Priapus of Milet - 3

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Decamerone 10

Statues and classical and mythological interests all coincide in this image, which is based on the famous sculpture of Laocoon and his sons being consumed by sea serpents. Personally I think the exclusion of the sons (unconvincingly muscular in the original) is an improvement. The live victim imprisoned by stone recasts the equally mythological story of the 'statue coming to life' in a highly original way (see also my A-Z entry on Sean Platter). I think it's fair to say that Priapus' melding of photography and art is not always totally successful at a technical level but there's a creative spark about these images that more than makes up for it.

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Force of Nature 01

The snake, sensuously entwined around the human body is a classical forerunner of the modern tentacle 'genre', but the famous Japanese print of a woman being ravished by an octopus, The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife (1814) is even more pertinent and often reckoned to be a milestone in erotic art. Priapus provides us with a homo-erotic version of this idea in Force of Nature 01, draping the model with the real thing. I find the idea of the warm male body being enveloped by the grey, cold, clammy octopus quite thrilling.
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Priapus draws out the erotic essence of tentacles, which is not their supposed penis-like quality, but their ability to express the overwhelming ecstasy of being touched, embraced - and indeed 'captured' - by another. The tentacles gently exploring the submissive body offered up to them seem purposeful and believable. Priapus is equally true to the anatomy of the creature by not showing it's mouth, which is located underneath the body, so we can't see what it is up to, we can only infer it from Blake's expression. I imagine that a greater familiarity with octopus anatomy increases the initial erotic impact of this image no end, but it doesn't really matter, because what we lose in explicitness is made up for by an overpowering erotic sensuality.

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Close Encounter 09

Close Encounter 09 has a more 'conventional' approach to erotic tentacles, assigning them to a technologically advanced, alien life form seemingly able to morph it's limbs into crusty-looking dildos or penis-eating long-cocks at will. But instead of employing the usual approach of bodice ripping and forcible restraint followed by ruthless forensic probing, this tentacle creature gently cradles and seduces his human subject, who shows no fear or anger but merely the normal degree of concern one would expect on encountering such a novel experience. There's no evidence of coercion, no shredded remains of clothes (or spacesuit) which lends an air of mutual exploration to this particular close encounter.

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Close Encounter 10

Close Encounter 10 takes this idea to it's logical conclusion with a truly fearsome, dragon-like alien creature descending with fire and brimstone to arouse and take his lounging man who acquiesces to this assault with calmness and even affection. Would that all men were this obliging! These images show confident insights into the nature of sexual adventure and submissive sex.

Part 4

Priapus of Milet - 2

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Heavenly Creatures 02

Continuing the heavenly theme in glorious style, I think Michaelangelo would have loved these naughty, young angels. Their sweeping, gold encrusted wings suggest that they normally have weightier duties than those they are attending to here. Religious allusions crop up elsewhere in Priapus work (for example in altar-like triptychs). I suppose it might be seen as subversive but it seems to me that he is simply commandeering it's traditional artistic language and mythology to express homosexual ideals but without any sense of mockery or satire and steering clear of core, spiritual motifs such as the crucifix.

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Heavenly Creatures 15

In fact, he gives the same wry, mismatch treatment to the non-religious Eros/Cupid character, transforming the childlike youth of mythology into a beefy man who has outgrown his wings and is seemingly more intent on gratifying himself than spreading love. The arrow poised indecisively above Blake Riley's back (shall I? shan't I?) could be a rather spiky comment on the transitory nature of gay love and lust, echoing the sentiments expressed more emotionally by Harry Bush with his dangerous cupids. There's also a strange element of threat or punishment (perhaps domination?) here, a feature which is often present in Priapus' work.

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Temple of Doom 01

There's a mythical element in Temple of Doom 01 too. The statue of the slaying of the minotaur depicts the brutal defeat of animal strength, and it's prescence here associates virility with the men below. Down there it seems the struggle is over, the muscular warrior has already established his ascendency and does not even have to leave his throne to taste the fruits of victory which are being offered to him on a plate as it were, in a highly submissive way. Once again there is that sense of power and domination. You will see statues in many other works by Priapus, seemingly observing the action or commenting on it.

go to Part 3

Priapus of Milet - 1

This artist burst upon my erotic art world in 2011 like a shooting star, briefly displaying his brilliance before abruptly disappearing. Fortunately he left behind the fruits of many years work, a legacy of great interest and beauty.

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Temple of Doom 04

Priapus uses photo-manipulation, typically creating stylishly-copulating, masculine couples and placing them in striking, often classical, settings. He seems to be directing the erotic unions of perfect males like actors in a great play.

We live in a world flooded with images of men having sex together and these rather base endeavours do produce exceptionally beautiful images from time to time, I featured a pair recently. A sceptic might think these are simply the fortuitous convergence of beautiful bodies and camera angles - a perverse manifestation of the 'monkeys writing Shakespeare' theory, but more likely they are the result of intentional, artistic direction. Either way, the photo manipulator faces a real challenge to create erotic constructs that are original and stylish enough to differentiate them as art, but Priapus makes out a good case.

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Decamerone 01

There is a self-conscious 'arty-ness' about his work as he shamelessly plunders the world of the great masters and modern art for ideas on imagery and presentation, including Pierre et Gilles in this example, but to me at least the end result is original and interesting, experimentation rather than copying. There is a sense of of gay love being given the respect it deserves by association with this great artistic legacy.

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Heavenly Creatures 12

Inevitably traditional sources lead Priapus to mythological and religious subject matter. The 'Heavenly Creatures' series features heavyweight angels, who are muscular not only in physique but with mighty wings as well in classic renaissance style. They are shown copulating on painted ceilings or descending to earth to take mortal men in their beds where their wings become a striking expression of masculine, protective power and purity - truly the man of your dreams!

Go to Part 2

Heavy Bondage

The Heavy Bondage blog has a good selection of images, I thought the ones below were particularly interesting, all of them having the great virtue of simplicity.

 

This restraint device is uncomplicated but apparently highly engineered and solid, suggesting that escape is not an option. It's an embarrassing and vulnerable position for the handsome prisoner. Closer inspection will reveal that he's begun to sample its possibilities.

This rope harness is equally tricky, the upper arm restraint makes it harder to wriggle the wrists free. The jeans allow us to think that this is not simply part of a dungeon game but something more real.

(Guy by Captured Guys)

The moments when full captivity closes in on the victim are particularly erotic.
His red trousers are already unzipped, but we don't want too much noise.

I like to see clothes, but nudity certainly works in this image.
The shackled prisoner cries out in despair, his body gleaming with the sweat of his torment.

Shaving Fantasy

This set of images of Thomas from DreamBoyBondage neatly expresses the control fantasy surrounding shaving and described in my last post. Thomas is secured to the wall by brackets bolted round his wrists. It's 'pre-sentencing' - for crimes against underwear perhaps?

Left to contemplate his position, his struggles produce a fine, stressed torso pose

When his underpants are ripped off, Thomas struggles even more.

The application of cool shaving cream does not soothe him either.

The jailor settles to his task removing every last pube. 

Thomas can only watch as his body is defiled. 

The young men on this site often appear already shaved, 

you don't often get to see it happening!

I don't know if 'the spray' is just water or something more stinging.

Like alcohol, say.

Thomas is not simply humiliated by the symbolic attack on his manhood, 

he quickly discovers that his newly exposed sensitive skin is a target for painful torture.

Thanks to DreamBoysBondage for the pix

Click on the 'shaving' label below for more shaving images

Naked As The Day

I know that many of my readers will have a strong aversion to the totally shaved male body. If you want a man, you want hair! I'm not entirely against it. In the 'mitchmen' fantasy of 'putting men in their place', shaving off a captive's pubes symbolises taking control of him, his appearance, his masculinity, his adulthood even.

However, having said that, these images of Frank Antony are really quite disturbing. He has a super upper body but below the waist doesn't quite seem to belong. The shaving seems to have revealed an almost featureless abdomen and added emphasis to his already chunky, leggy legs and the result is a little odd.

There's another take on body hair at my other blog
also
Click on the 'shaving' label below for more shaving images 

Olive Green Overalls

An olive green manifestation at Bound Guys this week as chunky 'Dean' is captured in his work overalls.

The shapeless all-in-one overall attracts because of what it conceals.

I like this submissive, worried pose.
The open neck shows Dean isn't wearing much underneath.

See more at Bound Guys