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Image by SimVans
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Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Actors & Skin: Jan-Michael Vincent
After actor Jan-Michael Vincent died last year, I realized I'd never actually seen any of his films or television shows. My knowledge of the studly actor was basically limited to enjoying caps and still from his frontal in 1974's Buster and Billie. Thought it was time to learn and see a bit more which led to Vincent becoming the next subject for Actors & Skin. Check it out on the next page HERE: & HERE:
Who's Watching You?
Season 1
My relationship with Big Brother goes back to the very beginning. I was just finished school when the show kicked off in 2000, and was used to pulling all-nighters. The live feeds were free that first year, and I spent many late nights watching Eddie, Curtis, Josh and company doing pretty much nothing for hours on end.
Howie & James (2005 & 2006)
Over the past decade or so, my love of the show has dropped off considerably. Although I still check out the casting each season, I've barely watched an entire season in years. Last season, I watched about half of the season, the beginning, and then a few shows just near the end. There were years, I never saw even a second, and many, I tuned out after the first checking out the first show.
(2010)
The height of my passion was the first half dozen years, and I paid to have the live feeds for both season 2, 3 and 5. I loved watching watching season 2's Will so smoothly manipulate his fellow house guests, and loved all thing Amy and her cheese in season 3. I think the year I was most devoted to the live feeds was season 5.
Mark (2017)
I had a massive crush on Drew, and remember being glued to the live feeds til the wee hours of the morning, especially when those evil twins tried to manipulate the sweet Drew to do their bidding. I was watching live when Drew, Cowboy and Jase streaked through the house, and watched in awe when Jase too his 'famous' bath, exposing all as he rolled around in the tub.
After season 5, I basically stopped watching full time, and only hit the odd season or episode after that. The constant return of old players, and my loathing of the Donato's turned me off many summers in a row. Crushes on two Hayden's (Moss and Voss) did have me checking in more during their seasons on the show.
Jeff, Jordan, Jessie and Braden (2009)
Big Brother, season 22 premieres this Wednesday night, and for the first time in awhile, I'm looking forward to watching the season. In part, it's because it's an All-Stars season. Although most of my favorite's don't seem to be included, I enjoyed the last all All-Star season, less for the game play, than watching the relationships. Many of the contestants have formed bonds off screen, and All Star seasons are usually much less a competition show, than race for story and air time.
Hayden (2014)
That being said, with the pandemic gutting the television landscape, and shows only timidly now starting to tip toe back into production, there hasn't been much new on TV, network TV least, in months. Even the shows (The Flash, Riverdale) which plan to return to filming in Canada later this month, most likely won't end up back on the air until late October at the earliest. To celebrate the shows the return, I had to compile a list of the hottest men to enter the Big Brother house. Check them out on FH HERE:
(2016)
My relationship with Big Brother goes back to the very beginning. I was just finished school when the show kicked off in 2000, and was used to pulling all-nighters. The live feeds were free that first year, and I spent many late nights watching Eddie, Curtis, Josh and company doing pretty much nothing for hours on end.
Howie & James (2005 & 2006)
Over the past decade or so, my love of the show has dropped off considerably. Although I still check out the casting each season, I've barely watched an entire season in years. Last season, I watched about half of the season, the beginning, and then a few shows just near the end. There were years, I never saw even a second, and many, I tuned out after the first checking out the first show.
(2010)
The height of my passion was the first half dozen years, and I paid to have the live feeds for both season 2, 3 and 5. I loved watching watching season 2's Will so smoothly manipulate his fellow house guests, and loved all thing Amy and her cheese in season 3. I think the year I was most devoted to the live feeds was season 5.
Mark (2017)
I had a massive crush on Drew, and remember being glued to the live feeds til the wee hours of the morning, especially when those evil twins tried to manipulate the sweet Drew to do their bidding. I was watching live when Drew, Cowboy and Jase streaked through the house, and watched in awe when Jase too his 'famous' bath, exposing all as he rolled around in the tub.
After season 5, I basically stopped watching full time, and only hit the odd season or episode after that. The constant return of old players, and my loathing of the Donato's turned me off many summers in a row. Crushes on two Hayden's (Moss and Voss) did have me checking in more during their seasons on the show.
Jeff, Jordan, Jessie and Braden (2009)
Big Brother, season 22 premieres this Wednesday night, and for the first time in awhile, I'm looking forward to watching the season. In part, it's because it's an All-Stars season. Although most of my favorite's don't seem to be included, I enjoyed the last all All-Star season, less for the game play, than watching the relationships. Many of the contestants have formed bonds off screen, and All Star seasons are usually much less a competition show, than race for story and air time.
Hayden (2014)
That being said, with the pandemic gutting the television landscape, and shows only timidly now starting to tip toe back into production, there hasn't been much new on TV, network TV least, in months. Even the shows (The Flash, Riverdale) which plan to return to filming in Canada later this month, most likely won't end up back on the air until late October at the earliest. To celebrate the shows the return, I had to compile a list of the hottest men to enter the Big Brother house. Check them out on FH HERE:
(2016)
Simvans: The Space In-Between
'When I take images of naked young men I am firstly trying to capture the aesthetic and sexual beauty of these people. I like to hint at story, but also place the people I work with in spaces that could be anywhere.'
I often say that it's usually one specific image that draws me toward's an artist and their work. That was definitely the case with Simvans. There are certain images that have you sit-up and notice, and in with this particular image, it was an actual sit-up. If you scroll down a bit, you'll see the image I mean. It's a beautiful example of Sim's philosophy about spaces, and his choice about hinting at story.
'I like to hint at story, but also place the people I work with in spaces that could be anywhere. This is an approach that focuses on the person in the photograph, yet also makes them depersonalised. So there is a tension. There is also a tension in that I am influenced by baroque portrayals of the male nude, yet also appreciate contemporary photographic images of youth. I suppose I work in the space in-between.'
In the image that grabbed my attention, (below) Sim shared the first chapter of a story I wanted to read more of. Although the model, except for his sports socks, was completely nude, he was also mostly hidden. His hands covered most of his face, and the face gives us just a tempting, but satisfying glimpse. The location was could have been almost anywhere, a gym, a living room or bedroom, a studio or basement. The space in between lies in the untold story, a story Sim encourages the viewer to finish with their imagination.
For Sim, photography is the family business. Coming from a family of artists, the Australia based photographer has been shooting since he was a teen. Sim began using an SLR camera, black and white 35mm film and darkroom processing. Although he now uses a DSLR camera and works in black and white and color, Sim is still guided by darkroom developing methods and tries to keep digital manipulations to a minimum.
'My work is about people primarily. Even when I am taking images of nature or the urban landscape. Taking images of young men is a part of that fascination and a part of that same humanistic spectrum. Like all images of naked people, it also speaks to beauty, sexuality, imagination, style, fantasy, power, gender and class. Everyday young men in our culture are not often portrayed as objects of beauty, I try to do that.'
Having worked since he was 19 as a naked model himself, Sim says that he has an understanding of the experiences the models he shoots are going through. Shooting his first naked model wasn't so daunting for him, but he was concerned that the experience was enjoyable and comfortable for the model, especially given the model had never posed naked before. Sim works all over Australia, Europe and the U.K, and likes to meet and get to know the models he's working with before picking up his camera. Sim tries when he can to incorporate their ideas into his vision, so it's not only his vision, but a co-creation between artist and model.
'It is inspiring to be around the youthful energy of these young men that agree to be a part of the artistic process. It is a privilege because I really feel I am capturing these people in a moment of beauty that really is fleeting. Youth and its allures are gone sooner than we would wish, and to record them is to have some way to look back and reflect while also sharing with others. So these works I have included are about the interests of these youth as well as portraying them in a sympathetic way. These young men are beautiful, whether or not each of them recognize it at the moment of the shoot, I hope they can look at them in the future and see their aesthetic appeal. It is in that way a privilege to create memory.'
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