he emerge as a reformed character?

Chaz 2 - Not So Dodgy

 In my last post I mercilessly poked fun at the way Chaz is presented in some of his beefcake shoots for Randy Blue. Of course, in true tabloid style, I chose the most suitable images to create humourous effect. Today's selection, taken from the same sets show a different side and I must admit I find it fascinating how this man's masculinity and his inner boyishness asserts itself in his pictures despite the distractions of odd clothing, accessories and other stuff.

5a

Chaz gets away with his beany here. Purists might quibble about mixing leather with wool but we'll let that go. Lets face it, leather headgear is a bit of a stones and greenhouses situation! This is a nice 'blokey' pose and the T-shirt shows off wide, manly shoulders. I'm a big fan of chaps and Chaz deserves credit for wearing a pair that actually look as though they fit him. The slender strap squeezing down between his butt cheeks is great!

 5b

See what I mean about boyishness? He's not a baby any more though and those chunky thighs emerging from their snug leather sleeves look excellent. It's what chaps are for!

 6a

Chaz's pecs show real meaty bulk in this picture from the pool series and smooth, well defined abs as well. The sleeveless tank top is unobtrusive now and I confess to a fascination with the oversize underwear which I presume has stretched out with the wetness.

 6b

Also from the pool series. The open-ness of the pose is like a ropeless bondage picture. 
The white deposits on the pool edge have been used by the photographer
 to add spicy innuendo for us pervs!

7a

Chaz looks so much better when he just relaxes. I love his sticky-out ears, despite the stud, although I think it probably accentuates them, which Chaz I imagine would hate! The clothing requires no cultural translation to do it's job here, the immaculate newness will work for some but a grungier well-used jockstrap would have provided an interesting contrast.

 7b

The boy within the man comes out to play. 
This is a really nice picture, relaxed and cheekily erotic.
 Even if you're not a socks fan they contribute a touch of informality and spontenaity. 

 

8a

I have to admit defeat with this sheer top but it does make his biceps look great!

I like the wide strong neck too. 

 8b

The boy surfaces again in this shot, there's some nice youthful shaping but I'm not sure what's going on with that ballustrade support visible between his legs!

Next time, an even spunkier Chaz.