The Art of Homoeros 7 - Sebastian and other endings

Homoeros - Seb39 

Given Homoeros' interest in crucifixion it's not surprising to find him exploring the St Sebastian fable as well. This early rendering is simple and highly effective with a nice-looking subject. With his head thrown back, the captive seems to be defiantly offering up his body to the archers. The original Sebastian was a captain in the army who was condemned for deviating from the beliefs of his era, so the appeal of the story to gays is not hard to understand. For those purely attracted by the nature of the punishment it's nice to know that he did not perish from the arrows, but was taken in by a kindly soul and lived to fight another day.

Homoeros - sebastian_04

 This astonishing portrayal of the Sebastian story is totally original to the best of my knowledge. The physical elevation of the victim borrows from crucifixion scenarios and confers a degree of dignity and significance on him that seems to have left his attacker in a state of awe. In that respect it's treading similar ground to the building yard scene we saw in the last post, examining the relationship between torturer and tortured which usually goes unremarked.

The unconventional viewpoint used here has obviously been facilitated by the capabilities of the rendering software but that does not detract from the artist's achievement. Like Dali's Crucifixion it creates a sense of a superior being or of Fate looking down on a tragic scene being enacted by mere mortals.

Sebastian's arms are pulled right back behind the post, so he involuntarily presents his torso, unprotected to the archer, but Homoeros has refrained from depicting a titillating arrow in the groin area. Even by the great masters included this detail (e.g. Rubens,  El Greco, this example and this 17th Century version) and that has helped fuel suspicions of a gay/sexual motivation for his demise, but it's not referenced in the normal accounts.

The use of a post for restraint instead of the traditional tree seems to connect to other pictures by this artist musing on the myth of Jason being bound to the mast of 'The Argo' in order to resist the call of the Sirens. Making such a reference to a story about mastering sexual desire adds an interesting swirl to the murky, erotic waters surrounding Sebastian's legend.

This isn't meant to be an authentic interpretation of the original story, but transporting the action from an ordinary field to the courtyard of a luxurious villa is not without relevance to the original, since it brings out the elevated status of the man who condemned him (The Emperor). The archer (and there appears to be only one of them) is one of Homoeros' most interesting creations with brief, leather shorts and other limb accoutrement's emphasising an enviable physique (as you would expect from this artist). He's endowed with a beautiful face of Mediterranean ethnicity, which is near-authentic to the original narrative of Mauritanian, Berber archers doing the dirty work. 

Homoeros - sebastian_forgives_his_killer_2

This image further pursues the victim-perpetrator relationship into territory which is verging on the religious. That aspect which is accentuated by the glorious sunshine which incongruously bathes the scene. Sebastian demonstrates an audacious control-reversal which is clearly very confusing to the archer. He appears to be a man of some substance, doing the job himself, rather than appointing a lackey to do it for him, which you may interpret as either sadistic or honourable behaviour on his part. Sebastian's tilted head is an attractive, expressive element. It suggests an ability to patronise in extremity that you have to take your hat off to, but it must make the archer wish he'd used even bigger arrows. As it is, these over sized projectiles create an impressive visual effect and an impression of an irreversible outcome. Original accounts disrespectfully compared it to a porcupine.

Setting the scene in Homoeros', now-familiar 'punishment compound' creates a connection with other scenes by the artist and it's a device (possibly unintentional) that helps give Homoeros' work a unity and cohesive identity which is quite unusual and very interesting.

Homoeros - Dragged_away_02

This image looks at the aftermath of punishment. It's not linked to the Sebastian theme but you can see it's the same arena. The exhausted recipient is dragged away by two hunky men. They are dressed in jeans which returns us to the modern era, but it's best not to think too much about such things when viewing Homoeros work. Although this image has no particular erotic or fetish content (beyond the implication of domination) I find it immensely satisfying and that's due in no small measure to the contrast of clothing and muscular nudity and the workman-like attitudes of the two minders. There's a sense of this incident slotting into something much bigger and over which the dragged man has no control.

Homoeros - 244a_in_the_souk_19

This is a sequel to the harem image I posted in Part 4 and shows No 244 with ropes still dangling from his wrists and incarcerated in a cage which seems to be built for public viewing. He's just received a flogging and is awaiting his next appointment. It's a very simple image and one that perhaps works better on it's own rather than as part of a busy sequence of events, you need to pause and get into this one. He gazes towards the light of the bustling outside world, wondering no doubt what might have been. From his stance he seems to be observing something happening out there. Maybe someone he knows is passing by. You may recognise this as the same location as his St Andrews Cross adventure from Part 3 but we do not know if this particular unpleasantness has already happened to him or still lies in the future. 

 

Homoeros - 226b2_tommy_star_swimmer_22

There's an even clearer focus on the feelings of the victim in this image. It depicts a Gold Medal-winning swimmer, who we previously saw flirting with a fellow swimmer in Part 1. He's just been violated and beaten up by a gang of hoodlums for reasons which are not specified, but there's a clue in the fact that they take photographs of 'the star' in his humiliated state before departing.

Regardless of that storyline, this is beautiful image, that conveys his dejected, weary state most eloquently. That alone makes for a sexy picture, but the discarded clothes at his feet inject an extra spicing of eroticism.

Homoeros - 288c_alex_11_

We've come a long way from those depictions of sunny days on the beach, the carefree, playful games of handsome boys, who cannot imagine that their innocent fun is fuelling darker thoughts....

Homoeros - 212_19 pulley

....thoughts which will take them and propel them into the clutches of powerful predators

with captivity and pain the probable outcome.

Homoeros - super_moon_03

The dark and mysterious world that the men of Homoeros imagination must negotiate is summed up quite neatly by the atmosphere of this pretty fantasy. It makes a nice punctuation point to this review although it's self conscious artiness is not really typical of his work. The simple expressiveness of male bodies under duress in the preceding images is a better testament to his skills. Homoeros is a good example of an artist who repays the viewer who pauses to look closer. The first impression of quirky anatomy, occasional doll-like characters and low key sexuality, laced with impressive spectacle masks a wealth of original ideas and observation which I have tried to bring out in this series of articles. A worthy entrant to the fetish Hall of Fame

Next time: The women in Homoeros work

Read this series from Part 1

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Homoeros Gallery Pages

The Art of Homoeros - 1 'Beefcake Boys'

Homoeros - Evandro playing squash (tennis?)

   Homoeros is a prolific producer of male renders featuring handsome, young men with notably slender waists and extremely well-defined muscularity. Very often he illustrates them in conventional, static, beefcake poses, like the one below. The example above is a nice dynamic exception with an unusual subject. It gets an extra accolade for promoting spectacles as an erotic accessory (if not for encouraging the use of a tennis racquet on a squash court!). Homoeros often features clothing in his images and this first part of my article about him focuses on that aspect of his work. 

Homoeros - Evandro, on the building site

If you review this artist's gallery at Deviant Art you will immediately see that he enjoys creating different 'models', often naming them (this is Evandro), then dressing them in various clothes - and undressing them - while placing them in different locations.  If this sounds like playing with dolls, many of his creations do have a certain doll-like quality about them but his preoccupation with this activity reflects a fascination with the capabilities of the render software and a certain interest in exercising power over his male creations. This is quite different to the nurturing pleasure girls get from their dolls! - or is it?

Many render artists (even Ulf!) struggle with creating clothing from scratch, often resulting in 'painted on' garments or shapeless baggies. Homoeros gets round the problem neatly in this example by photographically borrowing a real man's jeans for his model to wear.

Homoeros - Cowboy by Matt

This tribute to the art of 'Matt' shows a deeper artistic sensibility and provides an opportunity to show off his vision of a man's muscular back in a very authentic pose, spiced with a tantalising dose of  'builders bum'. Although his men are always ultimately revealed to have generous, thick endowments and cute bubble butts, he often seems disinclined to let them show very much through their clothing - in stark contrast to Matt's cowboy in the picture on the wall before him.

Homoeros - Massive Trapeze Artist

That can't be said of this image! There are situations where the 'painted on' render look is entirely appropriate. This depiction of a figure in tights compares favourably with the cruder display of Tom of Finland's acrobats, discussed here recently. It's not exactly understated, but is a more believable fantasy of a performing artist than Tom's one. It shows that this artist 'gets' tights as being both revealing and restraining and wouldn't you like to stand close to him! The sense of manly strength created by the simple expedient of an upward looking viewpoint is striking.

Homoeros - Tommy, Star Swimmer

Homoeros sometimes imagines his characters getting together for romantic interludes. This image shows the initial spark of interest between two Speedo-clad swimmers. Everyone loves looking at men in skimpy swimming trunks but good imagery like this is surprisingly uncommon, showing them as randy sportsmen in the public environment of the competitive pool, not just men frolicking at the beach or in a rich man's pool. The erotic shaping of the garments here is idiosyncratic but it's a good illustration of the erotic power of clothing.

Homoeros - Soldier

Making outer garments disappear leaving underwear and the 'tools of the trade' behind is a long-standing, favourite device for beefcake and underwear photographers. It never fails to create the shock of the unfamiliar and imparts to the model great sexual confidence and daring. This military example from Homoeros is eye-catching and memorable thanks to the 'Miss Saigon' helicopter wow-factor and the artist's enviable eye for colour and co-ordination, which is also evident in the other images included in this article. There's a subtle muscularity and balance in this soldier's body which is pleasing and the drooping belt attracts us to his other nice feature. You can have some fun spotting the 'joins' in this picture if you look closer.

Homoeros - Ronnie in College

I've included this example because I like the face and slender curving body. It highlights this artist's preference for narrow waists. The jockstrap is not usually suited to slim, clean cut boys (see my article here) but narrower supporting straps definitely help. Fortunately this lad sports an improbably large backside ideally suited to being 'harnessed' by the jock's open-back design. His pouch suggests some bulky assets at the front with the diving frontal lines making for an almost immodest display quite at variance with Ronnie's innocent-looking face. The rendering of the straps is not entirely successful, but this fortuitously creates the, not entirely unwelcome impression, that the garment is about to fall off - a risky situation in a young male locker room.

Homoeros - Model No 297

This model, unnamed by the artist, is of a more mature mould, with a striking face that looks unexpectedly real and (with a hint of 5 o'clock shadow) very appealing. His body is once again slim with deep cut muscular definition bringing out even the minor muscle groups and decorated with veiny detail. He gazes out of the window as though waiting for someone, apparently intending to greet them naked (insert your own fantasy here!). In this picture you get a chance here to see how Homoeros views a man's sexual equipment and, curiously, his cock is the exact opposite of his body - chunky, thick and very smooth
- and I might add, in the words of mass market restaurant chains, it's succulent too.

Homoeros - Model 55

The musculature of this model is even more pronounced, but it's a chunkier, wider build. His face is characterful and lived-in with shaping round the mouth and cheeks indicative of greater maturity, as is the thinning hair, a devilishly attractive detail I can't recall having seen in erotic art before.

Combined with the slightly dazed look and unsteady pose this model steers perilously close to stereotypical representations of Dr Frankenstein's creature. Perhaps that is what Homoeros intended, modelling men of his own invention is exactly the way he approaches his art. If so this one is definitely an improvement on the original, a monster in size only.

The ropes on the man's wrists and the winching equipment behind him offer a more prosaic but exciting explanation of his downcast, groggy look. Perhaps of his ultra slim waist too, if that's not being too disrespectful. This artist's control over his inventions goes beyond dressing-up games, it has a darker side too and that is what I shall explore in the remainder of these articles about him.   

Go to Part 2 - 'Desirable'

 Homoeros Gallery Pages

The Art of Homoeros - 6 The Art of The Cross

Homoeros - mob_s_revenge_02

In the last instalment we saw a gangland revenge inflicted in melodramatic style using a whip in a deserted car park, but this 'stake out' is chillingly direct and simple by comparison, the methodology implying an intention to detain indefinitely.

Before, the tormentor's garb of vest and braces, was conventional hoodlum attire. This time the hit man's clothes are tight-fitting, casual and self-consciously sexual. It's the style of young people - which he clearly is not. Coupled with the hardness of his expression and the sledgehammer in his hand (not a usual tool for fixing nails) you sense that this is a very unpredictable and dangerous man. The splash of blood on his designer jeans is a surprisingly disturbing detail.

The setting for this group of images is a luxurious, modern patio complete with swimming pool and sea view. Whether it's the victim's pad or that of the man he double-crossed we can only guess, but it's sophistication makes the cruelty of the scene all the more shocking.

There are a number of nailing pictures in Homoeros' early work and in this interest he may be influenced by the raw images of Dante and Blake. It's no surprise where that leads.
 

Homoeros - 26_265_urban_crucifixion_01

 This powerful image is representative of an on-going preoccupation with crucifixion-like punishments for which Homoeros is perhaps best known. In this case a T-structure is used from which the victim is suspended by shackles, like the figurehead of a sailing ship.

Using a builder/carpenter as the tormentor (still in his work clothes) and his yard as the (not quite) private venue gives the scene a strange sense of distorted normality. His occupation offers a weirdly logical explanation of the unconventional wooden punishment structure. The victim has clearly been chastised with a whip or cane prior to suspension, but the sinister overtones of the first picture are completely absent. In fact the carpenter looks up wistfully at his victim now, as though awed by his own handiwork. This feels more like an S&M experiment rather than anything else.

Homoeros - Crucifixion

You probably can't say that about this picture (click on smaller images to expand).

There's an obvious connection with Christian imagery which Homoeros' slender physiques seem to draw out. However the essence of his depiction here is almost the reverse in terms of message.

Believers in the religious story portray the victim as the most ordinary of men, middle aged, with a scrawny body and bedraggled hair, he usually is shown meeting his (judicial) fate under ominous, threatening skies and with calm, relaxed resignation. The Christian story links crucifixion with death but it's by no means a given, that death is inevitably the outcome of this punishment (see my footnote below).

In contrast to this, Homoeros depicts a youthful, muscle god, who cannot understand why this terrible punishment has been inflicted on him. Even his outstretched arms shout out, "Why me?" Indeed his cross bears no explanatory label of his crime. He seems to have been put on display for all to see and admire - like a pinned butterfly. Even the glorious backdrop seems to trivialise the attendant pain by glorifying the spectacle, making a pretty picture of it and, in the process, mocking his self-cultivated, bodily beauty.

 The captive's mute protests here are apt. Homoeros has produced many scenes like this, presented with no hint of what gave rise to the punishment. Occasionally there's the clue of a spectator below, looking vengeful or heartbroken. They exchange meaningful looks with the damned man and these images can be quite expressive.

Homoeros - sorrow_01_sunset

Here Homoeros explores the feelings of one such onlooker. It isn't clear if he's the person responsible for the crucifixion or merely a witness to it, but his involvement and distress is clear. His personal feelings towards for the victim are explored further in other pictures, showing him bowed before the cross in one, as though seeking the victim's forgiveness or praying for him. In another he is shown turning away with tear-streaked face. The colour tones are sober, underlining the sadness, lightened only by the watery highlights cast by the symbolic, setting sun. It's hard to avoid the conclusion that the men in this pictures are lovers or at least have strong feelings for each other and there's a powerful sense of loss and separation in the scene.

The clothing and the half-timbered building in the background have a medieval feel about them, suggesting a (supposedly) more earthy, brutal era than ours, but it's not one when this form of punishment was practised. The participants themselves have a clean, modern look about them, this is another fantasy.

Homoeros - crux_02

This picture is not part of the same set but there's an obvious stylistic connection with it. It's interesting because the artist repeats the device of a dangling noose in the background which we also saw in the 'WIP' picture of Part 5. It's another very gloomy scenario, but that is not allowed to not dim the beauty of the victim.

This image makes me wonder if the thought process is partly to do with the oppression of 'beautiful people', especially by religions, metaphorically crucifying gay men. This inversion of the iconic Christian imagery is supremely ironic and apt. In this context the noose may symbolise depression and suicide.

Homoeros - lovers_crucfied_01

That thought process finds some support in this image which explicitly labels the victims as gay lovers, being crucified (presumably) for their deviance and left to suffer together. Homoeros shows their confused fear and distress but also their loyal support for each other in their hour of need. Their physical beauty remains undimmed, illuminated by the soft light of the setting sun once more, the lengthening shadows signalling the onset of darkness.

Homoeros - 422_rocco_g3m_12

The punishment of lovers seems to be the theme here too. 'Rocco' is identified as a slave in other pictures in the group but as usual there's no explicit explanation of his crime. These two could be mere criminals, but their youthful beauty is scarcely the typical stereotyping of felons (even the excruciatingly drawn out execution of two young brothers in 'Hang 'Em High' paints them as reluctant criminals). The inclusion of two 'Roman' soldiers in this picture is a significant addition, explicitly identifying the state as the perpetrator of their agony.

Homoeros - 257d_tyler_the_blacksmiths_son_38

 Crucifixion also features as the gruesome culmination of 3 longer stories by Homoeros, none of which can be interpreted as gay oppression scenarios (you may be glad to know). 'The Blacksmith's Son', illustrated here, sees a young man of humble origins, but impeccable physique, dallying with a woman of higher estate in a sort of Middle Ages setting. He persists despite the warnings of his father about her disapproving brothers.

They subsequently abduct him in the street and inflict a multi-faceted, painful punishment for his impudence, including the novel idea of inserting of rings in his nipples (which can be seen in the picture above) perhaps denoting his relegation to slave status. There's also some rather less than novel anal action, not fun for a straight guy of course. The Blacksmith's son is painted throughout as an innocent who believes that love conquers all and when his story arrives at this scene, the brutal finality surprises and shocks him as much as it does us.

If one thing is known for sure about crucifixion, it is that it is extremely painful and Tyler is left to learn that lesson by his torturers. The story closes intriguingly, with one brother returning that night to inspect the now-unconscious Tyler by the light of a flaming torch.

The 'model' for this story is Tyler who we previously saw banged up in prison in Part 4

Homoeros - 308 hacker 22

'The Hacker' is a much more sinister story set in the modern day. Recent extradition hearings relating to this offence have made great play of the horrors of the US prison system, but this wayward, young computer buff finds that the Governmental punishment for interfering with their data is much more extreme than anyone would expect. Tried and condemned he is stripped and sexually abused by his guards (with a hint of electro-torture too). Pretty routine gay fantasy so far, but in a shocking finale he is escorted to a gymnasium and (above) nailed to a wooden beam, at the behest of a female official. Too late he realises the full enormity of his punishment and Homoeros' knack for giving his captives suitably shocked and incredulous expressions is given full rein as he grasps the reality of what is planned for him.

308 hacker 27

The victim's humiliation continues with every detail being recorded by an official photographer. The beam is hoisted into the air with him still hanging from it by his wrists. I suppose the choice of wrists to be the primary instrument of his punishment (inflicting what would be extreme pain and probable disablement) may relate to their role in his keyboard-typing crime.

Finally he is transported by the truck, still danging by his wrists, to a stadium where the public can view him as the crossbeam beam is lifted into it's final place on top of an upright post. Interestingly the only spectators Homoeros shows taking advantage this grisly 'photo opportunity' are two young women. I will come back to Homoeros' use of women in a separate instalment of this series.

448_max_crucified_00b

Finally, this scene is from one of his most recent series, a full length story recounting a Roman slave's affair with his mistress and betrayal by her brother, who has his own designs on Max's love machine. Like the Blacksmith's son, this victim is straight and misguided, but then the theme of forbidden love was never the sole prerogative of gays.

Max is tried by the family and condemned. The steps in his crucifixion are depicted across 15 or so pictures, with his desperate pleas and protests going unheeded by the vengeful brothers and their father. The images are bathed in a Mediterranean light producing brilliant colours which embellish the love scenes but seem strangely inappropriate as the brutal punishment takes it's course. 

448_max_crucified_00k

The final denouement is enacted before a towering Colosseum-like structure which seems to give a public and pseudo-judicial seal on Max's fate. Expelled from the house where he worked, Max is left to face his demise alone, save for those who happen to pass by.

In this story Homoeros elaborates on his theme of the punisher with a conscience, explaining how the Max's owner (in the purple robe) is reluctant to punish him in this way because he is was expensive to buy and made a good and pleasant servant. However he cannot overlook the offence with his malevolent son insistently reading out the 'rule book' to him.

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I know not all of my readers will appreciate these images, with their controlled and ritualised brutality and violence. The 'builders yard' image above represents it as a spectacular extreme in bondage but most of the images feature more the severe restraint technique taken from religious sources. I have chosen the least bloodthirsty ones but acknowledge that they stand at the far boundaries of S&M.

I have featured crucifixion images in this blog before (click on 'crucified' label at the foot of this post to see) but Homoeros' imaginings stand out, most obviously for the shocking incongruity of the youthful, attractive subjects, the carefully chosen and often joyful colour tones and a clinically clean technique that almost sanitises the subject compared with more 'realistic', gloomy creations. However, Homoeros does not simply portray figures on a cross, he explores the whole process and the emotions of those involved in a non-religious context which is quite illuminating and draws out the theme of unstoppable, blind and extremely cruel justice. That makes them worthy of discussion here.

Footnote
 There are still doubts today about how lethal the practise of crucifixion was in itself and whether the death of the victim was actually triggered by responses to prolonged physical stress or caused by other injuries inflicted on him at the same time. There is hardly any physical evidence of them taking place but there are documented accounts of incidents (in addition to that described in the Bible). Some accounts refer to crucifixion as an interim torture and humiliation on the way to execution by more direct means. Inevitably all these are less than detailed and not necessarily objective so the whole subject is shrouded in a degree of mystery and uncertainty.

Next time: Homoeros visits the St Sebastian theme

Read this series from Part 1

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Homoeros Gallery Pages

for more crucifixion images click on the label below

The Art of Homoeros - 2 'Desirable'

Homoeros - Model 127

 

The attractions of Homoeros' models are enhanced further when they set to work,
exercising with weights, as in this example or playing sports
which necessarily involves display of their muscular bodies.

Homoeros - Model 127 - Wet Dreams

 

Small wonder then that they attract the attention of other men like this hunky gymnast in red.
These skin tight garments these men are clad in, like the trapeze artist's tights in part 1
generate a desire to reach out and touch, an impulse recognised and captured in this image.
Like the encounter of the two swimmers (also in part 1) the moment of initial attraction
 generates an erotic tingle, even for mere spectators who witness it.

There's an element of the experienced hand seducing a younger man here
but he doesn't see at all intimidated by the approach, his right hand seems ready for action. 

 

Homoeros - Restroom

 

These incidents don't just occur in the gym. The models also attract interest in the 'restroom'. Naked men are not a common sight in British toilets, but for my money, the most erotic element of this image is not him but the glimpse of hairy buttock cleavage revealed by the blonde's sagging jeans which he's opened in order to relieve himself. 

This is an interesting but curious image. The naked attendant (?) doesn't seem to feel any impulse to reach out and touch his target, in fact his hands are firmly by his sides, fists clenched, as though poised for a fight. Perhaps he's wary of a violent reaction to his interest. He's not looking in the obvious direction for an encounter like this either, but staring, as though mesmerised, at the plumbing on the wall. By some curious trick of the eye, the pisser himself also seems to be closely engaged with this pipework. It sort of looks as though he's sucking it. Were it not for the title and the urinals you might be forgiven for seeing a quite different scene in this picture, as I do. Some sort of bizarre medical test or perhaps some piss release therapy for men who habitually freeze in public toilets. It would be a practical solution for the orderlies go naked, to avoid soaking their uniforms in case a successful treatment opens a floodgate.

Homoeros - Medical

 

We tend to suppose that military medicals are conducted in the nude, possibly due to the wartime pictures of queues of new recruits being inducted by dubious-looking older men. It's a technique which helps tests the recruit's obedience to command and whether he has inhibitions in the close company of other men. This patient seems quite happy, presenting himself to the medic with his hands submissively placed behind his back.

The rather young Doctor looks at him warily - or is it knowingly? Possibly he's impressed by the splendid physique of his patient or perhaps there's something else going on that we can't see - like the old 'Cough please' routine. There is a subtle power play going on here, an 'erotic moment' that Homoeros has captured here with endless possibilities to fantasise about,
romantic or sadistic according to taste.

The 'grunt' in this picture might easily have been plucked from one of Ulf's images, but in that world you would expect him to be facing up to large, intimidating, bull neck sergeant with mean written all over him and planning to conduct a more energetic and demanding kind of 'physical' than this medic seems capable of. But then again, it's the quiet ones you have to watch.....

Homoeros - L'Orangerie

 

This looks like model 127 again, apparently hard at work in a posh greenhouse. Like all hunky gardeners, he likes to strip off his shirt for work and the heat inside 'The Orangery' gives him a good excuse to do so. This has attracted the attentions of his employer (in fact he probably sent him here to work knowing this would probably happen and who could blame him?). He looks like a wealthy Southern Gentleman, a persona that comes with historical associations of ruthless power and exploitation, so it's understandable that the gardener looks at him with respect, no doubt wondering what instructions he's about to be given.

His employer stands very close to him, looking at him intently, his leg poised within inches of rubbing thighs with him. It's like he's itching to get his hands on that voluptuous torso whose subtle forward thrust almost seems to be offering itself up to him. There are tempting, dangling grapes in the background but the gold ring on the gardener's finger suggests there may be an obstacle to plucking anything in his garden today. There are ways and means of course, both fair and foul, but Homoeros leaves the dilemma hanging for our imaginations to conjure with. 

Homoeros - Apprentice

 

That simple device of planting a young Adonis in a potentially predatory environment is used in this image too but the gentleman in charge here seems to possess neither wealth nor beauty nor culture. Probably not a man who can get whatever he wants, so you can imagine the turmoil he experiences when confronted with this creature who has probably turned up late for work due to the extensive morning routine which is necessary for him to go out looking like this. He doesn't seem to realise it yet, but as an apprentice he'll have to suffer all sorts of japes and ribaldry from the other, uncouth employees. It's quite likely those stylish overalls (and more) will be smeared by oily fingers before he goes home.

Homoeros has done a good job on the clothes here which are suggestively tight downstairs but alluringly loose and open above. Oh, to be able to slip a hand inside! The fashion styling looks expensive and gives an impression that this naive apprentice is accustomed to flirtatious display, but has a lot to learn about the work environment and the ways of ordinary men. 

Homoeros - Model 55 Laundromat

 

This picture is part of a series in which Homoeros recreates the famous Levi jeans lauderette ad , 

he's not the first to do so but adds an unexpected twist. 

It's not clear why the fight starts or what it's about, but having enjoyed the thrill of stripping down to an extremely suggestive jockstrap (with very nice, neat pouch) in a public place, model 55 now seems highly vulnerable and about to suffer complete humiliation as the aggressor piles into him with well-honed fight skills. A glimpse of hairy cleft above his sagging jeans suggests a down-to-earth masculinity that bodes ill for our model although we must imagine what the sequel is to be.

We've already had a sight of what else awaits Model 55 (who surely deserves to be named!) in the 'winch image' in Part 1. These connecting threads in Homoeros' work give his models a life and back story which adds greatly to the interest.

Homoeros - 292 Fight

The pitfalls of exposing an attractive body in public places are spelt out even more explicitly in this series. Our luscious hero goes naked into the woods and runs into an ogre-like creature who overpowers him and punishes him before carrying him off to an uncertain but probably intensely physical fate. You can see he's very pleased about his latest conquest - understandably so. I'm not a fan of blood but I'll come back to the punishment topic later in this series. However, I've always been interested in images where a man is forcibly carried off and KO-ing the victim is most basic way of accomplishing it. He's cradled helpless as a baby in his captors arms, but considerably more attractive. A catch of great quality for an ugly ogre I've no doubt, a plaything to relish. Let's hope for his sake it will be less violent play to come.

 

Homoeros - 280 Cowboy and Indians

I've chosen this for the same reason. Although the picture is less polished as a construct, the method of carrying shown is an interesting alternative more redolent of abduction. It doesn't have the 'caring' associations of the ogre's cradle technique above. The cowboy starts off the series fully clothed but his stripping down to vestigial boots and scarf give him extra sex appeal which the Indian is clearly relishing already. The racial element adds a frisson of danger to the abduction that Homoeros illustrates explicitly in another image, but there's an unexpected outcome.

Homoeros - Prisoner_02

 

Back in the 50's the practice of enslavement in ancient times was used by gay artists like Quaintance as a historical context for depicting the imprisonment and bondage of men (usually white). Homoeros' take on the idea is simple but surprisingly powerful, not least because the prisoner is black. Homoeros does not use the word 'slave' so we might surmise that this is a defeated fighter taken as a prisoner. It's hard to say which of the two men is more beautiful but I do love 'sticky out' ears! Together they make an impressive image. The covetous look of the captor is a clue to what  follows in the story but the outcome isn't what you would expect.

More Captivity next time

Read this series from Part 1

Homoeros Gallery Pages

The Art of Homoeros - 4 'Abused'

Homoeros - 296_08

This beautiful man faces his intimidating captor not knowing what his fate is to be. The dilapidated shed they are in is no prison or torture chamber, but it's private and remote and basic enough to imply that unpleasantness lies ahead. His captor looks a bit of a brute and immensely strong (a relative of the ogre in part 2?) He also has a natural grandeur about him and the simple act of clothing him in jeans while his captive has to kneel before him totally naked and bound suggests he intends to assert his authority over him quite ruthlessly.

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This is Tyler who's been banged up in prison and fallen foul of a sadistic warder, being forced here to perform naked press-ups. In Tyler you can see how the artist's shaping of his models to suit his own erotic preferences, produces exaggerated body shapes which are not entirely realistic and not always elegantly assembled from a technical point of view. However, Tyler's unusual body somehow accentuates his nudity and exposure here, particularly in comparison to the very normal-looking guard. His slender proportions confer an expected sense of frailty on his muscular body and, coupled with a boyish face, makes you feel he doesn't really belong in a place like this and is very vulnerable. But in this typical homoerotic situation, naturally, there's worse to come.

Homoeros - 257f_Tyler_behind_bars_08

 The guard in these scenes is very nicely modelled and posed - and clothed! His lean physique and half-hidden face creates a more sinister type of bully than conventional, bigger and more brutish stereotypes, like the man we saw in the first picture. It makes you fear for Tyler.

Bringing human bodies together as intimately as this is another technical challenge in rendering that makes me happy to stick to pencil drawing. However, this artist has produced an extraordinary result in which Tyler's ass appears to be nestling inside the guard's open trousers.
Quite fantastical but very sexy.

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Elsewhere, 'Miles' fate is even more painful as a cop whips his naked back to punish his insolence. Like Tyler, his youthful looks don't seem to warrant such severe punishment being inflicted on him. There's an earlier image in this series where Miles has been 'brought in' for questioning and sits at a table in the interview room, naked and alone, pondering what he has done and what is going to happen to him (Miles 03). It's a simple image but full of pathos. He can hardly imagine that this sort of brutality awaits him.

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The workplace can be equally dangerous for the unwary blond in the domains of Homoeros. If you recall the 'fashionista' apprentice in part 2 of this series you'll get an idea of what has led to this scene. It's a different young building apprentice here but one equally in need of further life education.
I'm not sure what his two finger salute is indicating but suspect it's probably rude.

Brahm on the left is a bit of a hunk but, as a mentor, not long on patience. Accordingly he includes a purpose-made spanking paddle in his equipment to cater for such eventualities. Even allowing for the distortion of perspective it's proportions are alarming. Aerodynamics and wind resistance will probably mitigate it's impact on those succulent buns, but it's already making it's mark.

Spankings do not feature overmuch in this artist's work but this is a good example of the genre. You'll be glad to know there are some happy endings at the end of this particular encounter.

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In some lines of work a degree of unpleasantness is not just an added extra but part of the job description. This 'model' is referred to only as '244' by Homoeros, purely for practical reasons I have no doubt, but it imparts a chilling casualness to his various fates of being imprisoned, groped by a business man and after brief spell working in a carpet retailer (in the souk) being consigned to a harem where he is obliged to provide pleasure to both mistress and (above) the slave master.

We previously met 244 in a dungeon setting from which you might infer that his Harem skills were not deemed entirely satisfactory in the end - or perhaps he was too willing to give his all to others. Homoeros cloaks his nether regions in shadow in this image but you can still see evidence of willing collaboration despite the ropes around his wrists - or perhaps because of them! In this accomplished image Homoeros creates a most convincing coming together of the two characters.

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 He repeats that trick here where two young men are being inducted into the dark world of S&M. They have been forced to torture each other, taking it in turns to be the top, and now must have sex together. The presence of a leather-clad M/C here giving them instruction gives the scene it's twist of kinky domination, but it's a pretty good sex image anyway with the receiver actively offering himself up in a physically strenuous position and the artist's customary floppy style of dick creating just the right ambiguous pleasure effect. (You may recall Riccardo in a different fix in Part 3)

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Given Homoeros fascination with controlling and directing his creations it's not surprising that he depicts scenarios involving ambitious models, whose pursuit of fame makes them most malleable and obliging. They get put though their paces by photographers with seedy and sometimes malign objectives. In Fred and Max, the young model is persuaded to go beyond posing in underwear and introduced to an older mentor for a naked wrestling routine which extends into places the poor lad didn't know he had.

Fisting images don't usually come like this. Stripped of the leather usual leather paraphernalia, tattoos and body jewellery, the characters are just like ordinary men and the dark erotic tension of their experimentation/seduction/domination is allowed to surface.
The two facial expressions say it all.

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In the the culmination of the Fred and Max encounter the hapless model is locked into this amazing, sci-fi, spreader restraint. This leggy blond is a very suitable subject for such a device and the 'spread 'em wide' policy certainly meets with my approval. It seems to pay tribute to the extreme spreads depicted by 'Boomer' some years ago (an artist whom I must remember to add to this blog soon).

The presence of the photographer kneeling and carefully attending to the cock of the captive - who can only watch helplessly - gravitates the picture towards the strange uncertainty of medical scenarios. It turns out he's only decorating the model's cock shaft with paint or a tattoo and the main job of the glorious mounting frame is simply to keep the boy's equipment firm and steady while he does so. Notice how the model's recently ravaged ass seems to sit in a recess at the hub of the arms, creating a similar erotic enclosure effect to Tyler's ass being drawn into the Policeman's trousers (above).

Homoeros - blind_date_01

Strange how being tied to a chair in a darkened room conjures up far more associations of danger than the most complex of technical restraint devices. The captor standing behind his gagged victim, holding him steady, makes it even more menacing. There's a pair of medical forceps already dangling from the captive's nipple but it looks like a pair of scissors is up next. He sits bolt upright, his body seemingly tense with anticipation. Is it to be an impromptu haircut or something else .......?

This seemingly simple image is actually quite remarkable,
something of a tour de force by Homoeros.

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As these punishment scenes develop, Homoeros begins to suggest a strange bond between captor and captive where the punisher has strange feelings for his victim, sympathetic even. In this case extending a consoling arm even as he prepares to administer an even worse punishment with the whip. His face shows sorrow but also seems quite implacable, as though he is discharging a duty which cannot be avoided.

The use of nipple-crushing, medical forceps by a jeans-clad master doesn't seem too surprising these days, it's become standard S&M equipment, but the stethescope dangling from his neck is something else. It sets up a most sinister possibility - that this master is medically trained and that he intends to use that knowledge to take his victim to the brink. His mundane clothing, like that of a labourer or workman, and the bare, office-like surroundings means there is no sense of ritual or play in this encounter, it's a casual, everyday type of brutality without obvious purpose.

Homoeros floods his pictures with light and colour but it feels as though he is ushering us into a very dark place -which we shall explore further in Part 5.

Read this series from Part 1

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Homoeros Gallery Pages