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| Zagato - Fisherman's Tale |
Mark Zagato is not really a fetish artist and his chocolate box art and curly-headed youths are not my usual cup of tea either but he has made some contributions to the fetish theme which are not without interest. These waders are a good place to start and he's got the young man in deep enough to feel the pressure of the water and almost deep enough to risk an overflow filling his boots.
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| Zagato - Rebellious Slave |
The tethered slave is normally consigned to the dungeons for punishment so these elegant terrace surroundings suggest the owner is taking a personal interest in the proceedings and perhaps entertaining his guests with them. The slave seems defiant and struggles provocatively for them, perhaps hoping to escape his fate. The threatening clouds seem to suggest otherwise, although 'rain stopped play' is always a possibility for a Brit sensibility.
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| Zagato - Machine Sublime |
I've no idea what this title means but this more mature-looking captive appeals to me. His gleaming (freshly forged?) chains are a more serious restraint and suggest a greater degree of permanence to the arrangement which is daunting. The mounting point is low and forces him to kneel which is a neat way of providing an entertaining outlet for inebriated house guests (note the marble floor, easily cleaned). At least he seems to be under cover, but a night spent out here might be uncomfortable
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| Zagato - Wishing Love |
I suppose there's something quite deep in the underlying sentiment here. The two halves of the diptych do not seem to mesh together visually but that disjunction is echoed in the attitude of the master who seems to radiate vanity and indifference to his obviously yearning slave.
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| Zagato - St Sebastian |
Mark Zagato is not the first artist to place St Sebastian's execution in the glamourous surroundings of a villa rather than the bleak desert chosen for the famous film. His youthful 'Captain' is interesting but the sites he has chosen for the arrows are disappointingly neutral and the bondage is less than convincing, seeming to lack any point of anchorage. It's enough to spark the imagination though and the flimsy veil the captive is wearing is an interesting detail.
Mark Zagato used to have a blog but I can't find it now.
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