Above:
Stephan Tobias at the Castello Lighthouse
-See More Below-
Saturday, August 13, 2022
Room With A View:
After featuring the work of Luke Young NY last month, (HERE:) I'm sure that many of you headed to his site to check out more of the models showcased and the site's daily updates. One of my favorite shots from the first piece was the image (above )of model Blake Taylor. After the piece was posted, Luke sent on another view of Blake and welcomed me to share. Check out more on LukeYoungNY.
Actors & Skin: Barry Tubb
Last week, while working on an archive post for Blast From The Past, (HERE:) I spent quite a bit of time going through old posts on the site. Some of the early pieces I did were before I mastered capping and creating video clips. I decided that when time allows, I would update some of the older pieces and decided to start with actor Barry Tubb.
Barry Tubb began his career on television in the early eighties. Tubb appeared on shows including Hill Street Blues, The Mississippi and Bay City Blues. In 1995, Tubb appeared as a gay teen in the made for television movie Consenting Adult with Marlo Thomas and Martin Sheen.
Consenting Adult (1985)
' A young gay man tries to find acceptance from his shocked mother and disgusted father. Through this journey, he also learns to accept himself for who he is.'
The cast, especially Tubb got great reviews for their performances, but the movie itself was met with more mixed reviews. Some critics thought the movie played it too safe, scared of offending viewers. Others thought given the rise of the AIDS crisis, it should have gone further with current issues. Regardless, it was boundary pushing for the time. I saw the movie a few years ago on Youtube and although the quality isn't great, if you want to check out, you can view it HERE:
Bay City Blues (1984)
As far as nudity goes, Tubb appeared nude briefly in the television series Bay City Blues. (above) I tried to find the show to download, but could not find it on-line. Thankfully, a poster from DC had the cap above. Tubb also appeared nude on stage. The images below are stills from Tubb with Mary Tyler Moore and Lynn Redgrave in Broadway's Sweet Sue.
With a cast full of hot actors, I still took notice of Tubb as Wolverine in 1986's Top Gun. On the heals of Top Gun's success, Tubb went on to star in a string of movies and television shows throughout the rest of the 80's and early 90's. Although his career slowed down in the 2000's, he continued to act regularly including roles in the HBO movie Temple Grandin as well as a short stint on Friday Night Lights.
Top Gun (1986)
In addition to tv and on stage, Tubb appeared nude twice on film, the most well known is his nude scenes with Kelly Lynch in 1989's Warm Summer Rain. Also in 1989, Tubb appeared nude in a darkly lit scene in the drama Valentino Returns. You can check out updated caps and clips from Warm Summer Rain on the next page HERE: You can also check out caps and a clip from Valentino Returns on the next page HERE:
Stephan Tobias: The Light before Dark
'You need to be lucky to experience magical moments, but you need to be ready for them too.'
One of the main components with photography of the male form is relationship. The connection between model and photographer, between image and viewer, and the relationship between form with space and location. Artists who neglect these connections miss out on touching so many emotional layers. A great body may draw your eye, but a great body within a great image hits senses beyond the visual, and stays with the viewer for so much longer.
One of my favorite relationships to explore on FH is the relationship between the body and it's surrounding environment. So many of my favorite shoots capture not just a model and a location, but the locations emotional and actual history as well. One of my favorite artists exploring this natural nexus is photographer and model Stephan Tobias.
Through his work, Stephan has taken myself and FH viewers on many spectacular visual vacations. If you check out some of my previous pieces featuring his work (HERE:), you'll remember Stephan taking on many incredible locations from enchanted forests and oceans and even battling the wind. One of my favorite of Stephan's series, Forces of Nature, came from shooting with his friend Marco Cortese. Marco was also along for Stephan's visit to the Castello Lighthouse.
It's difficult to see a lighthouse, in person, or in art, without thinking about it's history. Flashing back to a time when the light was the sole beacon of land and safety. Lighthouses hit an emotional core with so many of us, so much so, there are huge efforts by so many individuals and so many communities to save those that still remain.
Lighthouses are not only symbols of the past, but the many men and women who were both guided by the light, and on the other side, waiting for their loved ones to return. Like so many, I've always been drawn to them, and like the characters in so many movies, dream of renovating one to live in. In addition to elements of romance, they also hold an abundance and mystery, and, thanks to John Carpenter, and the original The Fog, can also manifest a degree fear.
This series of images were taken at the lighthouse of the old Castello Aragonese at Ischia Ponte. The Aragonese Castle is a medieval castle next to Ischia, at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, Italy. Can't think of a better place for a photo shoot, or a better place to explore the relationship between the nude male form and his environment. As you can see from the incredible natural lighting, most of these were taken just before and while the sun was setting over the castle.
'I love transitions and am happy every time I get a chance to experience them. One of the most obvious form is the transition from light to dark. Another one is my own process of ageing. The images are a narration about the fall of dark, a very small lighthouse, and some expressive nude creativity in between.'
Whenever Stephan is visiting Marco, they are always on the hunt for beautiful and meaningful locations for shoots. Most often with Stephan as the nude model. While exploring the old Castello Aragonese in Ischia Ponte together, both Stephan and Marco were surprised that on that day, a door open which led to the small Castello lighthouse. Stephan shares that normally, it is tightly locked.
'We both embraced that opportunity and started a shooting on the little lighthouse terrace, with the beautiful Vesuvio volcano silhouette on the horizon. The real excitement began when it became dark and the little lighthouse started its blinking routine, while the golf of Napoli sank into its blue hour. We didn't stop until darkness had taken over and the lighthouse had itself become a volcano of flashes, ruling over the formerly serene scenery, like age over our existence.'
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)