Laid bare…
The male form has made strides to reclaim its place in modern society, alongside its female counterpart, as a thing of beauty, admiration, and desire.
Men of color in art and photography
Yet even in a new century, controversy, fear, and discomfort keep it from realizing its full potential as a popularly accepted object d’art.
Portraying the black male can be especially fraught with difficulties. How does the artist or photographer capture images free from the denigrating prejudices and stereotypes so often encountered in pictures of black males? Are the subjects pictured with their dignity intact? Do their personalities come to the fore in a figurative imagery which contains an inherent respect for, and collaboration with, the men pictured?
In the UK, advertisers are not afraid of using naked black sportsmen to promote their products on billboards. Triple jumper Phillips Idowu and rugby star Paul Sackey have recently fronted campaigns for Powerade.
British soccer stars David James, Nigel Reo-Coker and Shaun Wright-Phillips got naked to promote the Everyman male cancer campaign in Cosmopolitan’s male centrefold issue.
NFL player Terrell Owens was shot by Anderson & Low for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Black Friends: Willibrord Haas
For the first time, Willibrord Haas, a well known German artist and painter, presents his sensual art photography to the public. The strong pictures of well-built black male bodies surprise with their lucidity and explicit sexuality. The composition of the models, colors and decorations, reveals the classic art composer and artistically trained eye.
Jürgen Jansen: Black Inspiration
An unusual subject for a photographer from a small town in West Germany — the beauty of the black male body. After many years of work, Jürgen Jansen has created images of sensitive power and sympathetic understanding.
Jürgen Jansen: Black Versatile
Versatile, that is the red thread in Jürgen Jansen’s successful attempt to capture the many shades of black in Africa and its Diaspora. But what this volume of black male nudes and portraits reveals goes far deeper than the skin and mere anatomy.
John Healy: Black
Muscular black male bodies, handsome faces, seemingly classical picture construction, ironic-erotic innuendo — all these combine to create this sensational work from New York photographer John Healy. Since Mapplethorpe, there has not been a photographer of black men whose work is infused with such erotic obsession. This fresh new talent is sure to become a well established name.
Abafana (Zulu Boys):
Stef de Klerk
The first photo book by the South African artist Stef de Klerk. Fresh and handsome young men in their early 20s, photographed outdoors in the beautiful environment of the Eastern Cape. No professional super models, but natural and erotic male beauty of the Xhosa tribe.
Bongani: Leonard Zett
The attractive African athlete Bongani is one of the photographer’s favorite models and is presented exclusively in a small but very exciting photo book of erotic art photography.
Black Volume 8
The eighth volume of Black showcasing work by Peter Arnold, Stef de Klerk, Harriet Leibowitz, Leonard Zett, Orokie, Daniel Perry and Jim Jager.
Elsewhere…
Noah’s Arc is back, and you’re invited to the big wedding! But can Noah and Wade really pull it off?
E Lynn Harris wowed more than three million readers with the wicked drama and undeniable heart in his novels.
Flawless male bodies perfectly lit and masterfully retouched, that is Dylan Rosser’s trademark.
For the first time in its history Calvin Klein has used an African model to advertise its men's underwear.
On the blog…
Looks are a gift to those who use them wisely. And Jerome should know — he has them in abundance.
Finding Me is a fresh “indie” film about a young black man’s journey of self-discovery, affirmation and love.
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