I have a love/hate relationship with balloons, I love seeing the vibrant colors fully blown and used as decorations at birthdays and other celebrations. I do however dislike blowing them up myself. Blowing isn't something that usually gives me pause, but I always have trepidation that they might pop...
Some people I have learned have more of a love/shove relationship with the inflated latex. Balloonophilia wasn't a term, or a fetish, I was familiar to until recently. New York's Richard Rothstein uses the term to describe the many images that make up the balloon theme he uses with so many of his models.
'Helium-filled balloons have always struck me as very sensual. Balloons speak to the little boy in every man, but when I brought men and balloons together, this meeting OF MALE SEXUALITY AND INNER CHILD TRANSLATED INTO SOMETHING SENSUAL, AROUSING AND SLIGHTLY UNCOMFORTABLE and confusing, a story not quite clear, provocative.'
'As it turned out, most of the models FOUND THE EXPERIENCE SEXUALLY EXCITING; ONE INSISTED THAT GREEN BALLOONS IN PARTICULAR VERY MUCH RATTLED HIS LIBIDO. WE DIDN'T PHOTOGRAPH THE MOMENT, BUT HE HAD HIS WAY WITH SEVERAL OF THE GREEN BALLOONS. IT WAS QUITE INTERESTING TO WATCH. :) I never ask my models for an erection, but in this case, they consistently happened.'
Balloons are synonymous with celebrations, parties and joy. Birthday's, New Year's Eve, and anniversary are all events that usually require the air filled decoration. As with this series, Manhattan and it's many landmarks always play an important role in Richard's work. This week, New York, and much of the North East was dealt a might blow by Sandy. Richard's images seem especially fitting today to celebrate not only the streets and skies of Manhattan, but to celebrate the spirit of the city and the people who live there.
1 comment:
Interesting set of pictures, a little different for your usual. Nice work!
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