Shall I?

 It's the time of year to consider making resolutions to improve oneself.
Hunky Quinton Wynn doesn't look as if he's been doing much wrong to me.

 

Perhaps he's thinking that he ought to be less eager to take off his clothes for strange men.

Or maybe he's worked out that his chest shave is overdue.

Or perhaps he's thinking that his party outfit over the festive season was a mistake....

 

 

Top photo by Hayden Su

Bottom photo by Nestor

Images by DNA magazine

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle - Christopher Furminger

Furminger's male art has a variety of styles and this is a particularly arty example.

A man is seemingly entwined with the growth of the Honeysuckle and praying.

His face is striking, the hint of hair on his lip and cheek suggesting artistic sensitivity. 

The Honeysuckle flower is said by some to represent the flames of passion and love.

It's sweet scent reflecting the happiness that comes with that scent.

recent Christopher Furminger

 

The Art of Christopher Furminger at mitchmen blog

Green Leotard

 

I have a fascination with leotards and bodysuits which seem to be uniquely revealing on a man even though they are only a combination of two commonplace garments, singlets and briefs. 

In this picture by David Kawena the model wearing it happens to have particularly potent, masculine characteristics - alluring Latin looks, a neatly trimmed beard but wild head hair and copious tattoos. The snug fitting garment is normally suggestive of sporting activity - wrestling typically or perhaps swimming and yet this man is lounging, somewhat provocatively, in an antique style of chair in a lushly styled interior. 

The whole combination seems unaccountably incongruous and unsettling and yet riveting. 

It's as if a hedonist had suddenly materialised in a staid, traditional, gentleman's club.

Great image

the model is Jason Suminski

Anxious Moments

Michael Leonard - Athlete

 This intriguing drawing by Michael Leonard seems to be depicting a participant one of those earthy, traditional, wrestling competitions, resting and leaning against a mirror with his pants rolled down for sweaty action. He's gazing off to the side with an expression that might be fear or annoyance. Not an especially handsome man, but very attractive in a masculine way. 

Art by Michael Leonard

Mermen swim back

Gabo - Merman

 

Of all the mermen I have featured here over the years, I think I like this the best. 

His face and his physique are bang on the button for me right now 

and there's a delicious swirl in his tail that makes a very pleasing image.

The dreaded 'join' is swept aside with confidence as if it didn't matter.

But the merman himself doesn't seem totally happy about it.

No prospect here of fathering merkids, it seems.

Don't worry, there's someone for everyone.

 

(If I may say so, a harpoon-toting merman seems a bit like a turkey voting for Christmas or Thanksgiving but then again, I'm no expert on the species).

 

 

Gabo - Merman, dressed

By way of consolation Gabo has produced a human alter ego 

and he thankfully seems to have the necessary tackle.

I do love a man in swimming trunks!

Not crazy about ones who carry harpoons though.

And if he turns into a merman at midnight things might get tricky

Gabo is on Deviant Art

 

Vintage Wrestling

 An image from a recently reassembled, wrestling photo set, produced by the British, vintage, Royale Studio in 1959. It shows the models Brian Lamprill (top) and Tibor Urgay grappling in various poses contrived to avoid frontal exposure and suggestive contact. This one looks a bit of a stalemate!

Royale Studio and it's later incarnation, Hussar Studio, had a brief existence from 1957-63 but reputedly bore the brunt of the arbitrary actions by the British authorities to suppress any form of homosexual expression. They were not the only studio to produce images like this and never featured explicit frontal shots but, uniquely amongst British Studios of the time, they produced photo sets showing men dressed or partly dressed in British military uniforms (tailored to fit tightly) and often involving in corporal punishment scenarios. This seems to have attracted special attention from the Police who confiscated offending material at whim.

This image is taken from the new Royale Studio Open Archive which is attempting to assemble as complete a collection as possible of the Studio's images. 

This particular set is No 37, Urgay v Lamprill 

Boxing Green

DrawprOn - Little Mac

 A saucy image of Little Mac who is a cute character from combat games.
I'm not sure he ever went into a fight dressed like this
But in the gay imagination it's entirely appropriate, cute kit for a cutie.

For some reason I like the green outfit that's his trademark too.

Seconds Out!

 

~

In this multi media age games characters are no more confined to computer games than superheroes are limited to comics. In the gay art universe they all mix freely, hooking up and sharing quests.

DrawnprOn specialises in fan art that transports well known characters into saucy situations.

I

Yellow

 Ivan Gudkov by Serge Lee

 

 I have a bit of a thing about swimming trunks.
Proper ones that look like swimming trunks, not underwear.

If they're skimpy and yellow, I'm hooked!

 

This pose highlights the brevity factor and vulnerabiliy

The little badge seems to add a frisson of importance.

The knotted waist cord looks a temptingly fragile defence.

 

Away from the prying eyes of beach goers

Serge Lee Photography

Swimwear by Marcuse

Unapproved School by Royale Studio

Royale Studio - Unapproved School

The mitchmen Royale Studio Open Archive, a project to compile a comprehensive collection of images by the legendary 50's pioneers of British gay photography has now transferred from the mitchmen blog to a new dedicated blog and gallery. The site is still in the process of building ,but you can see what has been created so far at 

The Royale Studio Open Archive

Alo!

 

Alonso Mena's depictions of men all seem to carry the cheery Spanish greeting.
In this situation of course it has the power to be something more.
The man on the ground looks dejected but we don't know why.

Maybe they had a row or he may not know the other man at all.

 

 Much of his work is solo studies.

He has an eye for classic manliness.

The greeting reaches out to us. 

Planting warmth in his imagery.

 

It seems somewhat incongruous in this one.

But who cares!

Alonso Mena is on Twitter

Man at Work

 Another muscular male back is the focal point of this image of a workman hauling on a strap. 

Manual labour is not highly valued in economic terms but gay men can appreciate it as a priceless expression of masculinity, one that most of us can only realise through the artificial process of gym exercise.

Shame about the baggy jeans though.

It's by the artist Steve Huston who makes something of a speciality of images like this,
involving boxers and workmen.

Night Life in the Rain

 

'Night Life' by Michael Breyette

There are many ways to show off the beauty of the male physique. 

Wet clothes are particularly effective and an almost traditional technique in the realms of non-explicit homoerotica, as my long running series on Royale Studio military images (ca. 1960) at mitchmen blog shows. Those images, largely published in black and white, were barely able to pick the surface. This splendid picture of a man caught in a rainstorm shows why. The wet fabric of his trousers clings to his thighs in the Royale manner, framing but not revealing sensitive, adjacent areas. His thinner shirt, however, becomes translucent in the wet, almost transparent and skin tones and other detail show through. 

Breyette is an old hand at discreet portrayals of manly physiques but the stubbled face he has given this one is right up to the minute. Removing his jacket is an entirely rational response to the drenching he has received but combined with the wet effect it creates the titillating suggestion of a man stripping off in the street.

Visit Michael Breyette Art

Floral Trunks

 It's summer time now, down under, a perfect excuse to indulge my little obsession with floral patterned underwear and swimwear (see label below for more). This pair modelled by David Castilla for Marcuse fit the bill (and him!) very nicely. It looks as if he's wondering if it's safe to go out in them.

 

 They look exceedingly skimpy indeed when modelled by Pierre Zamyatin.

He seems to be contemplating having a bath in them. Kinky!

 

A rose-bud features in the centre of the rear view.

As Pierre demonstrates how you take them off.

 

 

Here, Dominic Calvani puts the trunks through their paces for Michael Downs who knows a thing or two about man appeal. Living dangerously I call it.

Here's the proof, Zach Altovito wearing them at Wrestler For Hire 

 

 

 

Zach looks suave

Mark looks ready to  be tied up already

 

 

Urghh!

 

 

 

 Down on your knees!

 

Total Defeat for Zach

Despite his cool trunks.

 

See 'Amour' swimwear on other men

Marcuse men's wear

Quarantined

Alessio Slominsky - Quarantined

As the title suggests, this image looks back to the year 2020 when Covid changed lives across the globe. Slominsky has found a gay, romantic angle on the boredom of quarantine isolation, showing a man being serenaded by his neighbour across the street. The singer shows his unrequited love by his song, no doubt, but the fact that he's wearing nothing more than his guitar says more.

The scanty dress of both men might also be attributable to the weather, because this is Catalonia in Spain. The flag draped over the adjacent balcony is the symbol of the independence movement there. Balconies are very significant in Spain, traditionally used to protest. The yellow ribbon on the balcony above the singer is the symbol adopted by Catalans to express support for the politicians who were prosecuted by the Spanish government (also in 2020) for conducting an 'illegal' referendum on the proposal. Quarantine for them meant prison.

A New Year brings new hope for less turmoil and suffering in the world.