The Art of Homoeros 2

 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.

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. 

 

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.....

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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 next time