i guess it's a form of dandyism...boots are a big part of the "look" of the particular hypermasculinized leather fetish subculture he was depecting in his illustrations...it's part of the uniform, like the leather jackets, the caps, the chaps, etc.

if you're talking about dandyism in its broadest form, then yeah...i guess this could be a good example...but if you're talking about dandyism as it's come to be seen in recent times - as a very quaint, fey, delicate kind of self-coding, i'm not so sure it would fit...quentin crisp these guys ain't.

i think tom of finland was definitely an influence on mapplethorpe...have you thought of looking into tom of finland's influences? you'll probably hit a goldmine of info you're looking for there. i know there are a couple of good taschen art books with very informative interviews and background info on the artist and where his sensibilities originated.

This is the first I've ever heard of "dandyism"

This is the first I've ever heard of "dandyism"

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

ah well, while you're here, could you tell us about your reasons for occaional cross-dressing?

that's another thread of my study... it's a long english tradition, homosexual, bisexual or hetero.

bruce weber is a good person to compare to tom of finland...he crafted a pretty specific physical ideal that became a standard in the gay community for years to follow.

as for tom of finland, if you have a really good library, there's a big book by taschen simply called "tom of finland" - it has tons of biographical information on him, and it has some early work before his pictures had the "look" that we all recognize. that's really the only book i know about, but it's pretty comprehensive...i'm sure there's tons more out there.

Heiress said:

http://www.prince.org/msg/105/38606

Posthumous said:

weber's the calvin klein underwear guy, right?

thanks for the leads...

Heiress said:

http://www.prince.org/msg/105/38606

Heiress said:

that's more herb ritts, i think...i'm not a huge fan of either ritts or weber, so i don't know if they were contemporaries at all, or if weber was a mentor figure to ritts, or what. i'm sure someone else would have a much better view on that than me...but they're definitely names to give a good scan, especially weber.

Posthumous said:

did ritts do madonna's book?

Heiress said:

he didn't do the sex book, but he has photographed her. he directed the "cherish" video...he also directed shania twain's "still the one" video, on top of tons of fashion/celeb/ad photography.

Posthumous said:

then maybe it was weber who did it... danged, the two are really so similar, aren't they?

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

when i usually think of dandyism, i usually think of quentin crisp, morrissey, and some little purple dude whose name i can't remember right now.

Heiress said:

http://www.prince.org/msg/105/38606

Your best bet is to check out (and contact) The Tom of Finland Foundation They do a lot of good work preserving erotic art, and within the Gay leather community at large. Also check out Uli of Berlin who's work is heavily influenced by Tom of Finland and who has also drawn my Master.

Heiress said:

nah. steven meisel shot the sex book...his style looks very similar to ritts, but his approach and subject matter usually tend to be slightly more over the top.

Heiress, if you don't mind, I'd LOVE to read your work when you're finished. The masculine aesthetic through history and cultures is one of my fascinations.

I'm neither a huge fan of nor expert on Tom of Finland, but Posthumous is correct in that the military boots, the leather, chaps, caps, muscle and body hair, etc. are all a sort of homage via caricature to masculinity, which, in turn, is sort of the totem of the homosexual. (And please don't take that in an idolotrous sense.) Even beyond the Leather Community, you'll find a similar reverence for the hypermasculine look throughout the gay world: cowbows, the "straight" or "daddy" look, the bear, bikers, construction workers, military men, men in formal wear, the "Abercrombie & Fitch" look, the thug, etc. Conversely, there is a certain sector of the gay community that actively reveres a masculine aesthetic exactly opposite of the hypermasculine: the transexual, the transvestite, the twink, the fem, etc. It's all very fascinating!

My guess is that if you dig deep enough, you'll find some of the earliest influences on this dichotomy in classical Western arts, literature and thought. Consider the juxtaposition of Apollo and Dionysus, for example...

Apollo, the Greco-Roman ideal of masculine beauty, was the all-time goldenboy. While classical retellings mention him as a god much younger than the titans, some among his cult passed on that he was THE model after which titan Prometheus patterned the human male: Tall, muscular, chisled, simultaneously a poet, musician and athlete, and the most widely celebrated lover (of both men and women) of all the Olympians. Yet, interestingly, he was the only male Olympian who wasn't a lover of Aphrodite, the goddess of female beauty. Also, while he is rarely depicted angrily or as a warrior or craftsman type, there was scarcely anything "feminine" about him. And visually, he's always on display -- either completely nude or scantily clad in most art and sculpture; his body beautifully muscled and his hair either handsomely coiffed or consciously untamed... and adorned with laurel leaves, the symbol of heroism, dominance and authority. You might say he was THE superlative archetype of the male completely detached from femaleness. Liken this to a Tom of Finland image (albeit sacred, rather than profane).

On the other hand, you have Dionysus, the father of wine, revelry and ecstacy. By some accounts he, too, was bisexual, and the male archetype in opposition to Apollo. He, like Apollo, was supposed to be eternally young and beautiful, but Dionysus was soft, slight, boyish or downright feminine, dressed decidedly in spectacular crowns, purples, reds and wildcat skins... sometimes, it is said, even in women's wigs and clothing! As we discussed briefly once before, his male cult revelers often followed suit. In fact, some are said to have religiously castrated themselves, as did the male followers of the goddess Rhea, Dionysus' mentor. I think he was a personification of the female-in-the-male aesthetic!

I think Dandyism, at least in the West, may have its roots among the ancients who imagined their beloved male dieties like these.

...And by all means, don't forget Oscar Wilde or Plato on male beauty.

[Edited 1/31/06 20:57pm]

Heiress, while I know you aren't big on evolution theory, you might also want to consider that a certain degree of "dandyism" might be a biological thing...

Throughout the animal kingdom, it is often the male, above the female, who is on visual display. Consider their richer colors, their more ornate plumage, their mating dances, etc. Perhaps humans share in a bit of that?

I'd take a dandy daddy any ol'damned day!