The Bondage Leanings of Michael Stokes

Michael Stokes is perhaps best known for his calendar style images of uniformed men

 and in particular (for me) some great shots of the luscious Colin Wayne
(who sadly has yet to offer up his body to a rope-master!)

However, sprinkled amongst this photgrapher's work are some evocative bondage references

This rather genteel restraint of Attila Toth harks back to the coded messages of 50's/60's vintage beefcake put out by AMG and WPG. This model wears more clothing than they did then, but that does not detract from the image and has the effect of placing his imagined captivity more in the present day, 'real world'. The model's lean, clean cut, boyish look is somewhat reminiscent of Tin-Tin style adventures. His light build and youthfulness is contrasted with a heavyweight rope that would secure an ocean liner, thereby implying an predicament of some severity, which is nicely reflected in his slightly mystified expression.

 This example is a dramatic contrast in technique, with the model clad in a seriously sexy grubby jockstrap (and dare I say moist? - click to expand!). He's blindfolded and secured with rope that's more believeable than Atilla's, even if the knots aren't!. His bindings are configured asymetrically for artistic effect but it opens up his torso to the looming electical monstrosity towering over him, which seems to represent an undefined but rather unpleasant threat, and judging by the way he's reeling away, it already has him in it's thrall. It's like a 1950's B-movie with invisible beams but the modernistic villainry is set alongside an elaborately carved chair. It's worthy of The Inquisition, but with an upholstered seat, probably unsuitable for serious torture exercises. 

I haven't identified the model yet (do any of you know?)

 Rodney Santiago seems to have wound up in the same dangerous place, three years later according to the dates on the photos. However, there's a distinct sense that the danger has gone, the model seems quite relaxed in restraints that seem tokenistic and almost girly. 

The imagination has to work hard on this one but we can feast on Rodney's buns.

 In these two images Stokes conjures up a whole world of captivity with Kyle Clark as the hapless victim. His slightly gaunt-looking face (no doubt a by-product of engineering that amazingly cut torso) gives him a mature and slightly 'hard' appearance which is the direct opposite of Attila's boyish appeal above. To me this suggests a worthy captive, a more equal contest between man and chains, 'the Beast being tamed' if you like. The second picture, where a mask is added, amplifies that idea and if you switch between the two pictures you'll see Kyle seems to relax/droop into his restraints in a submissive way that is surprisingly erotic.

These two pictures play with captivity in general.
In both cases the element of nudity introduces a distinctly erotic flavour but not the same one. 

Bryant Wood's chain gang convict on the left would barely register on the sexual senses were it not for the spectacular, gleaming torso artfully revealed. Convicts are not meant to look like this! One can only conjecture the effect on the other prisoners but it's as if Bryant is sadly contemplating how all the effort put into that physique has only made it into fodder for hard labour. 

The right hand image is quite different. With total nudity implied, this is a caged victim of a very different hue, alert and anxiously awaiting the attentions of his captor, which are not expected to be benign. I've commented before on the difficulty of making cages and prison bars look erotic, but the photographer has made a decent job of it here, with the help of a striking model and a tantalising glimpse of his pubes.

Lest you doubt the erotic intent of Michael Stokes' experiments with bondage!

This image will probably still be posted on the internet when all of us have gone.

It's Pure Lust Dust.

This image is simply magnificent on all sorts of levels. It isn't really depicting bondage but flirts with spreadeagle restraint and crucifixion alike - or even descent of an angel. The loin cloth contibutes mischievously to those associations, but it is in any case a garment that I find erotically interesting with all sorts of historical and cultural connections that fire the imagination.

It took two brave men to make this picture, the photographer and the model. 

It doesn't have the same intrinsic beauty as the preceding picture and fetishists will look upon the result with different eyes to the rest of the world, but no-one could deny the powerful impact of the clever, pseudo-medical imagery. It graphically spells out the pain of an invisible sort of restraining bondage, one which most of us will never have to experience. Great stuff. Good job.

We finish with this cover of one of Michael Stoke's publications 

which returns to a more classical theme of Herculean pulling.

The straining makes all the difference!

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