Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Matt (of Sado Island)

Matt - Ball Grabbin'

Matt must be one of the best known and easily recognisable gay artists, but though popular, he doesn't seem to attract the dedicated fetish following of some others like Cavelo. He is well known for his craggy faced men with prominent cheek bones and cleft chins. His usual style is comic-like and quite austere with thick lines and hard delineation of muscles, it's not especially sensual. However, in the wrestling picture above, his use of situation and detail (like the hairy chest and leotard-clad butt cheeks) is very sexy.
(I suspect the colouring of this picture is not original.)

Matt - Cowboy Bondage

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Cowboys and wrestlers often feature as subjects and provide some of his best figure drawing, the cowboy bondage shown here is sensitively done. This posed composition with disinterested captive and captor's thoughtful look is reminiscent of Luger's slyly suggestive work, almost a pastiche in fact, but there's a slightly harder fetish edge. Other pictures in this series depict branding and sharing of 'warm beer' in the same disarming way.

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Matt - Cop Rescue

 

Bondage and other fetish themes are usually present in his pictures, but his approach is often playful and cartoony. Sex organs are exaggerated and prominent, and the characters often have smiles - but the subject matter is likely to be equally amenable to less frivolous interpretation - like the two cops above who discover a naked man tied to a bed and immediately unzip. This is a good example of humour 'defusing' a superbly erotic psychological situation. It's a matter of taste, of course, but I prefer not to mix the two.

Matt - Sado Island 08

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This lightness may detract from the appreciation of Matt's extensive, serious leather and S&M material, which is unexpectedly flavoured with masks, heavy strapping and oversize boots. The fantasy story, 'Sado Island', is perhaps his most significant piece in this genre. It follows the fortunes of two lovers caught up in a struggle between two sadistic regimes and learning to enjoy their endless brutal 'training' and punishment. There are some memorable images like the suspension punishment shown here and imaginative inventions - like the tubular glass punishment cells (not shown) but it doesn't sustain quite the same level of invention or thoughtfulness as Leo's story of 'The Estate'.

Matt isn't really thought of as a fetish artist, but he deserves to be much more highly regarded for the sheer range and power of his subject matter if not so much for his technique. I don't know of a dedicated website. You should find his work in the GMBA archives, but because of his humorous approach he often turns up in other general gay art groups too.

 

see also Mitchell's 'Matt' Archive

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To see earlier posts in this series, click A-Z in the label list below

Hang around.

This chained restraint acknowledges the captive's muscular strength.
His hands are safely tidied away leaving his body unprotected
 and his jeans invitingly open.......

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Matsugoroh

As so often with Japanese artists, (and for which I apologise), I struggle with names but I believe Matsugoroh is also known by the name Ryuji. Anyway I have treated them as one for this article.

Matsugoroh - Rough

He draws young but decidedly chunky men in situations which often have the flavour of adventures with police interrogations, guns etc. The pictures usually involve bondage and conventional S&M 'torture' and abuse - although it's fair to say that sex is the primary thrust of his pictures not fetish for it's own sake. In keeping with his Japanese background, artistic rope bondage, staves and loincloths are much in evidence alongside the usual leather paraphenalia as in 'Rough'. He has a fondness for multiple pictures showing different aspects of the same scene.

Matsugoroh - Spit Lube

His style is natural looking and seems to involve airbrush as well as pencil and what seems like watercolour shading (although it's not in colour usually). This creates a roughly sketched appearance with wash like shadows but there is also a solidity about his men and a considerable amount of fine detailing - look at the facial detail in 'spit lube'. There's an element of mature artistry about the way he presents his pictures with striking close-up compositions and a good command of anatomy.

Matsugoroh - Rugby Locker Room

There is a rugby flavour in a number of his pictures which always earns a brownie point from me. They keep their kit on (not always in it's proper place!) and the shirts and shorts are nicely detailed - as are the locker room backgrounds. The crispness of this picture is different to the previous one - hence my uncertainty about identity - however the general style is similar and the Japanese characters (signature?) appears on both types in my collection. You can see here that his men are also unmistakeably japanese which I applaud.They do have some western touches - such as short, spiky hair and facial stubble. The facial expressions are notably varied and interesting although sometimes a bit theatrical and exaggerated like the rugby spectator here.

Matsugoroh is one of the less 'scary' M artists, his characters seem refreshingly normal and he presents his fetish, even the sleaze, in the same way. The result is still distinctive and striking.

I cannot turn him up on the internet although I know he contributes to G-Men. I suggest the best place to look for his work is at the GMBA archives (see foot of sidebar for latest link) and other art groups.

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Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Martin of Holland

Martin of Holland has covered most aspects of fetish in his long career, but he is particularly noted for his highly explicit contributions to the more specialised arenas such as scat, mutilation and violent death. His best pictures have an arresting, sexual intensity that demands that you look, even if you are not sure you like what you see.

Martin of Holland - Fluid ExchangeMuch of his work is drawn in outline only but when adds shading or colour they acquire a striking sense of depth and the skin textures take on a soft sheen which is very sensual. 'Fluid exchange' shows the effect. This picture is unusually romantic for Martin, but even so, it oozes with lust while the cuffs and the hand grasping the back of the captive's head give a subtle 'edge'.

Tom's influence can be sensed here and also in the early '70's pictures which have bikers, sailors, woodland settings etc. and sometimes reinterpret Tom-like themes. Martin of Holland also has a similar story telling approach which causes you to linger and examine what is going on in the picture, although his 'stories' are usually infused with a sense of lust, fear or danger that Tom never employed.

Martin of Holland - Back Of My Truck

In 'Back of my Truck' which is later, the Latino captor has Kake's jawline and physique but the other characters are more typical of Martin of Holland's men. They have distinctive, sometimes angular faces, with prominent fleshy lips, snub noses and dark eyes. They bear a family resemblance to those of his Dutch compatriot Wilhelm Kok (Dorus). The bodies have a slender, long-limbed elegance of line and, though stylised, are more realistic in their proportions than the average muscle hunk drawing. In fact, Martin generally underplays the detail of musculature so that his men appear to have a youthful, natural appearance.

This scenario of the smooth, young captive apparently facing unpleasant treatment from an older, stronger man is pure Martin of Holland and a theme that recurs throughout his work evolving into something much stronger.

Martin of Holland - Enema

The same domination/youth education flavour is also present in 'Enema'. The artist formalises the irrigation process into an intimidating procedure using laboratory style tanks and industrial grade piping. He brings out the reactions of the 'patient' who though chained to the platform is free to writhe in his discomfort for the erotic pleasure of the hooded attendant. This work is a mild example of Martin of Holland's interest in things anal, which extends to scat and this theme becomes increasingly explicit in his later work.

Martin of Holland - Rent A Slave

In 'Rent a Slave', the youth (with attitude, judging by his haircut) has been transformed into an helpless sex object, his clothes ripped off and body strapped. His prospective partner is older and hyper-masculine. He exudes strength, debauchery and excess. The angular face we saw earlier on has evolved into an almost deranged, demonic appearance giving the picture a sinister atmosphere.

Martin of Holland - Buddies

Martin of Holland's pictures have the great virtue of simplicity, he tends to focus on one idea and portray it, and all it's erotic potential, explicitly and clearly. There may be multiple participants but they are all involved in the same process. Unlike other artists he glories in the reactions of the recipient (willing or not) of the treatment. This is particularly effective in scenes in which a group of male captives queue to suffer the same unpleasant fate. In the buddy 'event' shown here, two naked men relaxing in a domestic setting are attacked, apparently by intruders. The appealing eroticism of their arching bodies in the context of violence and danger is thought provoking and disturbing. When Martin of Holland chooses to visit more extreme areas he doesn't pull his punches, it is very explicit and in your face and portrayed in almost clinical detail.

Postscript
Sadly, Martin died in 2011. I am grateful for his help in the preparation of this article.
His site at Ziggo has gone but you can find out more at Delft Boys

Martin's work can also be found at GMBA (see sidebar for link).

To see earlier posts in this series click A-Z in the label list below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Marquis

Marquis - Indian

Marquis produced some striking bondage images in the 90's. He has an instantly recognisable, softly pencilled style which is almost academic in nature. His subjects typically have slender arching bodies with major muscle groups well defined somewhat in the style of an anatomical drawing. Their faces have a slightly Asiatic flavour, with pronounced cheek bones and chins, dark eyes and fleshy lips.

Marquis - 'Fence' series

These men are shown tied to posts, gates, saddles etc., struggling with their bonds or turning away from an unseen attacker, their heads flung back. The single figure compositions lend themselves to elegant images and Marquis has an eye for positions which are satisfying both erotically and artistically. The viewer is invited to linger and examine the helpless captive before him, to fantasise about what might be done to him.

Marquis - 'Nightstick' series

The nightstick picture shows how Marquis' approach to drawing which is based on building up the structure of the body rather than observing it's overall shape gets him into trouble with angled heads. It also leads him to include fine detail like lines between teeth for example and the knobbly bits of fingers which are normally not noticeable. However, this picture has another sort of cleverness about it - count the hands! This image can be related to other work by Marquis which links his bondage images to more self-consciously arty imagery like picture frames, Greek urns - and multi-armed Asian gods.

Marquis' work does not have the sensuality, earthiness or drama that the most successful fetish artists achieve but his best images have an artistic beauty which will always secure him a place in the hall of fame.

Marquis now (Jan 2013) has his own blog at marquisbdsm.tumblr.com 

The other place to look for his work is at the GMBA archives (latest link in sidebar)

To see earlier posts in this series click A-Z in the label list below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Marc

Marc is another artist with morbid interests and he is as single-minded as Mahoney but focussed on execution by hanging rather than crucifixion. In Marc's pictures, groups of men are usually suffering the same fate, apparently voluntarily in some cases. 

 

 

I don't have many examples of his work and those I have are fuzzy copies. They are drawn in great detail, including the background locations and the intensely naturalistic style is disturbingly authentic looking - particularly when he appears to be depicting mass military executions as here. The distant viewpoints and small scale means little can be made of the victims beyond kicking legs and voluminous ejaculations. The poses of the executioners, however, are given some thought, be they hauling on the ropes, looking on casually or intimately sharing the victims' last moments. 

 

A fascination with the supposed association between violent death and sexual excitement is not uncommon - as a survey of tabloid headlines would sadly reveal. It's not that difficult to understand and Marc addresses the subject with a directness which is fascinating but unsettling.

 

I cannot recall where I found these images, probably the best place to look for his work is at the GMBA archives (latest link in sidebar) but there is also a group called Gay Noose which specialises in this fetish.

To see earlier posts in this series click A-Z in the label list below

Mitchell's A-Z of Fetish Artists - Manflesh

Manflesh is one of my favourite artists and I can't resist giving him a more extended review than usual. He draws the most delicious, hunky men in capture and kidnap situations where they are tormented and abused, physically and sexually.

Manflesh - Cop Enslaved (cover art)

 

Cop enslaved is a good example. It's a comic book cover, the type of art for which he is best known. His men are stereotypical hunks with handsome faces and virile occupations such as cops (as above) but also soldiers, sportsmen, etc. In the stories which Manflesh illustrates, these men start out full of arrogance and bravado, clad in evocative male outfits that bulge under the pressure of their contents but these are soon removed or ripped off as they begin their new lives in captivity.

 

Manflesh - Butt Fighter (Cover art)

 

The men have muscular physiques, usually the bulky kind with plump pecs, exaggerated nipples and chunky sexual organs to match.

 

Manflesh - All Sales are Final (Cover detail)

 

The comeuppance of these enviable beasts is an essential part of the enjoyment and Manflesh is good at depicting their surprise and indignation as they are overcome and subsequently reduced to blubbering fear. I find this highly erotic.

 

Manflesh - Lt Steele

 

The process of control is comprehensive, the naked slaves are put to work and used as beasts of burden, encouraged by brutal whippings and other punishments from their captors. But this is mere preparation for their principal role as sexual servants. In pursuance of this, their impressive male bodily attributes may be modified, enhanced, diminished or even converted into cavities for the pleasure of their abusers. We only see the end result I'm glad to say. The semi-caricaturing style ensures that the reader is able to feel little sympathy for these fallen idols.

 

Manflesh - Fighters
 

Control and humiliation of male beauty is the underlying theme and Manflesh does it better than most. His illustrations are intensely physical and his interest in male fighting and wrestling is reflected in a series of line only pictures on this specific subject. The theme is also evident in his mainstream work as well (see Rugby Lion). 

 

Manflesh - Rugby Lion

 

The figures are simply outlined in ink and the details and volume shading are added using a colourful painting technique which looks like watercolours and is virtually unique in my knowledge of fetish art. The style looks rushed, sketchy and casual and sometimes the colours are a bit garish, but he still manages to produce the most astonishingly real faces and succulent (unreal!) body parts particularly on the cover pages for his stories. The inner pages are more cartoon like, less refined in style than the average comic book, but peppered with sensuous imagery and infused with a sense of drama and movement.

See more at the Manflesh blog. He used to be published through the late Barrett Cole's website and pictures were still on view there last time I looked, but the stories are now being offered at battle-annals. There are also samples of his work at the Tom of Finland Foundation galleries (link in sidebar)

Visit the Manflesh Exhibition at mitchmen blog

To see earlier posts in this series click A-Z in the label list below