A Tribute To My Favourite Erotic Art

It’s not every day that I come across something that truly captivates my senses and leaves me in awe.  But when I stumbled upon my favourite piece of erotic art, I was immediately drawn in.

The way that the artist was able to capture the raw passion and intensity of the moment is truly remarkable. I could stare at it for hours and never get bored. It’s a true testament to the power and beauty of erotic art.

The World of Male Homo Erotic Art 

At some point after the Renaissance and before the glossy pages of Abercrombie or Playgirl, Male-Male homo erotic art became a thing of the shadows.

A taboo so awful it would lead to death in many places as there were also many other dangers of revealing a person’s sexuality.

Many artists took on pseudonyms to express their work without persecution others went further and put their works out to the world without a name to credit the works.

Era of Male Erotic Art 

The era of Male Erotica that most tickle my fancy are the Artist that came between the 1950’s and the 1990s. The art work that filled pages of dirty magazines of the time.

During this time artists weren’t being persecuted for their art, but still many artists had shadow careers. They would work 9-5 under their real name and would work for magazine publications like “Physic” and “Pictorial” (no longer in existence) and after those came the glossy “Adult” magazines we’re used to today.

I worry that this form of Art will continue to be less and less to a point no one knows about it. The Internet Porn industry is a real powerhouse when it comes to making past erotica irrelevant.

The stimulus from today’s porn market is so strong that it has become a leading addiction in today’s society.

Yes! A full blown addiction to porn.

Personally, I am much more a fan of the erotica of imagery and illusion than from the graphic in your face of today’s porn videos.

Don’t get me wrong porn is great for what it is, but I still enjoy the subtle nuance that Erotica gives you; the subtle sexual energy without the overloading energy of the climax.

Porn (Specifically gay porn) on the internet today is all an overly glamorised produced fantasies with little wiggle room for the viewer to place themselves into the fantasy.

The story lines are either so far-fetched you can’t put yourself in it. Or the scene is so graphic and fast paced you find yourself just watching for the climax rather than for the fantasy.

Something I love as a fashion lover, as well as a sex educator, is that during the 50’s-70’s many of the top fashion labels employed Artists to help draw the collections.

These artists also drew some of the best Homo Erotic art pieces still to this day.

My Favourite Male Erotic Art 

George Stavrinos – Erotic Art

He was a design artist who worked for the likes of Bergdorf Goodman and he worked on numerous collections for the fashion tycoon.  While I do admire his contributions to women’s fashion it is his black and white Pencil Drawings of the male figure I love so much.

Robert W Richards

Another American artist who garnered fame as an artist drawing for the fashion industry.  Richards was flown around the world throughout the 60’s to draw collections in Paris, Milan and the like.

After pouring his talents into other people’s passions Richards went to work for himself drawing portraits of men in various states of undress or in some… compromising positions.

While I do lean toward Black and white drawings more for some reason.  I love Richards’s subtle use of water colour amongst his pieces.

Touko Valio Laaksonen

A Finnish artist who started his art career after a career as Second Lieutenant of the Finish Air Force during WWII.  Clearly not a time during which being openly gay was not an option.

Touko submitted his drawings to American publications in the late 50’s under the name Tom.  His art was heavily influenced by his time in the military often depicting Homo erotic scenarios involving multiple men in uniform.

He continued to express the trends of the time with a heavy focus on the biker leather apparel. Touko is accredited for designing the physique men wanted but didn’t know.

If you hadn’t put the two together Touko from Finland might be the most notable or at least recognisable Homo Erotic Artist Tom of Finland.

As time and social norms have moved forward so too has the Homo erotic art form.

While I still love the classic stylings of the forbearers of this art, I can’t write about my favourite Homo erotic art without talking about a couple of current artists that I love.

Matthew Conway Erotic Art

I have the utmost respect for Matthew and his style as it is the most complimentary to portrait art with a slight nod to the Erotic artist of the 50’s and 60’s.

Perhaps I’m just reminded of this because of his pencil work.  Matt works mostly with Heterosexual men who pose in various states of dress.  He is able to capture individual eroticism from each of these unique guys.

Without artists like Matt, this art form will be forgotten.

 

Salva Mogutin Erotic Art

A Russian born New York based artist makes me very excited.  Mogutin has countless pieces I would gladly display in my personal home specifically his “Stock Boys” series.

He works across multiple mediums and his work spans portrait based to the mixed mediums.  The use of mixed mediums makes you really examine his work.  His photography is eye catching and thought provoking.

I love that nothing in Mogutin’s work is obvious. The men in his work are gorgeous, and yet few would ever grace the Hollywood screen.

Mogutin really appreciates what the male body is and can do for other men.

About the author: KrizPatrick BA(Hon) Psychology Human Sexuality

 

The Body and Food as Erotic Art – Nyotaimori

Growing up I had a very limited view of the world and had never even heard the word Nyotaimori. Very limited indeed.

Books were my first window into the world of kink and what a rabbit hole into Wonderland that was.  I remember after a life changing event I showed up at my first Kink Art exhibition and came across Forniphilia for the first time in real life.

And it was beautiful as both an expression of art as well as an expression of submission.

FORNIPHILIA

This is the concept of human furniture.  Using the human body as a piece of furniture.  It can be used as an act of degradation, as an act of servitude.  Or as it was being utilised here as a form and part of an art installation.

The photo portrayed a gorgeous figure bent over on all fours, dressed in leather wear, a glass sheet laid across their back and a dinner setting complete with wine resting atop the clear and steady surface.

I found it entrancing.

A little while later, while with a play partner, he was asking me about a potential outing.

I was relatively new to things like the kink scene, not having known that they had existed which he found fascinating about me.  But refreshing given my take on everything.

He had a friend, and a group of friends who were going to a Body Sushi Party.

There would be six or so of us and the main event, who would be our table.  She would lie down and her body would be decorated with sushi for us to eat off.

Nyaotaimori

While talking to her later I was once again enthralled with the beautiful world of art that it actually was.

Nyotaimori loosely translated in Japanese for “to serve on a woman’s body” while Nantaimori is “to serve on a man’s body”

It originated during the Samurai Edo era; is one theory, as a post battle celebration Geisha would be adorned with sushi for the samurai.

Another possibility is that Onsen’s used them as a way to promote business, an idea that members of the Yakuza brought with them.  Whether the Yakuza learnt these ideas from post battles could also be true.

Either way, they were still born as a celebration of the body and of erotic art and food.

For Geisha’s as I am sure we are aware, were not paid for their body, but their art, their culture and their company.

Even food when prepared is part of the art, added to the body on leaves to keep it fresh and hygienic.  The woman is adorned before the guests arrive in flowers, leaves or shells in part for modesty but also to add to the aesthetic of the art.

And remember what I said about Geisha?

This was not a seedy affair, there was etiquette involved, there still are.

The Nyotaimori and Nantaimori models remain absolutely still during the whole event.  Some will choose to have their eyes closed.  Others may keep their eyes open.

But they do not look, speak or interact with the dinner party.

Most events, if they have a more traditional vibe, will allow the use only of chopsticks to touch the food, this is out of respect for the food, for the hygiene of other’s food, for the chef and for the models/art.

Common Practices

Some events will allow the use of fingers to pick at the sushi pieces.

• Common practices for models prior to the events need to have a cold shower that lowers the body temperature so that their bodies will not overheat the sushi.
• Sushi is replenished frequently so food is fresh and is never sitting on the body for long periods of time.
• Models cannot wear any perfumes or bathes with scented soaps.
• Most shave prior to events.
• Once at events they adorn a skin coloured thong, or covering for the pubic region before lying down on the table set out for the event.
• Organisers will then cover them with flowers, leaves, pasties, or any decorations that the event requires.

Nantaimori Parties

Of course there has been some controversy surrounding the recent rise of popularity surrounding Nyotaimori and Nantaimori parties.  People labelling them as derogatory, sexist – objectifying women (and men).

Growing popularity of these events and parties have risen in the states not just for bucks and bachelorette parties but also for corporate events.

Here in Australia, a few establishments offer them for buck’s events with a strip show included and usually entry into the rooms after the meal.

All opinions are of course welcome, however, I was first attracted to Nyotaimori and Nantaimori as an art form and expression.

What isn’t beautiful about the human body on display, and to couple that with food and flowers?

If anything I would suggest that the expression of Nyotaimori and Nantaimori is very respectful and not very seedy at all.

I don’t deny that you could quite easily make any Nyotaimori party into a kinky sex act or sex, involving food (or sushi in this case).

But for me Nyotaimori will definitely be the art form of presenting and serving food on the body, to be respected, to be idealised like you would a beautiful sculpture or painting.

Would you try Nyotaimori or Nantaimori? Would you be the model or the diner?