Hideki Koh

Hideki Koh ("Kinoe Hideki") was born in 1951 Kyoto, Japan
He is a highly skilled artist with a natural ability to harmonies colour and form, also unique composition. A master at capturing the beauty and mystery of the Japanese male. His works display young Japanese men in both subtle and highly erotic situations, using historical features such as tattoos and traditional costume to create a truly Japanese feel. With an extensive career in illustration, he has published work since 1970, as was published in Japan's first gay magazine Barazoku. Since 1998 he was responsible for the monthly cover of Barazoku (from No.11 1999 to December 2002 issue).
Drawing in pencil, Mr. Koh's work contrasts the colour of tattoos and clothe against monotone skin.

Most images are quite small, sorry about that

He is one of many successful Japanese artists who have held many solo exhibitions in Japan. He is also exhibited in USA and Australia.
1970 Began working as an illustrator with Design Company in Japan.
1978 Began working as an independent commercial illustrator.
1998 Began working as an independent original painter.
Spring of 2000, the first solo exhibition (painting exhibition Barazoku cover)
September 2000, exhibited works at the "Tom of Finland Erotic Art Show", Los Angels
Spring 2004, Melbourne Affordable Art Show invite
Summer 2009, "Boys Life" by 30 Japanese Artists. (Part of the 2009 Sydney Mardi Gras) invitation
His website offers lots of information about the artist - mostly in Japanese I am afraid.
To buy his work or find info on his next exhibition for the Sydney Mardis Gras 2010 visual arts program: 'Oh! Kinky desu ga?', click here

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Michelangelo (1475 - 1564)

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (March 6, 1475 – February 18, 1564), commonly known as Michelangelo [wiki] Shame on you if I have to tell you about this guy. Watch the pictures (click to enlarge) and repeat after me: "O.M.G.!" If you're not a christian you might prefer f*cking h*ll and when you're really impressed by the fact that this is 500 years old, just drop your jaw.

Sistine Chapel:






And then you start wondering. This has been the pinnacle of Catholic-Christian art (and believe) for over five-hundred years: "Man in God's likeness." What made them change their minds on this? Why did they decide to paint these drapings over many original nudes during the recent 'restorations' of the Sistine Chapel? (Don't try to answer this, it's about religion and religion has no need for justification, so probably they don't even know themselves). My guess is they only recently realized that all art is about sex and most 'religious' tourists are wankers.

Sistine Chapel before restoration:




More:

Tityus

Rape of Ganymede

Battle of Cascina

About the images

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Jean Cocteau

Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, boxing manager, playwright, artist and filmmaker. Along with other Surrealists of his generation (Jean Anouilh and René Char for example) Cocteau grappled with the "algebra" of verbal codes old and new, mise en scène language and technologies of modernism to create a paradox: a classical avant-garde. His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Édith Piaf, whom he cast in one of his one act plays entitled Le Bel Indifferent in 1940, and Raymond Radiguet.

His work was played out in the theatrical world of the Grands Theatres, the Boulevards and beyond during the Parisian epoque he both lived through and helped define and create. His versatile, unconventional approach and enormous output brought him international acclaim. He collaborated with a great many artists from his era. Well known are the illustrations he made to accompany the poems of his friends.

About the images

Illustrated:
* 1924 : Dessins
* 1925 : Le Mystère de Jean l'oiseleur
* 1926 : Maison de santé
* 1929 : 25 dessins d'un dormeur
* 1935 : 60 designs for Les Enfants Terribles
* 1941 : Drawings in the margins of Chevaliers de la Table ronde
* 1948 : Drôle de ménage
* 1957 : La Chapelle Saint-Pierre, Villefranche-sur-Mer
* 1958 : La Salle des mariages, City Hall of Menton - La Chapelle Saint-Pierre (lithographies)
* 1959 : Gondol des morts
* 1960 : Chapelle Saint-Blaise-des-Simples, Milly-la-Forêt
* Années 1960 : Windows of the Église Saint-Maximin de Metz

His lifestyle was inspiring for all free spirits and artists alike and his drug-[ab]use a firm ground for discussion. If this is the first time you get acquainted with Jean Cocteau, you should really find out more about him. [See wikipedia for an extensive article] This guy was so versatile in his expressions, I could run a blog just about him. Film, Painting, Theatre, Poetry, you name it, this guy has done it.
more images


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Classics from the 'New world'

I could only find three pictures of nude men from the early America's and even two of those were made by European conquerors to show off their supremacy. One image however depicts a Mayan couple who are clearly in an amorous constraint kissing each other. I could not trace the originality of the image, but it suggests that amorous relationships among men were, at least once, recognized as a form of art. Anthropologists mention vast differences in attitude towards gay- or boy/man relationships among native tribes. Where in some groups these were commonly accepted while neighbouring groups recognized the tendencies towards these relationships but regarded them taboo.
Nudity, although common in 'the streets', was rarely depicted among native Americans on both subcontinents. Statues of embracing figures have been found in a highly stylized manner which suggest a ritual purpose rather then erotic aesthetics.

About the images

(Sorry 'bout that. I shouldn't do a subject when I haven't got the pics to support it. The third one 's not even a nude!)

The last decades the gay arts movement in south America is exploding with independent young talent with fresh new styles. I have mentioned some of them on this blog before and I'll definitely tell you more about some later.

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Hugo Simberg

(June 24 1873, Hamina - July 12 1917, Ähtäri) was a Finnish symbolist painter and graphic artist. In 1895 he became the private pupil of Akseli Gallen-Kallela [1;2;3] at his wilderness studio Kalela in Ruovesi. The two characters Simberg used most in his art are the "Poor Devil" and Death.
He also took photographs and made drawings of naked pre-pubescent boys, many carrying large wreaths. The wreath-bearing boys have a link with Simberg's earlier photographs [4], including 'Guido, Fish Boy', a boy sitting on a rock looking out to sea and Leo standing with his arm raised on a jetty. These images of boys reflect growth, change, puberty and sexual identity. The wreath-carriers are a central motif of the frescoes at the Tampere Cathedral [5;6], which Simberg painted between 1905 and 1906. Simberg's works mostly focus on the macabre and the supernatural, possessing a haunting, gloomy beauty. A good example of this is his painting Kuolema kuuntelee ("Death Listens") [7]. The painting depicts Death, personified as a skeleton wearing a black coat, listening with a bowed head as a young man plays the violin. On the background, there is an old woman lying on a bed, looking pale and sickly. The viewer is left with an impression that it is her that Death is there for, but that he has opted to stay his hand so the young man, possibly the dying woman's son, can have time to finish his playing.

Hugo Simberg's frescoes at the Tampere Cathedral

About the images

Simberg's famous The Wounded Angel [8], too, emits a gloomy atmosphere, its titular character appearing in the shape of a little blindfolded girl, borne on a stretcher by two sombrely dressed boys, one of whom looks out at the viewer with a serious expression. The painting is the best known of the artist's works and has become something of a national icon. The Finnish symphonic-metal band Nightwish released a music video in 2007, "Amaranth" [9], which is based on this particular painting.

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links:
- Akseli Gallen-Kallela [1] pictures, [2] wiki, [3] home
- Simberg's [4] earlier photographs [7] Kuolema kuuntelee (Death Listens, 1897), [8] Haavoittunut enkeli (The Wounded Angel, 1903), [10] Kuoleman puutarha (The Garden of Death, 1896)
- Tampere Cathedral [5] wiki [6] pictures
- Nightwish [9] Amaranth

Paul Cadmus

Wikipedia:

Paul Cadmus (December 17, 1904 - December 12, 1999) was an American artist. He is best known for his paintings and drawings of nude male figures. His works combined elements of eroticism and social critique to produce a style often called magic realism. more..

GLBTQ:

American painter Paul Cadmus is best known for the satiric innocence of his frequently censored paintings of burly men in skin-tight clothes and curvaceous women in provocative poses, but he also created works that celebrate same-sex domesticity.
Born in New York City on December 17, 1904 into a family of commercial artists, Cadmus studied at the National Academy of Design and the Arts Students League. He lived in Europe from 1931 to 1933, where he traveled with artist Jared French and where he produced his first mature canvases. more..

Naval Historical Center:

When the topic of government censorship of art is discussed, frequently the story of the painting by Works Progress Administration (WPA) artist Paul Cadmus entitled "The Fleet's In!" is told. The fact that it was removed from an exhibit of WPA art at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1934 is well known, but what happened to it afterwards is not. The following chronology is intended to provide background on this painting's very significant place in American art history. more..

queer-arts.org:

In the gorgeous, occasionally garish, always gratifying works of the great American artist Paul Cadmus, sailors and sunbathers, models and mannequins, nitwits and nudes all are suffused with a sensuality born equally of idyllic splendor and urban squalor, natural grace and graceful artifice. Active since the 1930s as a renderer of pretty boys and ugly ploys, Cadmus has.. more..

ArtCyclopedia:

Paintings in Museums and Public Art Galleries:
- Art Institute of Chicago NEW!
- Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
- Museum of Modern Art, New York City
- Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, Massachusetts
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio
- more..

About the images

ArtNet:

Artworks for sale (16) ..

Google:

more images..

Update Sept 8 2009:

Removed some misplaced images thanks to Dmitry...

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Orpheo

lives and works in Zurich, Switzerland. He makes paintings and drawings since preschool, but he never had an exhibition yet. He was spotted by DESTROYER magazine (no.7) that had a double-page publication on his 'silkscreen prints on cardboard boxes'.

About the images

His favourite subject is 'boys', mostly streetboys and he also experiments with photography, which resulted in pictures like these:


Other works:

About the images

Due to the financial crisis Orpheo recently lost his atelier. He is not (yet) represented by any gallery. You can contact him for exhibitions, publications, etc. at electrosmog[at]gmx.ch

references: flickr, obstgarten, Orpheo on rinrin, boysboysboys, slideshow by orpheo

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Update Aug. 4 2009:

removed one photo on the Artists request.