Modern G-string

Loving the freedom

In the 1950's and 60's the G-string was standard attire for beefcake models but it fell out of favour with the relaxation of nudity laws and, for many admirers of the male form, it's incongruity as a garment became a source of retrospective ridicule rather than admiration (see my vintage series at the other mitchmen blog). This gent's little, black number shows that the G-string is alive and well in the 21st century.

This is modern fashion wear by Joe Snyder (from 2014), but it's obvious unsuitability for the woodland ramble suggested in the pictures (or indeed for underwear in general) rekindles the sense of incongruity and gives us a glimpse of the thrill that the relatively sex-starved gays of old must have felt seeing pictures of skimpy garments like these being worn by hunky men out in the open. Just imagine a game-keeper or hunter stumbling on this trophy game! Christmas present problem solved!

OMG someone's coming! Cover up!

 The olden day G-strings had an elastic waistband threaded through the top hem, which tended to produce a pouched, rounded, 'bag of sweets' effect. Snyder's modern version has side strings attached just at the corners which results in a flatter, more triangular shape with a lower waist-line (and some interesting radiating creases). The restrained (!) contours match the luscious muscularity of this model rather well and the shiny black colour tones nicely with his skin and injects a little suggestion of earthiness.

The 'little boy lost' model is Juan Salazar

Moody Maxted

Adam Maxted is a good looking man with a splendid physique. 

You may have seen him on the 'Love Island' reality show

More recently he's been Wrestling on TV's 'World of Sport' 

where his 'tag' partnership with Nathan Cruz abruptly ended with Cruz

blaming him for their defeat in some final or another and (apparently) 

beating him up in an unexpected but rather thrilling post-script. 

Despite these very public enterprises, Maxted seems curiously reluctant to exploit his masculine attractions in the conventional way with modelling engagements. You'll struggle to find him in anything more exotic than sparkly, over-size trunks.

However the promotional image above from his Wrestling career
is mirrored by another (below) from his Twitter account

This one showing a more introspective mood
has  his jeans bulging, ripped and straining and is positively simmering, 

I await further developments with bated breath!

It Must Be Autumn

Daily Harvest by Scott Tallman Powers

This pretty but rather sentimental image is in traditional style in stark contrast to the summer harvest depicted by Mel Odom in the previous post. The interest for me is in the rendering of the farm worker's face, a beautiful blending of youth and maturity. This artist often depicts men's faces but they are usually older than this. 

click on the labels below for other mitchmen faces or Seasons   

 

More by this artist

It Must Be Summer

Mel Odom - Sheaf of Wheat

A hunky farm labourer clad in skimpy vest hugs the fruit of his labours

 

The harvesting of wheat at the end of August marks the climax of the Summer growing season and the prelude to the cooler, wetter days of Autumn. This image by Mel Odom seems to embrace that slightly sad moment of endings and beginnings as birds begin to depart for warmer climes. Also perhaps he expresses man's oneness with nature and dependence on it's riches 

Mel Odom's style  has the unmistakeable, austere, geometric grace of the Art Deco era, producing here an angular face with fleshy lips and flaming hair while the muscular shaping of the body is delicately defined by soft, pointillistic shading reminiscent of the texture of velvet. Very tactile!

A Summer Place

Fanelli - In The Garden

An interesting juxtaposition of ideas - 

virile, well-endowed, young man communes with the flowers.

It creates a pretty picture but a slightly confusing one.

I can't find a website for this artist 

but there's a bio about him and his most famous painting at Joseph Fanelli

Hairy Chest Site

A striking contrast to the glamourous fashion models that feature regularly here in swimming trunks and underwear. But this rugged-looking man dressed in working garb is no stranger to the gym either and there are tell-tale signs of body hair 'growback' that suggest he's not as low maintenance as he looks at first sight. Proof though that attractive masculinity comes in many shapes and forms.

Readers of my main blog will know I have a mission to eradicate silly hats from beefcake shoots but in view of the model's stern, challenging look I'll let that pass on this occasion. 

I don't have an ID on the Model or the Photographer

A Bit Shirty

Shawn Stingel by Miguel Suarez

A marvellous example of the power of clothes to showcase the male body. 

The rolled up sleeves are a characterful touch. 

Part of a series by Miguel Saurez

It must be Spring

Ben Kimura - Cherry Blossom

I have a soft spot for Ben Kimura's romantic, chocolate box world.

His pictures are populated by handsome, wistful, young men,

and this one drawing on his heritage of traditional Japanese art

and the love of nature has a simple beauty about it.

In springtime a young man's fancy turns to love they say

But in reality Cherry Blossom time in Japan is usually quite cold

and this young man sits quite alone with nature,
distracted from his studies and reading

There's  often a sense of 'apartness' in Kimura's art.
He expresses one of the essences of the gay condition - isolation.
Which is especially raw in youth and returns to bite in old age.

This seemingly sentimental image has hidden depths.

Merman Sven

Merman Sven by Silverjow

Merman Dimitrio by Richie is one of my most visited posts here. His visualisation of the species suggests a new, genetically unique creature with the transition from human top to fishy bottom cleverly graduated and integrated. Silverjow's fantasy seems more practical in concept with a distinctly human torso (of enviable quality) seemingly shoehorned into an exotic fishlike tail section.

The texturing and shape of the fishy skin is somewhat reminiscent of the unconvincing costumes used in Mermaid movies and you almost feel Sven could simply beach himself, unzip, peel off his tail and walk away if he so desired. But if his combination of species lacks biological conviction it's still a handsome and striking image which cleverly skirts the issue of the reproductive barrier that is normally deemed to separate humans and 'Mer-creatures'

Silverjow is on facebook

Bee still my beating heart

Aaron Kuttler for Aronik

The generous proportions of the pink swimsuit Aaron Kuttler wears here as he wades into the sea seem distinctly retro, reminiscent of the days when modesty was the rule for beach attire, but they would have been thought very daring back then and you can see why. The unconventional, bright colour draws the eye to his shapely bottom and the striking pattern shows off it's shape, indeed it seems to enhance it. Aaron looks round as though he can feel the eyes of fellow beach boys upon it. The honeycomb pattern links with Aronik's use of a Bee for it's logo but it's also the shape of chicken wire, which conjures up a rather different fantasy.

Mysterious Face

Michael Egan by Michael Stokes

Sunglasses can have a mysterious beautifying effect on some faces,

highlighting lips and jawline.

Photo courtesy of Michael Stokes

click on 'faces' label below for more