'In love, there are no boundaries.'
The English Patient
I love hearing the stories of how a shoot comes together and I think this story, is one of my favorites. I think many of us, maybe especially gay men, have fantasized about having a man to physically take care of. A man we've lusted over, a man who because of an accident or illness, is helpless to take care of his own physical needs. He needs you, to feed him, to dress him, to bathe him.
Normally in these fantasy's, the man in need is out of reach. Maybe he's not interested in you, maybe he's taken, maybe he's straight. The fantasy gives us control. Control over his time, and being with you. Control over his emotions and over his body. Given the boundaries historically put on gay men, then, and even at times today, I think this control over another, maybe someone out of reach, is a common theme in fantasies for many.
Downton Abbey
I've often seen this fantasy played out on television and in film. One that struck me fairly recently was during the second season of Downton Abbey. Many of you who watched may remember the episode in season two featuring the appearance of the mysterious and sexy blind lieutenant.
Actor Lachlan Nieboer played Edward Courtenay who ended up in the hospital in the Yorkshire village of Downton after he became blind from mustard gas. While recovering, he befriended Corporal Thomas Barrow. The two formed a strong attachment and Thomas became romantically attracted to him. I remember posting about the episode after it aired. (HERE:)
Many FH viewers may recall that Photography By George often uses masks and other facial camouflaging within his work. I've featured George's themed images including a piece featuring Halloween masks just last month. (Masked Eroticism) A couple of years ago, when George was sending me on images, he included one of these shots of Alec. I always wondered about the story behind it...
Georges uses the masks for many different and creative reasons. One, is to provide the opportunity for men drawn to exhibitionism, to pose fully nude anonymously, without the fear of repercussions from family, loved ones or employers. Other times, the facial coverings come from George's own fantasy's and passions. That's certainly the case with these shots of Alec. The hospital robe, the bandages, they all had a purpose and stemmed from a fantasy George wanted to capture after seeing a particular film.
'I had recently seen the movie "The English Patient" starring Ralph Fiennes. It got me to fantasizing about what it would be like to have a handsome young man entrusted to my care 24/7. I had my model put on my robe and wrapped his face and head in gauze as though he had suffered injury to his face and eyes. '
Alec may appear physically able, but he is tired and his illness causes him to be very weak with little energy. He needs assistance, from George of course, to get around his apartment, to go out onto the patio for smoke breaks, to shower and requires assistance with other strenuous tasks which need taking care of.
I recently revisited George's work with Alec when The Prisoner of Love series was featured in Noisy Rain Magazine. Edited by artist E. Hirano, Noisy Rain is a free on-line magazine that which explores the male figure in art. George's work with Alec, including a few more intimate images, was recently featured in the magazine's recent issue. Check it out HERE:
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