{photography} – Page 138

The Central Molecular Zone

Our Galaxy’s Central Molecular Zone by A. Ginsburg (U. Colorado – Boulder) et al., BGPS Team, GLIMPSE II Team.

NASA explains:

The central region of our Milky Way Galaxy is a mysterious and complex place. Pictured here in radio and infrared light, the galaxy’s central square degree is highlighted in fine detail. The region is known as the Central Molecular Zone. While much of the extended emission is due to dense gas laced with molecules, also seen are emission nebulas lit up by massive young stars, glowing supernova remnants, and the curving Galactic Center Radio Arc in purple. The identity and root cause for many other features remains unknown. Besides a massive black hole named Sgr A*, the Galactic Center houses the galaxy’s most active star forming region. This image is not just interesting scientifically. It’s esthetic beauty won first prize this year in the AUI/NRAO Image Contest.

Let’s get physical: Bruce of Los Angeles and Tom of Finland

Edgar Hayes (Beach) (1957).

Bruce of Los Angeles is a new exhibition of beefcake photos from the Fifties and Sixties at Wessel + O’Connor, NYC, which opens today and runs until December 20, 2008. Bruce’s name is a very familiar one to aficionados of physique photography and I imagine some of these prints will be pretty familiar too. There’s a couple of guys with swords among the selection but as a break from that particular obsession I picked out cutie Edgar Hayes instead.

Born Bruce Bellas in 1909, he was a chemistry professor from Nebraska who would wind up in Los Angeles as the top “Beefcake” photographer of the 1950’s.

He started out there in the 1940’s, shooting bodybuilding contests and met many of his models while working for Joe Weider’s muscle magazine empire, which chronicled the physical culture movement sweeping across America following WWII. Bellas photographed some of the most important figures of this era; bodybuilders Steve Reeves, Ed Fury, and George Eiferman, as well as models such as Joe Dallesandro, Mark Nixon, and Brian Idol.

Physique Pictorial cover by Tom of Finland (1961).

Meanwhile, and a bit closer to home for me, the Contemporary Urban Centre in Liverpool has been running an exhibition of drawings by Tom of Finland, another very familiar name in the world of gay art and erotica. Twenty-five works are on display there until November 30th.

• From Finland with lust | Mark Simpson looks at the artist’s legacy

Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The gay artists archive

Previously on { feuilleton }
• Philip Core and George Quaintance

Vintage swordplay #2

Even though I never really noticed before it’s become fairly obvious that adding a sword to a beefcake photo was a way of lending some spurious historicity to an otherwise overt piece of male nudity, the cheap version of having models pose among Greek or Roman ruins. Not that I’m complaining, of course. This example comes from Bob Anthony’s New York studio of the 1960s. Thanks to Aristan for the tip!

Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The men with swords archive

Return to Las Pozas

Las Pozas is the unique fantasy/folly/Surrealist paradise which Edward James spent years building (and never quite finished) in the Mexican jungle of Xilitla. When I wrote about the place a couple of years ago decent photos were hard to find. Flickr has now filled the gap with this extensive set of views by Lucy Nieto. Lots of great details and some remarkable shots which show the scale of the structures, as does the picture above (note the people).

Previously on { feuilleton }
• The magic kingdom
• Las Pozas and Edward James

Mikel Marton

Mikel by Mikel.

Delectable Canadian photographer and self-proclaimed “renowned exhibitionist” Mikel Marton (aka Toxicboy) has finally moved from LiveJournal to Blogger. Looks like postings there of himself and his models will be more regular than before which is good to see. And his Toxicboy site is still active, of course.

Previously on { feuilleton }
• Tiger Lily
• Toxicboy