A-Z of Fetish Artists - Sherwin

  

Sherwin – Whipping

Sherwin's art is less well-known than it deserves, his pencil drawings, almost academic in style, are easily overlooked in this age of HD colour and his subject matter is not for everyone either, ranging from simple bondage through painful punishments and torments to mutilation and grisly death scenes. This whipping sketch is a simple example of his style, it's one of his more animated scenes and the partly hidden, muscular perpertrator is an intimidating prescence. The anguish of the victim and his youthful, trim appearance earn our sympathy and desire. His submissive, kneeling posture looks like an afterthought, but it works well. 

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Sherwin - Tableau

There is a noticeable influence from classical religious art in Sherwin's work. In this sweeping tableau, it's not just the martyrdom subject matter that is straight out of the middle ages, but also the deliberate, spread out posing of the characters and the woodland landscape behind them. Paradoxically, he probably pays less attention to the sensual allure of skin tones and scanty clothing than his supposedly pious predecessors did. A leather fetish crowd have been parachuted into this decidedly 'off-piste' action, complete with absurdly oversized toys. It's all completely surreal. Is this a gay 'wild bunch' with an interest in historic re-enactment? Or are they considerately obliging a novice's off-the-wall fantasies? (there's certainly evidence he's enjoying it!) Or is Sherwin just humourously acknowledging his influences? Note the combination of three, different, antique punishments here. You will find many other historic techniques in Sherwin's work, either mythical in origin or borrowed from an age when Christians seemingly vied with each other in a search of uniquely agonising modes of death. 

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Sherwin - 'End of Rebellion'

'End of Rebellion' transplants the triple crucifixion theme of the Easter story to a modern day prison yard, complete with sinister barbed wire fences topping the walls. The treatment of the victim on the important middle cross, presumably the leader of the rebellion, is intriguingly classical, aloof and almost majestic. In this picture the solitary torturer is more typical of Sherwin's work than the previous example, he's very non-scene and rather unpleasant. However, were it not for the victims' (barely noticeable) anal impalements and the incongruous exposure of the prison guard's (semi-flaccid) organ, this image would barely qualify as erotica. Sherwin juxtaposes motifs from the 'safe' S&M world (the slave collar, the prod and, of course, the dangling cock of a complete stranger) with some powerful, historic imagery connected with martyrdom, mass executions and extermination. The picture reads as an allegory of sexual oppression. But to me it also seems to suggest a relationship between S&M practices and the fear of persecution.

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Sherwin – Winter Crucifixion

In the images we have seen, Sherwin does not do dramatic angles but views the action from the side, standing back and dispassionately recording the scene.'Winter crucifixion' is more 3-dimensional but has the same sense of detachment. There's little sense of emotion here. Just the seemingly callous disregard of the guard and the proud forbearance of the victim – another borrow from Medieval martyrdom art. This composition seems to pay homage to the great landscape paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, incorporating some of his memorable motifs, like the mountains, the way-side crucifix and the footsteps in the snow. However, whereas Friedrich sought to depict man's God-given place in a majestic and sometimes cruel Nature, Sherwin simply shows the brutality of human nature. 

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Sherwin - Wish

“Wish” is representative of a group of works by Sherwin depicting the fulfilment of a young man's secret desire to suffer torment at the hands of other men. "Tableau" (above) is arguably another example of this. Sherwin sagely warns that the consequences may be less pleasant than the fantasy. Thus this helpless victim dangles at the mercy of a group of men whose everyday clothes and neglected physiques make them seem like very ordinary citizens. They certainly don't fit the cosy blueprint of S&M, with it's in-built ethics of consensual play, safewords and respect of limits. Consequently their interest in the helpless victim is not just of the ordinary but sinister, as though they too are harbouring secret desires. Desires that are apparently exemplified by the rough-edged ringleader, eager to exploit this opportunity. Tom of Finland depicts 'coming out' as a joyful release of inhibitions, this sombre reading of a world full of danger couldn't be more different.

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Sherwin – Operating Table

I wanted to include a sample of the artist's more discomforting works, which form a significant part of his output. This one is less explicit than some, the unpleasantness is imminent, but mostly only threatened, although that doesn't make it any less disturbing. The arousal of the victim suggests consensus and the modern day time-frame (pin-pointed by the boots of the naked henchmen) slightly defuses the scene, suggesting it's an elaborate S&M episode rather than a serious assault.

Or is it? Is this another case of 'be careful what you wish for”?

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Leaving aside these chilling thoughts, the restraint of the victim and his helplessness, is beautifully captured. His pain is expressed, in typically economical style, by the arched back and single clenched foot. Sherwin's tour of antique here tortures traverses the Inquisition and French Revolution with some wacky improvisations, which for most of us would not instill much confidence about the mental stability of his torturers!

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Images like this will challenge the consciences of many fetish fans – is this where our desires lead us? It will repel others. But remember this is not commercially motivated art, designed to simply shock and thrill. It's an expression of deep feelings which must be acknowledged before the work can be understood. Is this image about cruelty? Or suffering? 

Whose cruelty? Whose suffering? 

The answer lies within yourself.

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Sherwin – 3 Doms

Explicit sexual play does not feature prominently in Sherwin's work. His intent is unquestionably erotic, but apart from revealing sexual organs (which may or may not be aroused) he is usually content to let the scene speak for itself, so I include this example to clarify his erotic credentials. Of course, the mechanics of sex are amply covered by a multitude of photographic art these days. The 3-way abuse of this young man is well drawn but it could easily be just another 'Bound Gods' type scene. Sherwin, however, draws out the erotic psychology of domination and submission, he shows the Doms here as chunky, mature men, not especially attractive but with a fleshy muscularity, which amplifies the atmosphere of lust. They feast on their passive, young captive whose prominent collar and leash firmly casts him in the role of subservience, required to submit to all manner of abuse from whoever chooses to give it to him. Of course in Sherwin's world, he submits with true stoicism rather than enthusiasm.

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Sherwin – Stripped

I couldn't resist including this picture. It's particularly well drawn and detailed and full of classical art allusions. The lop-sided restraint method is used in a number of traditional renderings of the St Sebastian story (including Goya for example). This suggests what might be coming next for those who recognise the pose. The victim's glumly resigned face, almost pitying his attackers is equally saintly, although he has a chunkier, 'Greek statue' physique than is the norm for Saints. His assailants may be in complete control of him, but they still find themselves having to look up to him as they go about their evil work. The harder, stronger-looking one is even kneeling, a typical foot of the cross pose, as though defering to the superiority of his captive. Sherwin's updating of a very traditional, compositional arrangement to create a modern, homo-erotic fable reveals to us it's ancient, subtle power. In a way, the grotesquely smiling knifeman, who leers while cutting away his victim's underwear, is more scary in a modern context than he would have been in less healthy, bygone ages. Even if all the art ancestory and religious symbolism completely passes you by, the dramatic effect is timeless. The other fascinating thing about this picture is that Sherwin passes up a fairly obvious opportunity to sexually connect the participants, suggesting he's trying to convey a rather more important message.

*****

Sherwin's art is intelligent and seems full of very personal psychology. Despite the brutality of some of his work there's more sense of dignified suffering, pain and sorrow rather than cruel anger. It appears to be strongly influenced at several levels by a deeply religious, cultural background which I couldn't hope to understand properly. The sadism he depicts seems to be luking in the real world to catch the unwary. Which I suppose is a true masochism.

Sherwin has a blog and his work also can be found in the archives of GMBA (current link in sidebar) and at MCR. There's also a decent archive at Sean the Artist.

To see other articles in the A-Z series click on the A-Z label below

Another Human Torch by Karulox

Karulox - Human Torch

An aside from the A-Z, here is another fantastical, self-combusting 'human torch' to compare with those of Sergey, Saj and Sean. 

This torch is in bondage - and enjoying it, judging by the fiery cum. 

If only Hollywood would persuade Chris Evans (below) to have a go at these interpretations! 

It might work wonders for his career!

"What? (gulp) Take off all my clothes? (gulp) 

For a burning scene!!!?

Karulox hasn't featured in my A-Z as yet.
There's a link in comments below, supplied by a reader, thanks anon!

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Sherer

Sherer - Trajectory

Robert Sherer is a recognised gay artist whose works directly challenge straight notions of traditional society. This striking 'Sebastian' image is one of a group based on his own childhood nostalgia and memories of his developing sexuality. In the way of children, he points out some uncomfortable truths – like the blatant homoeroticism in traditional religious imagery – which actually seems less surprising to us these days in the light of recent scandals in the Church.

Sherer - American Martyrdom

This variant takes a more obvious swipe at gay oppression, linking it to the acceptance of violence and militarism in youthful play and upbringing. These are serious (but playful) pieces and the eroticism is restrained, to be enjoyed by those who wish to do so.

The bondage and fetish ingredient is not typical of his work, although several other images feature subtle abduction and domination themes in the guise of pirate play and even shopping! There's much food for thought for those who have faulty memories of childhood innocence.

Sherer - Untitled

This last example depicts classic fetishism of a sort I don't usually cover, an example of Sherer's sharp humour. I love the phallic flask and the chromosome chart in the background.

You can see more of this work at robertsherer.com, it is a fascinating encyclopedia of 'coming of age' experiences that most of us will share or recognise. The style of these images deliberately harks back to the mid-20^th century and those of a certain age will find it intensely nostalgic.

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

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Sergey

Sergey is a one hit wonder - at least I'm not aware of any other work by him although the quality of this set suggests there ought to be others (any info on this from my readers?). I have included him because, for me, this little set is a significant fetish work of a fairly extreme type. It's a surprisingly rare example of the 'Cowboy captured by Indians' scenario. The whole series consists of 10 pictures and I have included a selection below with links to the remainder at the appropriate point in the article.

1. Captured

 The opening scene shows the dramatic capture of the Cowboy who appears to be wearing revealing skin tight trousers. His rearing horse is nicely drawn but it seems a bit odd for an Indian to use a lassoo. The style conveys a real flavour of Western Comic Strip action, despite a slightly disjointed composition.

2. Stripped

The cowboy is roughly tied up and simultaneously stripped of his pants. The subjugation of the struggling victim always has an erotic kick for me and I must say, I like background desert landscape!

Visually it's a bit confusing and there's some improbable body contortions here. Foot fetishists can just make out the left-hand Indian's boot planted firmly on the Cowboy's shoulder blades, contributing to his anguished expression. Another is using his foot to grind the exposed ass, while clearly contemplating other possibilities which come to pass in the next picture. This boot action and the faces in some of the pictures are reminiscent of Etienne's early work  

There appears to be an enhanced contrast applied to these pictures (presumably to clarify the image, post scanning). The result is not subtle but it certainly brings out Sergey's sophisticated technique for highlighting musculature. 

The lustful intentions of the trio become clear....

Link to image 3 - 'Used'

4. Leashed

 Another fine action image, enhanced by the wildly expressive depiction of the horse, which seems to share the Cowboy's yearning to escape. The compact, V-shaped composition subtly underlines this shared bondage. In between the arms of that 'V' sits the almost demonic, brutal captor/master, who is depicted with immense strength and power (note the foot again). The bodies all shimmer with gleaming sweat, although I suspect the originals may have been more delicately shaded. This effect certainly brings out the brutal tugging of the rope (in case you didn't notice).

 Back at camp the cowboy is restrained between posts...

Link to image 5 - 'Tied to Posts'

Battered where it hurts most...

Link to image 6 - 'Beaten'

Tortured with cactus needles (in a graphic piercing scene).....

 Link to image 7 - 'Pierced'

The artist's sophisticated style and anatomical skill is clear here

  His cock is tied to his body in an erect position (see image 8)

and used for target practice by the bowmen. St Sebastian in a stetson!

Link to image 8 - 'Take Aim'

As you can see, the scan quality of most of this sequence is rather poor.  

  9. Lighting Up

A fire is lit beneath the helpless captive

The restraining posts with their zig-zag decoration are inspired by Tom of Finland's 'Jack in the Jungle' (below).  Inevitably, the static restraint method drains the drama somewhat and to be fair, Tom's version is no more successful.

Tom of Finland - Post scene from Jack in the Jungle II

5. Flames (cropped)

 

It's interesting how themes sometimes recur within the individual letters of my A-Z and this contribution to the letter 'S' culminates in another fiery torment to set alongside those of Sean and Saj previously reviewed. See also Fire label at foot of post. 

Sergey's flames are suggested rather than accurately depicted. In traditional comic book fashion he exaggerates his 'hero in danger' moment by creating an amazing inferno from what was the modest pile of wood in the previous picture. Even the arrows are burning - and he has finally lost his hat.

Relief  of a sort is at hand for the unfortunate cowboy, you can see it in the uncropped version of this image. The full picture is posted here.

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Sergey's pictures are littered with wayward perspectives and imprecise anatomy but he's clearly an artist of some accomplishment and his imagery generates plenty of excitement. It's a shame that no other work by him seems to be available to us. 

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(Article updated Nov 2015)

For other images of this type visit Pax's 'At The Stake' group 

(now defunct but he still posts at GMBA, link at foot of side bar)

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

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Sepp

Sepp of Vienna's work features the rough and sleazy culture of skinheads and bears and yet, paradoxically, his images are highly polished and neat with an air-brushed, shiny-skinned, sensual style that echoes traditional 'glamour' imagery.

Sepp - Waders

Much of Sepp's work (like this group of 'waders') appears to be formally posed portraiture of fetish boys. There's a parallel here to Tom of Finland's later work, but Sepp's boys clearly don't take themselves as seriously as those leather men and closer inspection reveals these three men are being very naughty indeed. Pause to dwell on the liquid swirling around their waders! We are presented with the ingredients here to imagine a filthy scenario for ourselves, which is very much in the traditions of male eroticism.

Sepp - Eat

This picture is more overtly erotic with chunky figures, a hint of rubber fetish and a Marine's hat to set the imagination running. The wristwatch is an intriguing detail but I can't decipher the Gothic tattoo (Siut?). It's a daring subject in a way and captures a certain intensity, but doesn't exactly draw the viewer in. Sadly the proliferation of mainstream porn tends to devalue straightforward images like this but you have to admire the way Sepp executes the tricky perspective with aplomb. 

 

Sepp - Leaky

Here we have fetish-a-plenty - uniforms, torn vests, sodden jockstraps and forced submission. It's a memorable image and yet the spark of sexiness is somehow rather fleeting. It somehow lacks life but I can't pin down whether it's the relaxed, smiling, self-conscious pose of the 'M' or the neat, crisp finish that's responsible.

It's interesting that Sepp and Sean should come up next to each other in my A-Z, since they represent opposite extremes in artistic terms. Sepp's images are sensual, immaculately drawn and technically correct and the men he depicts are believable and attractive. Sean's work is much more erratic in quality with lapses into cartoonery and hit and miss perspectives. Sean relies on his subject matter for the erotic impact more than the style. However there's a life and excitement in his work, a spontaneity, that is missing, or perhaps masked in Sepp's. I would happily hang Sepp's drawings on my wall but I would prefer to commune with Sean's pictures in a more private place!

Sepp protects his copyright and his work is scarce on the web. He has a website, Sepp of Vienna, which has a large gallery but the images are very small. 

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

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Sean

For many years I only knew Sean's work through his gang-bang, comic strips which appeared in the Meatmen collections of the 90's. These youthful sexual romps didn't hit many of my buttons and they wouldn't qualify for this survey either, despite the occasional bondage references. Then I discovered his specialist fetish work (particularly for Bound and Gagged Magazine) and this completely changed my opinion of him as an artist. 

 1

I have a great liking for straight forward, simple, bondage imagery and this is an excellent example. Technically, I think it's one of Sean's best pictures, with no obvious flaws in the anatomy or the perspective (which is typically ambitious). This hairy man and his buddy tied up and sweating make a great, sexy subject. Sean has a great feel for the apprehension, fear and excitement which characterise the authentic bondage experience. Sean's detailing is meticulous. The long hair and unshaven, muscular bodies of these characters suggest they are real men, rough and tough. Untamed bikers perhaps, but about to be challenged by a far different, equally uncompromising, approach to manhood. Note the curious, ghostly appearance of the biker's cock. I love too the incongruous, classy flourishes of the scrunched up sheet, which they are sitting on. This picture is full of confident style.

 

2

This image is quite well known and in a modern context perhaps looks a little tired, maybe too staged, but Sean has worked hard here on the atmospherics and story-telling. Notice how he has shifted the captive to one side, partly out of the frame, so he does not obscure the shiny motorcycle, which is so lovingly detailed you can almost smell the leather and the engine oil. This gives the picture a strange, off-balance appearance but the dual focus suggests the biker is equally interested in both his machine and men's asses. 

 

The man tied over the motorcycle is as well built as the bike, judging by his powerfully-shaped, muscular legs. His shaved undercarriage suggests he is not a novice. Just as well. This unnatural position would probably be described in the manner of the shipping forecast as being 'moderately uncomfortable, becoming increasingly painful'. However, he may not have to wait that long for pain.

The placing of the biker on the far side of the picture is another oddity, it does not immediately suggest dominance, in fact he doesn't look that intimidating but we and the captive can both watch, excited, as slowly and deliberately, he draws his thick belt out through the loops of his jeans, preparatory to addressing those hairless, totally unmarked, virgin-white buttocks and thighs. The wheel-marks in the dirt floor provide a wry commentary on the narrative.

3

This spectacular image is not a 'snuff' picture, but an initiation in which the 'victim' suffers nothing much worse than a severe fright and singed pubes (see footnote*). The arching, agonised body pose of the captive is a great image in it's own right, but the addition of the roaring flames make it truly memorable. You might like to compare this image with Saj's Human Torch . There's a notable similarity in the 'erotic pose', but the treatment of the fire is quite different. Sean emphasises flames rather than burning. The on-lookers in this picture are similar characters to those who populate his sex romps and for me, they seem ill at ease and out of place in this more serious and sinister tale. The text calls for thrilled delight rather than shock and astonishment, but perhaps Sean thought that might create too cruel an image.

*This is an illustration for the story CT Hospitality by 'Rob'. In the story this unwitting initiate, having witnessed some (apparently) cruel punishments is tied up himself and smeared with a 'fire' ointment which, on ignition, flares spectacularly, but briefly. Unknown to him it also forms a protective barrier preventing burning of the skin, but I wouldn't advise anyone to try it at home!

4

This scene looks like an initiation too. The morning after the night before finds a nice-looking, buffed-up cowboy, lassoed and detained for further examination by his mature hook-up. Who'd have thought that this cuddly, bearded gent would have such designs? The image strikes a nice balance between incongruous humour and a nastier edge for those who want to see it (there's a lot more wax left in his assortment of candles)! The curious, industrial-like setting is a world away from bikers and dungeons, but still suitably rough-edged and isolated. Sean's detailing is a delight, even down to the iron brackets on the bed end and the discarded top sheet lying crumpled on the floor.

5

Most of these drawings were produced to accompany stories written by other people and without the text it's sometimes hard to be sure of their real meaning or to tell how much they reflect Sean's own personality. I haven't uncovered the real story behind this image, but it looks like a group of hunky, young workmen have stumbled over an S&M operating theatre complete with patient, ready to go. The leader's opportunist, tit-tweaking shocks his companions, (another 'innocents abroad' scenario) but the array of nasty instruments on hand and the contorted expression on the patient's face reveal the missing 'medics' to be engaged in a far blacker operation.

The cold, hygienic, metal surface of the trolley is all part of the 'scene', as intimidating to the captive as the dankest, darkest dungeon. Sean embellishes the idea by showing the victim's reflection in the shiny metal surface. It's an example of his interest in materials and textures and can be seen seen also in the clothing here and the sheets and flames in previous pictures.

Sean's not the first artist to show a captive with medical face mask (see my A-Z entry on 'Rex' for example) but by using this unusual angle he creates a uniquely powerful impression of the face being trapped within the plastic cup and despite the comic-style rendering it implies a desperately dangerous experiment. Sean's drawing style often veers between cartoonery and semi-realism in these extreme-fetish pictures so you are not sure just how serious it's meant to be. I cannot say whether this apparent 'pulling of punches' reflects publishing codes or Sean's own sensibilities.

6

Time and again in Sean's fetishistic work he doesn't simply portray sexual activity, but there also seems to be an attempt to capture something more - a sense of sex as something dark and mysterious, reeking of danger. He sometimes suggests it indirectly, by showing shocked bystanders or wide eyed captives, clearly out of their depth but unable to escape from the painful intentions of knowing, calculating partners. In this image the threatened cruelty reaches out to shock us directly. Again, I don't know the underlying story - is it real threat or just a test? - but we can draw conclusions from the intimidating way Sean chose to portray it. Even the cartoon-y rendering of the struggling victim's face (again) doesn't quite dehumanise him enough to totally defuse the horror. The sadistic 'M' wielding the hot iron runs counter to stereotype, he would be a hot ticket in most gay venues while the youth of his assistant is equally surprising and hard to reconcile with the action. It's a stark and surprising contrast to the romping orgies and fun sex that characterise Sean's Meatmen comic strips and a world away from Tom of Finland's work, for example. 

 

7

I could not leave Sean without a spanking picture, it's a subject that he has visited often and this picture is a good example, It comes from the comic story 'Biff' and the drawing style is typical of the slightly disappointing,'commercial' side of Sean. Somehow the figures and the faces are not quite right, there's a slight skewing effect (which is often a result of drawing with the paper angled away from the line of vision). The whole thing has a casual, cartoon-y feel. Even so, there is a tremendous sense of energy in the picture, this is one hell of a whupping and you don't need the hand marks to know it! Sean's spanking images often depict positions where landing a telling blow is physically impossible and this is no exception, but they are always energetic and fierce, so much so that you can't help thinking that the artist himself is emotionally involved in the scene. Look at the faces and you will see malice and anger and suffering pouring out of the picture. You can enjoy the erotic pleasure of revenge or pity as you will, but you might also ponder: whose anger and whose suffering is really captured here? And why does it speak to us so powerfully?

Sean's work is so extensive that making a truly representative selection would require more time than I am able to give it, so I have made a selection of interesting, quality pieces with some that are perhaps less well known. Despite technical limitations he has a distinctive, characteristic style and in the best pictures there's a dramatic tension and erotic charge that is quite astonishing. At times, his challenging imagery puts him alongside the likes of Martin of Holland as tormentor of our consciences and darkest desires. Occasionally there's even a sense of glimpsing the artist's innermost self.

Although Sean is no longer with us, his friends have set up a website 'Sean – The Artist' and placed an archive of his work there. The sketches and annotations on familiar drawings give an interesting insight into the creative and publishing process. They also tell you a great deal about the man himself, his life and attitudes. Sean had catholic tastes (when it came to selecting subjects for images anyway) and if you are interested in the more challenging outposts of fetish and sex you will find examples here. However, I strongly advise anyone downloading the archive to check it's contents carefully and make sure that you really want to keep all the 'oddments' on your computer.

For earlier posts in this series, click on the A-Z label below

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Sawara

Sawara - Master and Slave

A notable contribution to the letter 'S' by Sawara. The leather jacket suggests some photo trickery here but it helps define the status of the 'M' rather nicely. I'm not sure about that bulge though!

I don't have any other information on the artist or a link I'm afraid, but a reader has kindly corrected the name for me and given a little information in the comments below.

For earlier posts in this series, click on the A-Z label below

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Sardax

Sardax - Milk Machine

I'm going to depart from my usual rules again for Sardax. This artist's work depicts domination of men by women, but the underlying bondage and humiliation imagery is varied and interesting, if you grit your teeth! This picture has the least conspicuous female prescence I could uncover, but if you are not put off by women I recommend you to seek out other samples of the artist's work. It's easy to find if you put 'Sardax' into a search engine or use the address on the image.

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

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Saj

 

Saj – “I know you want this”

The art of Saj has a computer ingredient, but it looks sufficiently hand drawn and interesting for me to include in my survey. This first image has the sort of dramatic angle associated with comic book art and showcases the handcuffing of the prisoner to perfection. The depiction of the manic FBI agent chimes in with the crazy perspectives of the room, but his words (the title of the piece and the eternal wishful thinking of all gay porn) are a bit of a let down in a fetish context, when one expects something a bit more assertive!

 Saj - Bathroom

However, Saj does not shy away from hardness and aggression as this piece shows. Once again there's a slightly crazy feel about it as the victim reaches out towards us (or the shards of glass?), much to the bemusement of his attacker, whose elfin-like face seems redolent of unexpected and incomprehensible malice. The drawing style is economical but extremely effective in creating an atmospheric setting.

Saj – Blue Goo #10

I am amazed by the avalanche of 'Tentacle Art' on the Internet. I understand the erotic appeal of the subject, but there's an amazing amount of repetition and few pieces press my buttons. This gloopy variant by Saj has the usual open-legged, victim pose, but the substitution of disconnected blobs of blue 'goo' for tentacles is a nice touch. The attack developing on the foreground character is for me the most exciting part of the image. In this picture you can see that Saj's depiction of the naked body is rather flat and less convincing than his representation of clothing. For him it seems the sensuality is all in the action.

This picture is one of a series and I should perhaps explain that the blue goo was unleashed by the foreground character to 'condition' his captive, as shown, but things got out of hand! The syringe was supposed to 'hoover up' the renegade goo, returning the genie to his bottle, as it were.

Saj – Dreams Of The Human Torch

This fiery fantasy transforms an ordinary image into the extraordinary. You can regard this as a simple metaphor for the allure of fiery passion, but some of my readers may enjoy a more literal reading. Either way, it's interesting that this 'dreamer' does not share the fire/passion himself (except for a very focused 'fiery jack' penetration) and he is clearly not consumed by it. Nor is there a great sense that he is at all endangered by it. An interesting viewpoint.

Fire, like water, is a great technical challenge to the artist and this is an interesting solution, the colour plays a crucial role of course, but the artist is drawing on another fiery 'memory' association with the horizontal striping effect on the 'Torch's' body. It reminds me of the way logs burn in the grate. I will be comparing this image to another artist's work later on.

Saj – Tool Shed

 

If danger was absent in the 'Torch' picture you get it in spades in the 'Tool Shed'. The attacker seems impassive, implacable and emotionally uninvolved, partly because you can't see his eyes. There's a sense of cold and calculating, remorseless hate being unleashed and yet the whole scene is really uncontrolled, a classic 'hero in peril' struggle. The whizzing saw blade and sharp, shiny tools bedecking the walls make this place more frightening than any S&M dungeon! You can see the influence of modern Japanese comic art quite clearly in the stylised faces and that takes some of the edge off the horror, but there's some deep emotions behind this picture.

Saj's pictures explore fetishism more profoundly than most, revealing a challenging intellect and posing interesting questions to viewers who pause to ponder what they see and like. Some of his pictures contain explicit violence which is not my cup of tea and not appropriate for this public blog. I haven't been able to track down a site for Saj but I welcome information from readers.

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

or search for an artist by name

A-Z of Fetish Artists - Sabian

 Sabian - Auditioning

We kick off the letter 'S' proper with Sabian. Sabian's style looks vintage in more ways than one, but he's still around drawing young men with exceptionally well developed pectorals, eternally taking the role of 'sub' in fetishistic scenes. In the first picture this character takes centre stage but, interestingly, the two 'cowboys' in the background seem to have attracted most of the artist's interest. They are depicted with more care and have distinctive features and clothing. Most of Sabian's work (that I have seen) is not as polished as this, but the supporting cast always seem that bit more interesting than the 'hero'.

Sabian - Punishment In The Stockroom

The second picture shows more unusual and vintage-looking, male domination stereotypes and the anonymous, sketchily-drawn, sex-object victim. It's a hot domination scene and the unusual setting of a warehouse, with the naked victim forced to carry heavy crates, gives the image punch. I detect the influence of Tom of Finland in the face of the 'blue shirt guy' and possibly also in the placing of the principal tormentor in the foreground to create drama and depth. However, the architectural awareness and soaring height suggested by the background window is not Tom at all but highly original. We're not talking high art here, but it's pretty atmospheric story telling.

  Sabian - Chest Lashing

'Chest Lashing' is a more mainstream, fetish, dungeon scene featuring those over-developed pecs on another victim and another retro 'dom' complete with cool shades. The backward arch of the captive's suspension is erotic and a true torture and despite the improbable angle of attack there's a real sense of painful impact by the lash. The foreground 'devil' with his electro-prod, waiting his turn adds depth to the image and grit to it's storyline. The style is casual and sketchy but there's a degree of sophistication in the simple background wall effect and the fading out of shading in the lower legs, replaced by simply drawn crease lines so they don't distract from the main focus of the picture. You may have seen this technique used most successfully by Bill Ward in his 'Drum' comics.

Sabian - Rodeo Fun Boy Available

A puzzling title but the final picture is my favourite. The tied and tormented body-builder appears to have been taken captive while sleeping and once again drama oozes out of the picture. The background laughing villain is a great creation. At times Sabian's victims have a distinctly feminine appearance in both body shape and stance but unlike some other artists (e.g. Bishop) they are not obviously adapted from female originals. Sabian's work is a flagbearer for male pec fetish.

There's a small selection of Sabian's images at Pridesites Pecity and an interview in Pridesites Pec Mag. There's a link to his site on Flickr but it wouldn't work for me, I'd welcome info on his current whereabouts!

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

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Riding The Wedge with Franco

Franco - Milk-O-Matic

This variant of the wedge (sent in by Roy D, thanks Roy!) is rather different from my previous posts. For a start the wedge is flat topped and blunt so it would spread the ass cheeks rather than apply point pressure in-between. It also looks as though the wedge itself slides in and out so it rubs sensuously against the subject's inner thighs and ass. In fact this jock is secured slightly above it, so his balls dangle and get the benefit of the rub. 

I imagine the machine might come with a selection of interchangeable sleeves for the wedge, in various suitable materials like fur, rough sacking, no not sandpaper, but static-inducing nylon would be interesting, Mmmm sparky balls! You will observe that the knee and ankle restraints are also movable independently, potentially producing some fascinating undulating body effects as extraction proceeds. There's probably an animated GIF of this fiendish device floating round the net somewhere.

You can read my A-Z entry on Franco here. It needs updating to reflect his latest CGI work. He has a Yahoo Fan Group  and there's also a good repository of Franco's work at Telemachus. Spanking groups and blogs like Jockspank also have good selections and if you Google him you will find many more!

For more posts on 'Riding the Wedge' click on the label below.

A-Z letter S resumes next post

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

 The Letter 'S' includes a very large number of Artists, so brace yourselves! There are some big names like Sean and Spryte, several notable 'oldsters' including Sketches and Stud, and there's no shortage of 'mysteries' either one of which I covered in my previous post. As usual, I limit my survey to artists with a significant fetish element in their work. I also exclude computer generated art (for example Sarander), partly to limit the size of the list but also in admission of my ignorance of the medium and it's techniques. I confess that I am becoming increasingly aware of how arbitrary this distinction is and how much great fetish art I am excluding, but I aim to deal with this when I reach the end of the alphabet.

I always like to usher in a new letter with a work or two that I admire, but whose creator wouldn't make it into the main listing. For the letter 'S' I have chosen two splendid torso images which are beefcake rather than fetish works.

'Hairy Torso' by Sallee

For me, 'Hairy Torso' by Sallee is a compendium of irresistible erotic triggers, not just the tantalising, sagging jeans but also the slightly over-fleshy pecs pushing out from under the vest, the fan-like pattern of re-growing body hair, the glimpse of 5 o'clock shadow and the military dog tags. I don't have any other pictures by him but, from the chocolate box style, I would guess he's fairly prolific.

 

 'Guy in Shorts' by Sanchez

'Guy in Shorts' by Sanchez is less sensual in style and more overtly erotic but it's the representation of the subject's face which I like most. The dreamy, softness of his expression is alluring but curiously at odds with the provocative lower body pose.

I would also mention in passing the artist Sole, whose splendid pastiche of Tom of Finland's style I mistaken listed under Fluide Glacial

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

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I welcome link information on these artists

Some Classic Japanese Bondage Art

While researching art for my A-Z of Fetish artists, I came across these images filed by me under the name 'Sabu'. I now know that is not the name of the artist, but of the magazine they were published in. I would dearly love to know the correct attribution(s). Can any of my readers help put an artist's name to any of these pictures?

No 1

This beautiful portrait of a young man reminds me of the film character named 'Sabu' who starred in Jungle Book type stories with elephants and other wild animals. There is a signature on the picture which begins with R but I can't relate it to any 'R' s in my collection. The fact that the name is not written in Japanese characters makes me doubt whether it is in fact a Japanese artist at all. The sharply defined shadowing is rather modern and very distinctive.

 

No 2 - The Victim by Mizukage Ryoji
(identified by a reader - thanks!)

He doesn't look like a victim, does he? The treatment of the jeans is highly erotic. The whitening-out of the cock is standard Japanese censorship practice, something of an oriental mystery to us. The identity of the artist may be contained in the Japanese characters on this image but I'm afraid I can't read them. At first sight it seems different in style to the  portrait above, but the treatment of facial shadows is similar. You can see the same technique in the double spread picture below, particularly the character on the left whose face is highly stylised.

 No 3

It's a real shame this image is spread across two pages as the bondage depiction is terrific, much more interesting than No 2. The victim's muscularity and handsome face stand out from his more anonymous tormentors. It's difficult to portray suspension convincingly but this works quite well. That's down (I think) to the simplicity of the rope restraints/supports and the careful positioning of the background figures.

This image is also of interest for the traditional, Japanese clothing of the central background figure (a fisherman?). This could almost be Okawa but he usually depicts softer-looking boys as his captives. The bizarre combo of the left most character, sun-glasses and long johns, provides a most modern contrast.

 No 4

I enjoy images of men shown while being tied up and 'tying the knot' between the legs is a particularly sensual 'Shibari' moment. Unfortunately the excitement of the illustrator doesn't quite make it to the page here, the captive's pose is rather stiff, he's not reacting to the bondage at all and the whole composition has come out looking a bit flat. Hands are always a challenge to the artist and they are a major feature of this composition. He's had mixed success here, but he's in good company, just look at any Renaissance painting and you'll see similar results. There's an even more puzzling hand in the picture above (No 3 extreme left). Accurate realism doesn't always serve hands and feet very well, they often look more convincing if they are exaggerated and chunky.
I always say Etienne's craggy feet look more like feet than real feet do.

 No 5

Bondage-wise this is the best of the lot, in my view. The arched, lithe body straining against the ropes and pain etched into the (cute) victim's face create terrific erotic drama, even the shimmering, erased cock seems like a deliberate artistic element! The elaborately decorated cushioning adds what seems like a fiendishly oriental twist, comforting the strained body, but forcing it outwards against the restraints. Interestingly, though, this detail and the twist of the victim's head towards it distracts attention from the cock ropes pulling at the front. The V-shaped tie with ends disappearing out of the picture is a popular device in Japanese bondage imagery and I suspect it contains meaning which is lost on Westerners. It reminds me of a musical string being plucked but I can't relate that to an erotic message, I don't suppose the pun works in Japanese.

No 6

This example is less successful, the doubled up legs completely immobilise a more mature victim, but, like No 4, the pose is stiff and although the ropes cut into the body you can't 'see' his weight pulling down on them. The setting for this torment, with it's cross work of beams is very much in the style of  Okawa but the perspective is less well executed. The curly treatment of the leg hair in this picture is similar to Mishima's style but his men usually have strongly outlined, angry eyes, quite unlike this artist.

No 7

The final image has two ingredients which I approve of, the simplicity of the bondage and the clothing.  'Less is more' as an adage applies to fetish art just as much as the real world and for me simple rope restraint like this creates the illusion of a genuine captivity, rather than a carefully staged dungeon role-play. The underpants have a similar 'normalising' effect and their practical conventionality gives us a glimpse of this man's character. He could be a maverick banker abducted by an angry, ruined client seeking compensation of some sort. In the Japanese context they also have the virtue of side-stepping censorship and allowing us a tantalising glimpse of the substantial assets at his disposal.

If anyone can shed any light on the authorship of these images, please do let me know via the comments facility.

Men Sharing Clothes - 14 continued - Designer Jeans again

 My browsing has unearthed two more models in Jimmy Z's well used jeans (see previous article). Armon Adibi must be the most muscular model yet to grace this garment which is starting to show the ravages of such bulky physiques.

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Nick Fabian completes the round-up of jeans victims, arguably the best fit of all, although the result is not as flattering to his manhood as Armon above. It looks like he's been wearing them 'off set' and just arrived back from the gym, pumped up and glowing from his exertions. Perhaps, on the other hand, the look of annoyance is down to the fact that he's just the office boy who has to give up his prized jeans so the visiting models can stuff their strut and strut their stuff in them.

To wash or not to wash? That is the question!

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