'He thought there was nothing to live for,
Staring far down, resigned, ready, about to give in,
Then it surged, first over his thigh, then his back, then his lips,
The touch, the erotic pressure...then the hope,
Skin on skin on skin on skin,
A carnal resuscitation'
When featuring as series of images, I am always left wondering how best to tell their story. Sometimes, I tell the backgrounds story, how the artist and model or models connected, and share stories and comments about the shooting process. Other times, the story is already told, visually through images and the artist's eye. Then... there are times when the stories ambiguous, the artist provides all the pieces, but it's the viewer and the viewers imagination that puts the pieces in an order that best fits and meets their erotic needs.
As a kid, I remember the layouts in Playboy and Penthouse did this so well. When I young, a copy of Playgirl wasn't always easy, or safe... to get my hands on. My older brother however, always had a stack of magazines ready at hand. It always pissed me off how easy it was for my brother. His magazine stash didn't need to be hidden, nor was their purchase a stressful risk but... they served their purpose.
Most issues had a male and female fantasy pictorial, a series of images, usually focused on a man devouring a woman. Although the focus was on the female body parts, the man was often naked as well, and I there were usually enough shots of him in action to satisfy. I somehow suspect the editors knew they had a diverse audience and had this mind when they were putting together the pieces. There were always stories accompanying these images sets, stories of thrusting and throbbing and intense aching passions.
The words and story may have mattered to the female audience, but my imagination twisted the tale to fit the emotions the images inspired in me. When photographer Richard Rothstein send on this series of images, I was thrust back to those throbbing, passionate pictorials so important to me growing up. I am not sure Richard intended the story the images told in my head, but I'm quite sure, he approves of any inspirational reactions to his work.
Within Richard's series of passion filled images of Sergey and Shawn were a few images of Sergey alone, standing by the patio doors. I was struck by the beauty and the lighting and Sergey's shadowy silhouette on the wall beside him. The shots of Sergey alone were a stark contrast to the images of he and Shawn intertwined together.
My mind flew to Sergey, alone in his apartment, lonely and in pain after the loss of his one true love. Despondent and feeling hopeless, Sergey heads onto the balcony, ready to end his pain, ready to descend, leaving his memories and despair behind.
In my story, Shawn reappears, caressing Sergey's thigh, touching his back, holding his naked body close to his once again. They step back inside and back into the passion Sergey thought was gone forever. As their bodies intertwine, Sergey is reminded of the tastes , the smells, the physical reactions to Shawn's ability to penetrate and impact every fibre of his being.
As intense as the feelings that sweep through Sergey were, they didn't necessarily lead to a happily ever after. The feelings although real, weren't of the present, but of the past. Shawn is no longer, and Sergey's fantasy was but a beautiful reverie of what was.
The fantasy served a purpose and also gave Sergey a jolt. Instead of feeling only pain for what was, Sergey also for the first time in long while felt some hope. Some faith that maybe one day, he would experience such monumental pleasure once again. The closing image is once again of Sergey alone. Having stepped in from the balcony, Sergey is once again inside, this time embracing the shadow that had previously haunted him. If you want to see more of Sergey's Reverie Rendezvous, check out THE OVER-FLOW HERE:
No comments:
Post a Comment