GIGOLO
‘‘Have you ever photographed a
black guy?’, somebody asked. Actually, he asked me if I
had photographed a nigger, but this word is too
denigrating for me. ‘No’, I answered. ‘Well, you’ll get
one for your birthday on the condition that I may attend
the photoshoot.’ This felt odd and a little bit awkward to
me, but I didn’t want to miss this unusual present. And
so, one day a tall handsome black guy rang at my door. Guy
was his nickname, gigolo his profession. He asked 150
euros per hour. Together with my maecenas he entered my
studio. I was a little bit nervous because I could only
use him for an hour and so within this hour I had to do
the job: I wanted to make splendid photographs of him. I
had prepared the photo session very carefully. The model
contract lay on the table, the studio lighting was tested,
there was oil and a plant nozzle sprayer and, mentally and
most importantly, I had a vision, a concept, in my mind
and I could previsualise the portrait I wanted to make. He
was a gigolo and I wanted to portray him in this way: an
object of desire, horny, passionately desirable, an image
that stimulates butterflies in your belly. He took off his
clothes. I asked him to spread the oil on his skin.
Meanwhile my maecenas was sitting in the red sofa,
apparently quietly and without emotions. Time started.
Passionately, I started photographing, gave orders,
sprayed water on his beautiful skin. Time was pressing.
After one hour I asked if I could work further? Just a
moment I could … without extra charge. I got the
impression that my model felt some satisfaction. Meanwhile
my one-man public was enjoying himself in silence. Two
hours later they left the studio. It was the first and
last time I saw Guy. When nowadays I look at the photos of
my gigolo, I feel deeply that I have pictured him as an
object of desire. The higher point of view - the
metaphorical bird-perspective – gives him a submissive
willing look. He symbolises a male presentation of power
and potency whose extraordinarily sized sex organs provoke
frustration in many white men.
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