Gay Russian Postcards

The Guardian carried a wonderful series of photographs yesterday challenging homophobia in Russia.  The photographs are by Alexey Tikhonov and feature a series of gay Russian men and women kissing. The captions under the photographs add a broader socio-legal context to the photographs.  Check them out here.

Chad States: Cruising For Sex

I can't believe I've missed this project prior to today. Flavorwire reports on a fascinating art project and book focusing on the public sex as a visual performance.

The site notes that 'for Philadelphia-based photographer Chad States, whose work we spotted thanks to Feature Shoot, taking snapshots of guys cruising for anonymous sex in state parks wasn’t about passing judgement or navel gazing. Instead, his photos are a celebration of a part of gay culture that he says has been killed by the Internet, and “the sexual intimacy, however fleeting, that happens there.”'

Read the full story and check out some pictures here.  The book can be purchased from the US publisher here, and Brits can buy the book from Amazon (I've just ordered it) here.

I don't accept the assertion that the Internet is killing cruising, but it's certainly contribution to the decline of public sex but other factors - park management, policing, the extension of normative frameworks, legal equality moves and so on have had as much impact, if not more so, than the emergence of Gaydar, Grindr, Manhunt and the rest.  This project is important for capturing something of the visual experience of cruising - crucially doing so in the daylight - which probably skews the history of cruising.  I'll ponder more once I've had the pleasure of looking at this collection.

Military Hunks

Another fascinating photography page that has emerged o the web in the last week, and caused a bit of a  stir is 'Military Hunks'.  It's a Tumblr blog run by a chap who describes his blog in the following terms:

'Pics from Iraq, Private Collections of My own and Friends, My time in the Navy and as a Civilian Contractor for the DoD. Thank God for Gay & Gay Friendly Soldiers, Marines, and Sailors! We Rock!'

The blog features various nude 'military hunks' (clue in the title) and that's probably enough for most people to get clicking away.  The ever-excellent Sword blog (NSFW) notes that the mere posting of these images reflects the end of Don't Ask Don't Tell (although none of the photographs indicate homosexuality - although I'm not sure an image can denote that, beyond an act), but given names are used, The Sword speculates whether this could still land the guys in the photos in a  spot of bother.  I'm really not sure why but we strangely seem to be shocked as a society when confronted that people we thought had penises, are confirmed as being in possession of the sizable asset in question.

Anyhow, beyond the frivolous titillating photographs that will no doubt brighten many readers Sunday the photographs do document in a fascinating and compelling way life in Iraq and the complexities that can mean.  Naked, sexualised images in these spaces are a reminder of the humanistic set against the humanistic, and law - whether it be the permission to kill that war grants, or the morality that is imposed pom those who do the killing is ripped open and displayed through these images.

The Lawyer blogger, David Allen Green may be once more impressed at my ability to connect law and sexuality once again (see his comments on The Lawyer last week) but given my fundamental view that law shapes, reflects and re-makes society, it isn't all that surprising to me :-)

I've posted just a handful of the (safe!) captivating images.  The full picture collection can be viewed (including the full nudes) here.  I strongly recommend this wonderful collection.  I hope someone has the vision to turn it into a book!

Something Dark(er)

Mucho excitement at the launch of issue two of Something Dark.  This a fantastically experimental magazine with truly mesmerising photography and imagery.

The team behind the magazine set out their mission as:  SDk02’s range of analytical and critical writing challenges conventional interpretations of the cultural, economic and political norms that rule and ruin our individual lives and our societies. Two feature articles work together to scrutinise not only the civilisation-degrading tabloid culture that blights the contemporary media landscape, but also the more extensive and insidious system that we dub the “tabloid ecosystem”.

This issue contains a number of sexuality and identity related  stories that focus on the 'dark', often hidden and under-discussed identities.  The photography and images reflect this.  It's a must for anyone interested in sexuality, identity and creative ideas, but defies simple labelling and pigeonholing.

The magazine also takes an innovative approach to structure.  Unlike most news, magazine- and journalstyle websites, which depart from their print-published counterparts in format, look and feel because they were developed with by-now conventional website design in mind, SDk has been developed with the format, look and feel of a print magazine. Yet, being fully htmlcoded and pushing the limits of that technology, it also offers the full dynamism of the internet, especially in a complex system of internal linking, that flash sites cannot deliver. The editorial team argue that intensive editorial preparation for SDk02 allowed for extensive refinement of SomethingDark’s technical development and a presentation that now delivers an even more unique web-based magazine experience.  It certainly does that, and I found it a joy to navigate on both my iPad and iMac desktop.

Check it out here.

Revealing Nudists

Another post, another apology I'm afraid! This time, over what will be a series of stories from the Guardian (it's rather good on law and sexuality matters!). The Weekend Magazine has a fascinating piece today on the photographer Laura Pannack and her project to photograph young naturists. Yes, young naturists.

When I was at high school we went on a water sports trip to the South of France. During several days canoeing down the Ardèche Gorges (one of the best vacations I've ever had - I was of a different physical build back then!) we made routine stops for lunch etc. On one occasion we stopped off at a beach only to find it was a nudist beach. A range of middle aged people with small penises and big flabby boobs were everywhere. As Michael Caine didn't quite say: "nudists...thousands of them". We tend to think of nudists as the person we least desire to encounter nude. In our popular conscience, Gavin Henson look-alikes are not nudists, but Ann Widdecombe look-alikes are.

This study is therefore fascinating - yes we see a range of body builds among the young but firstly, they are young! Many are also really quite beautiful. The pictures expose a world ironically so often hidden to society. They tackle our pre-conceptions about nudists. You can read the full piece here.

SomethingDark

I've been meaning to mention this resource/all round wonderful thing to you for some time but always put it off as I never feel I have the time to write a post to do it justice. This post won't do it justice but it would be more wrong to keep it from you any longer. In June a new Webzine, SomethingDark or SDk was launched.

SDk aims to take full advantage of an innovative format to deliver its avant-garde mix of dark glamour and eroticism in photography, art and edgy fiction; of poignant nonfiction and criticism; and of exhibition, film and book reviews – all in the social, political and economic context of today’s disturbed world.

SDk additionally strives to be a valuable resource and, concerned with the world around us, is also a forum for re-assessing what is of value in contemporary society.

SDk seeks to be innovative and truly does offer a new format. In some respects it does take some getting used to and it's easy to miss some of the fabulous content tucked away. Unlike most news, magazine- and journal-style websites, which depart from their print-published counterparts in format, look and feel because they were developed with by-now conventional website design in mind, SDk has been developed with the format, look and feel of a print magazine. Yet, being fully html-coded – indeed, pushing that technology to the limit – it also offers the full dynamism of the Internet, especially in a complex system of internal linking, that flash sites cannot deliver.

Check it out here.