Cliff Joannou speaks to photographer Blake Little on his new photo-book, The Company of Men, which takes a look at subject of gay men and masculinity. He will be attending signings this week at Gays The Word bookshop and XXL…
Your book presents a look at men through a very unique perspective. Tell us about your views on ‘masculinity’ and how you portray this in the book.
The Company of Men happened organically, I was searching for a new direction for my art. I stripped away a lot of the cerebral parts of making pictures and started shooting more from my gut. I photographed the type of men I was always drawn to; the kind of men I related to. I wanted to show their, strength, integrity and masculinity in the most direct way possible.
Are all the subjects that you photograph gay?
All the men in the book are gay. The Company of Men portrays a type of gay man that is outside the mainstream stereotype.
It seems that the modern day image of men that proliferate mainstream magazines and TV today are the toned, smooth and chiseled looks that became fashionable through mass media marketing of such iconic images as the famous Calvin Klein Marky Mark ads of the early 90s. Do you think we’ve lost our concept of what masculinity means because of these popular modern media images?
Not at all. Masculinity has many dimensions. It evolves over time. It definitely includes these current traits and features. I relate to a more traditional masculinity and traditional masculine icons. The men portrayed in the book are updated versions of these masculine archetypes.
Straight men seem to be becoming more conscious of fashion and their appearance as some gay men look to embrace a more ‘masculine’ image, which breaks down the stereotypes of sexuality. Discuss.
Today ‘masculine identity’ is very mixed between gay and straight. Gay men influence the way straight men act and dress and straight men effect gay men. Much of the influence is sub-conscious. It gets more and more mixed-up with new media and as the world gets smaller. But that is the point; in many cases there is no difference between gay and straight, except for one’s sexuality.
The subjects in your photography are very much what would be classified in the community as ‘bears’. Do you feel this is just a fun and playful term in as much as the phrase ‘twink’ or ‘muscle mary’ is, or do we need to move beyond these stereotypes?
The type of men I photographed include “Bear” men. I consider myself part of the “Bear Community” But the type of masculine gay men I photographed go beyond what I see as the Bear-identified. It is much more universal and individual. The definition of “Bear” in the gay community keeps evolving, changing, and growing.
Is it un-masculine to be emotional or effeminate, i.e. ‘camp’?
Of course it is not un-masculine to be emotional. True masculinity and being emotional go hand-in-hand. “Effeminate” feminine and masculine are by definition opposites. “Camp” is by no means necessarily feminine. In no way am I trying to define masculinity; I am making photographs. I am speaking from my own experience and perspective. With The Company of Men, I photographed the kind of men I related to emotionally, physically, spiritually. In the process of doing this work, I realized I was photographing a type of gay man that is not photographed often; a type of gay man that is outside the stereotype. I believe the kind of men portrayed in The Company of Men are not seen in the majority of mainstream media. When I was coming out in my teens, I did not see the kind of men I related to as gay identified. I did not see the kind of gay mentors I identified with. The Company of Men offers an alternative view of gay men.
• Blake Little is at Gay’s The Word (66 Marchmont Street, WC1N 1AB) on Thursday 14th June, 7-9pm, and at XXL (Pulse, 1 Invicta Plaza, South Bank, SE1 9UF) on Saturday 16th June, 10pm-late.
• More info at: www.companyofmenbook.com and www.blakelittle.com
