The photographs of Stan of Sweden enjoyed a brief vogue during the flowering of beefcake mags in the 1960's. Like Basil Clavering of Royale Studio, he made much use of everyday clothing which gave his muscular models a sense of place in the everyday world instead of isolating them in some unreachable place reserved for the Gods of Physique. Today he seems largely forgotten, this article pays tribute to his stunning male art.
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| Bo Johansson by Stan of Sweden |
Bo Johansson was one of Stan's most popular models.
Boyish looks, but a stunning bodybuilder's physique.
The cap may have gone out of fashion but not the muscles.
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| Bo Johansson by Stan of Sweden |
Bo's quizzical expression here is priceless.
It makes him look like an innocent young man, up from the country,
uncomfortable at being asked to strike the artificial, body-builder pose.
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| Hans Brown by Stan of Sweden |
Hans Brown looks away, also as though embarrassed about his muscles being on display.
Perhaps not realising how his rebellious, thumbs-in-pockets pose and indrawn abs
increases the erotic effect.
These pale jeans were a hallmark of Stan's work, they add a casual, improvised air.
The loose fit on this model suggest they are not the his own attire.
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| Kent Strom by Stan of Sweden |
In this image the dipping waistline and dramatic lighting became something of a classic.
The open pose (another body-builder standard) seems like an invitation from the darkness.
Stan did not shy away from a hairy torso but made a feature of it.
The side-ties on the model's trunks are dated but still sexy, just one tug!
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| Hans Inge by Stan of Sweden |
Stan didn't use posing pouches (as far as I know) but did get some of his models naked.
Here again the arty lighting deliberately accentuates the hairy regions,
including the lower abdomen, which was daring for it's time.
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| Kurt Peters by Stan of Sweden |
Stan did not restrict himself to body-builders.
This model has a more 'natural' build, though not lacking a pleasing shape.
His older face, hairiness and seaman's tattoos suggest ruggedness and experience.
The clean look of his jeans, though drawn tight, seems reassuringly respectable*.
One of my personal favourites
(*But we should remember that in the 1960's, jeans were far from universal wear, their tight sexiness was solely the province of the rebellious young. The white or pale blue variants did not accentuate wear and sexy creases like the indigo ones did, but were regarded as daring and very showy in a way that was rather disreputable for a man)
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| Niels Anton by Stan of Sweden |
This looks like a tough, working man too, although he's more muscularly built.
The ice hook adds an overt edge, which is unusual in Stan's work.
The pale jeans have been swapped for a corduroy pair (alluringly tactile in their day).
The tight fit suggests they might be the model's own clothes.
The waistline abruptly interrupts the line of the model's torso, bluntly obscuring his nakedness.
But the cut-off across the line of his abs is teasing, with a hint of pubic hair escaping.
Lower down, the opening of his crotch is clearly visible below a modest bulge.
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| Niels Anton by Stan of Sweden |
In this image the naked torso seems a more natural complement to the jeans.
They showcase his manly, broad-shouldered physique.
His slightly youthful face with aspirational 'tache-let and knowingly coiffured hair
is a marvellous portrait of emerging manhood.
However, his open crotch, the shape of the hook and the way he is holding it
creates a electric erotic undercurrent which is hard to define but unmistakeable.
Notice the hair showing under his arm-pit.
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| Sivert Olsen by Stan of Sweden |
The frightened expression of this young bodybuilder performing a side pose under harsh lighting makes a thought-provoking complement to Niels Anton's scary hook above. Stan had a talent for capturing the uncertainty of young men.
Stan took many conventional images of body-builders posing in competitions, which is no doubt how he won their confidence and was able to persuade them to pose 'out of their trunks' for more interesting imagery. There's an impression here that Sivert is in the process of loosening his side-ties and about to take his trunks off, but Stan usually wanted these muscular models to put clothes on for his photos.
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| Bo Johansson by Stan of Sweden |
In this image Stan catches Bo Johansson in a pose that is the epitome of awkward, uncertainty.
The model seems to be pouting in irritation and frustration,
but he's unwittingly showing his obedience to Stan's wishes.
This isn't a body-builder's pose, there's a hint of captivity about it.
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| Sven Eric by Stan of Sweden. |
Stan seems to have a trick for drawing out the hairiness of a man's body, an oil or water spray perhaps.
Maybe that is responsible for Sven Erick's expression of saintly patience and forbearance here.
Coupled with the oversize jeans, it creates an impression of him being manipulated and controlled.
That is the true reality, but the gay viewer can vicariously enjoy the illusion of submissivness.
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| Tord Eric by Sven of Sweden |
Stan's male imagery is sexily unique in many ways, but he joins the beefcake mainstream
with this image of Tord Eric in a US Navy cap, AMG-style.
However the sweeping dip of the model's trunks creates a stronger image than a pouch would.
The original image may have given a better idea of it's contents!
In Part 2, I look at his images which echo themes from other photographers.