{photography} – Page 120

Mel Roberts: California Dreaming

Sean Patrick (1968).

Mel Roberts’ photos have featured here before but it’s doubtful they will do again seeing as the photographer died in 2007 so we won’t see any more of his Californian boys. His complete archive, comprising several thousand prints, is up for sale as part of an auction which begins today. Out.com have the details if you’re wealthy enough to bid for something; the rest of us can admire the pictures. Tip via V-M-P.

Best known for his photos of tanned—often nude—young men basking in the California sun, the iconic photographer first published his work in the popular physique magazines of the early ’60s. By the end of his career, Roberts had taken over 50,000 photographs of nearly 200 models, many of them friends and lovers.

Bobby Kroop (1973).

Previously on { feuilleton }
• Sailors
• California boys by Mel Roberts

Weekend links #7

The Kosher Guide to Imaginary Animals by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer (and sporting my design inside and out) is now in print. The grotesque creatures on the jacket and inside are from a celebrated set of prints by Arent van Bolten.

• More VanderMeeria: my cover for Jeff’s novel Finch continues to garner attention. Artist John Picacio selected it as part of his contribution to this discussion of genre cover designs (thanks John) and io9 followed up by choosing it from SF Signal’s selection.

• Graphic design: the Ballets Russes at BibliOdyssey; Julian Montague’s “books from an invented intellectual history” at A Journey Round My Skull; Women, Snakes and Stalkers, book covers from the PK (Indo-Iranian languages and literatures) section of the University of Chicago’s Regenstein library (also here); I want this book: Arabesque – Graphic Design from the Arab World and Persia.

• Photography: Richard Davies’ documenting of Russia’s wooden churches; Dave Walsh’s fata morgana mirages in the Arctic.

• Illustration: Jacob Escobedo at Sci-Fi-O-Rama; Mahlon Blaine reprinted.

• The gays: Oliver Frey (aka Zack) has originals of his erotic art for sale; 100 is the third book of erotic portraits from photographer Dylan Rosser.

• Silent Porn Star is back. Related: Susie Bright praises sexual expression.

• The Libel Reform Campaign is trying to reform England’s egregious libel laws. Sign their petition here.

• RIP: Victor Arwas, art collector, writer and scholar; Alex Chilton, musician and record producer.

• The record sleeve that’s also the record player.

• Song of the week: Guess I Was Dreaming by The Fairytale (1967).

Boy clones

Yes, there’s something attractive about the proposition if the clones in question look like Ben Lamberty’s duplicated models from this fashion shoot. For earlier variations on the theme there’s a series by Toxicboy (although his site now seems to be defunct), and Anthony Goicolea, of course. Via Homotography, as usual.

Previously on { feuilleton }
• The art of Anthony Goicolea
• Toxicboy

Ode to the Classics

In which photographer Mikel Marton works variations on Wilhelm von Gloeden’s nude studies of the boys of Taormina, Sicily. “Classic” has a double meaning here since Von Gloeden’s photographs are now considered classic works of early homoerotica (Oscar Wilde was an enthusiast) as well as borrowing their props and poses from Classical antiquity. The very attractive model in the new shots is one Barry K and Mikel also posts some pictures by Sascha Schneider whose deeply strange and mystical illustrations have featured here in the past.

Previously on { feuilleton }
• Uranian inspirations
• Forbidden Colours
• Mikel Marton
• The art of Sascha Schneider, 1870–1927
• Toxicboy
• Evolution of an icon

The recurrent pose 31

Two more variations on the Flandrin pose. The photo above is by Chris Knight who has a selection of luscious homoerotica if you look in his “Human Form” gallery. Thanks again to Thom!

The picture below of French rugby player Maxime Médard is from a recent feature in Vanity Fair Italia with photography by Claudio Carpi. Although this deviates slightly from the customary posture, I try and thrown in some beef now and then for those who feel deprived by the surfeit of lithe and twinky creatures. Via VGL.

Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The recurrent pose archive