MORNING GOODS — If we you told you photographer Al Ocana was named one of the Top 100 Artists by the Herb Ritts Foundation, would it really change the way you felt about the models you’ll find on the following pages?
MORNING GOODS — If we you told you photographer Al Ocana was named one of the Top 100 Artists by the Herb Ritts Foundation, would it really change the way you felt about the models you’ll find on the following pages?
Steve D.
Change the title. There’s no black here. Nothing south of the Alps or east of the Urals, either. It just felt weird after the 20th click: a little Leni Riefenstahl-esque. When does an oeuvre cross the line to uncomfortable: the 32nd picture of male models, and not one is non-Caucasian? Or is it the 50th picture? Should we ask Abercrombie&Fitch (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/05/60minutes/main587099.shtml)?
terrwill
Most of the shots are too damm similar, they all have the pouty “I am a model” puss. However when a photographer gets shots showing the “turf on the field” 20,24,25 It is tremendously hot! I am all for manscaping, hate having to find the tree in a freaking forrest. But I hate those who take it to the extreme and totally “clear the field”. I wish every photographer would pose the models like #24! leaves NOTHING to the imagination 😛
Jason
he is a bit to “Legend of Zelda” for me, esp #2.
ksu499
As far as I am concerned, you can start and stop at #3.
stevenelliot
this guy looks like a cleaned up smack-head that was found in a Moscow alleyway. yuck
GeoffM
Some beautiful guys although though not my type, and I share the wonderment over no ethinicity whatsoever….but as to the tagline? No it wouldn’t change my mind to know this guy is a recipient of the HR foundation…..just because you shoot in harsh black and white, then overexpose the shots doesn’t make you an artist. HR was a genius.
Chuck
I can live with most of the models; it’s the photographs that are hideous!
WTF?
Christ. Shut the fuck up about the race shit already. Not everything has to be the United Fucking Colors of Fucking Benneton or whatever. Am I denying racism exists? No, and I think this is a perfect example. It’s white bashing. That’s all it is. Something is wholly or predominantly white and suddenly it’s racist or exclusionary. Nobody fucking says that shit when Ebony magazine doesn’t include asians and pacific islanders or native americans, or native australians, or white folk in their photo spreads. Hell, if there were even a magazine called “Ivory” it would be considered racist simply by its very existence. You have no fucking clue why this photographer chose these models. But like a good wannabe pc fag you chime in with the usual rhetoric, as if you were on automatic or something. I-COME-PREPROGRAMED-WITH-OVER-2000-POLITICAL-STATMENTS. I apologize for the caustic comments, but I’m sick of hearing all the stupid shit on the site. You’re the gay men and women that make me weep for our future.
Kian
@WTF?: People like you need to take a valium before they write comments.
AlanInSLC
@WTF?:
You have a point.
Steve is dumb
@Steve D.: They’re referring to the photos when calling them “black and white”, genius.
Kian
To the powers that be: more diversity please. Not all people agree with “WTF?” and would actually like for gay sites to mirror the diversity found around us.
Kian
forgot the word “some” between “and” and “would”. oops.
Timmeeeyyy
I think the photographer processes the photos way to much. Looks like the kind of things I see amateurs do when they’re first learning photoshop. The photos themselves are pretty good, but 100 best?
Hmmm
#9 was kind of cute, but this set was over all, a snooze fest. Worst queerty photo spread we’ve had in a while.
Regarding the photographs all being white guys… I am going to restrict my comments to America because I cannot comment on society elsewhere. In America, for centuries, white men were considered to be vastly superior to other groups: white women, black men, latinos, etc. In the past 50 years, for the first time ever, these other groups have started to assert that they are equal and that they deserve inclusion and recognition. So maybe they have an awards show that celebrates Latinos in entertainment. Or perhaps there is a victory fund that tries to raise money specifically to get women elected to political office. These groups are trying to assert their equality because for so long they were seen as inferior.
White men are in the unusual position of not having to “even the playing field” for themselves because–if anything–their group is overrepresented in most fields of power and prestige. So if a group were to specifically try to get white men elected to office, or had an awards show celebrating “white men in journalism,” this would be seen as racist. Groups that focus on the under-represented are trying to achieve – not superiority for their group – but equality. Groups that choose to celebrate the group that is already in power are seen to be simply reinforcing the unbalanced power structure that already exists, and that is why it would be seen as racist. By the way, though we may have a black president (for the first time ever), 96 of our 100 senators are white. 84 of our 100 senators are men. Obama is a sign that our society is moving toward equality but we certainly aren’t there yet.
Relating this to fashion and modeling, I think the same holds true. If Ebony magazine wants to focus on black models, this is serving to make up for the fact that society for so long (and still today, though to a far lesser extent) chose to value white beauty over other forms of beauty. A magazine that focuses only on white models would simply be seen as exclusionary. White models already dominate most fashion magazines, so they don’t need their own magazine to achieve equality.
So if this photographer’s portfolio is completely white men, you do have to wonder why. If he lives in America, I would think it is odd not to photograph some of the increadibly hot minority men we have. If this photographer lives in Sweden, it’s probably fine because white guys are all he has to work with.
AlanInSLC
@Kian:
And not all people agree with you either. Its called opinions. We all have them, and sometime (most of the time) they differ from one to another.
First time commenting?
Suburban
These photos are of different men, or is it just me? That said, pic 2 remind sme of the movie Zoolander (not a good thing), #3 he has really nice nipples, and 6, nice abs.
Keith
great photos and GREAT looking models!!
Love the style of photography – edgy and elegant at the same time…
Marco
Beautiful photography & gorgeous selection of guys! very nice
Anderson
@Chuck: artistically, these are probably some of the most beautiful images I’ve seen on queerty in a while…some of them are definitely editorial material.
FElix
@GeoffM:
Its fascinating how quick you are you to discredit a TRUE ARTIST, that i personally know and happens to be gifted painter and photographer! His work can be seen and can be seen in galleries all over the world.
the process that each artist chooses to execute their work – its an art in it self. And i can assure you that the process involved more than as you put it : “shoot in harsh black and white, then overexpose the shots”
Agreed Herb Ritts was genius. And the foundation had the vision to support new artists and recognize them for their body of work,forward thinking, vision, technique…this is what the foundation recognized Al Ocana for.
Kudos to Al Ocana
`Perhaps if the works had been presented in a different context – the genious would be evident… The photographer had no input as to what images were used or how they were going to be presented in this editorial…. PEACE
FElix
@Timmeeeyyy: ts fascinating how quick you are you to discredit a TRUE ARTIST, that i personally know and happens to be gifted painter and photographer! His work can be seen and can be seen in galleries all over the world.
the process that each artist chooses to execute their work – its an art in it self. And i can assure you that the process involved more than as you put it : “shoot in harsh black and white, then overexpose the shots”
Agreed Herb Ritts was genius. And the foundation had the vision to support new artists and recognize them for their body of work,forward thinking, vision, technique…this is what the foundation recognized Al Ocana for.
Kudos to Al Ocana
`Perhaps if the works had been presented in a different context – the genious would be evident… The photographer had no input as to what images were used or how they were going to be presented in this editorial…. PEACE
Kris
Are the white men only considered for this piece? Where are the men of color? Not everybody likes the white man. African Americans/black, Latinos. Asians,Indians, etc. etc. This is 1 of many sites that put this pictoral things together. I’m a new member, but it’s stuff like this that leaves me to question. Why am I on this site?
AlanInSLC
#12 makes me melt. OMG!
Richard
This set of pictures was boring… I mean yes the boys were cute and all but ech they started looking the same. Blah.
McShane
A problem with mostly good looking guys: They end up looking the same because they are posed the same. Not a bad Idea but all frontal, chest photos could be avoided.
McShane
I love good B&W photography ; especially portaiture.