Beautiful

BeautifulMag #114 Week 23-24

For centuries church and religions have played a very important role in our lives and for many it still does. But it also seems that, the more educated we become, the less we seem to be able to accept things that cannot be rationalized. We now have the technology to look so far into space that we can almost see the origins of our universe. But saying that is like saying the earth is the centre of the universe. We know it isn’t and we know our concept of the beginning lies 13 million light years before us, because that is only the limit of what we can see. Before that, there was something else, but that something else is a concept that goes beyond our rational thinking.

For centuries church and religions have influenced our lives and it still does. This isn’t always a good thing, as we all know. But it has also given many comfort and strength. Because no matter how far we have become in our intellectual development, we still need something to believe in. But than how is it possible that we know it, but the religious leaders fail to see it. How is it possible that in the 21st century everything has moved forward, except the ancient believes? How can religion condemn us, judge us and indoctrinate us? And more importantly, how can we let this happen? The other day I was watching a debate on the freedom of prayer at school and thought it was rather silly. I thought if we would just change the concept and call it the freedom of positive thinking things would look a lot different. So much wrong has been done and is still done in the name of religion and that seems wrong as well. Religion is what we make it. If only we could treat it in a more healthy way. A more rational way. There is nothing wrong in believing. As long as believes can be placed in the right context. I believe. I believe in being nonjudgmental and in tolerance. I believe in letting others be. More over I believe in the power to change ourselves and love each other. –BM-

Cover photography by Gastohn Barrios. Model: Anderson Bordoni.

BEAUTIFULMAG | Everything That Is

Hard Muscles and Vintage Fur

IN CONTRARY TO OTHER LIFE FORMS, HUMAN BEINGS DID NOT DEVELOP THEIR BASIC ABILITIES IN ORDER TO SURVIVE. MAN DEVELOPED THEIR BRAIN AND INTELLIGENCE, AND BY DOING SO, WE LEARNED WAYS TO PRESERVE NO OTHER LIVING CREATURE DID. BEING CONSTANTLY EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS AND SURROUNDED BY POSSIBLE ENEMIES AND PREDATORS, WE ADAPTED OURSELVES AND FOUND INVENTIVE WAYS TO GUARANTEE OUR CONTINUATION. THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE MADE US IN WHAT WE ARE TODAY.

In search for protection from harsh weather and luring predators we learned to use natural resources to make tools and build shelter. The weapons we created from wood and stone we used to defend and attack. And we learned to hunt animals for more than just food. In fact, the hides and furs we took from our prey provided us a tool that without which man as we know him may not have survived.

From being an absolute necessity in the ancient time, fur became a symbol of status and nobility in the centuries after. The first fur farms appeared in the mid 1800’s. Here animals were breed for their pelts which guaranteed a much better than fur from hunting. Around the turn of the century fur became more and more a luxury. Coats made of mink, fox or exotic cats were a symbol of wealth. But during the 1960’s the animal rights movement took hold, making the use of fur a controversy. The rally against fur lasted for several decades until not too long ago, fur started to make its re-entrance into the fashion industry. However, decades of anti fur campaigns have not gone by unnoticed, and currently fur is regarded upon with care. Most fur that can be soon nowadays is so-called faux fur and/or vintage fur.

One day, during a shopping trip, photographer Eric Ganison found himself entering a second hand thrift store. The shop was selling all types of real fox, link and raccoon furs. Going through the racks, Eric caressed the soft pelts and for some strange reason, every time he touched and felt the fur, he had a vision of a sexy hard built male body draped in the softness of the animals skins. And eventhough not a fan of fur trade himself, Eric couldn’t get the idea of these hard muscled men covered with the soft and sensual fur out of his head. And so quickly went back home that day and went through all his contacts of really sexy body models. Guys he knew that love to show off all the hard work that they do in the gym. He contacted several of them and after explaining them his concept, he could not book a date fast enough for all of them to come over and model.

Eric Ganison booked 6 models who were more then ready to come in the studio and strip down to their own skin and cover themselves in the fur garments Eric brought home. But before doing that, Eric, being aware of the controversy, cautiously asked his models about their thoughts on animals and furs. Every single one of them replied they would never go out and spent money on a fur coat off the showroom floor. And safe for this vintage fur neither would Eric himself. –BM-

Models in alphabetic order: Allen | Antonio | Brandon | Jermaine | Lamar | Quintan.

ERIC GANISON | BEAUTIFULMAG

Nigel Rorbach's The Age of Man

OVER TIME MAN HAS MASTERED THE ART OF WEARING MASKS. IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WE ALL ACT DIFFERENTLY WHEN WE ARE AROUND DIFFERENT PEOPLE. MAN IS CAPABLE TO PLAY WITH THE IMAGE AND IMPRESSION THEY WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND. IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT ALTER EGO. SOMETIMES IT IS JUST ABOUT A DIFFERENT SIDE OF HIS PERSONALITY, A HIDDEN DESIRE OR A CAREFULLY CONSERVED REPUTATION.

In contrary to what the title might refer to at first glance, The Age of Man is not about the physical development of human beings throughout history. It is however about our evolution. Our evolution in behavior patterns. The Age of Man is an upcoming book and the latest photographic adventure by UK based Nigel Rorbach in which he explores the many different sides of the complex personality of man.

Nigel Rorbach has years of experience and practice in photography. His dedication to the art has resulted in a passion for people. And that by itself has lead to an experienced eye in human behavior. Through his lens and his photography, Nigel Rorbach has found himself in the unique position to explore the different sides of man and how he adapts himself to different situations. He looks at his subjects like looking at a rose, exploring its colorful petals. He peels off the different layers, exploring nuances and details that all together form different aspects of someone’s personality, until he reaches the core of the person’s character. Classifying these layers in chapters, such as the thoughtful sides of emotions and creativity but also the physical sides sensuality and man’s sexual nature, Nigel was able to compose a visual testimony to the different aspects of masculinity and man.

So who is Nigel Rorbach. A quick reminder. Having been passionate – we dare to say obsessed – with photography since the age of 12, Nigel spent the first 9 years harassing his friends by constantly taking their pictures. Wherever he went, his camera was always near. IN 1993 Nigel enrolled in a 3 years long photography course that only strengthened his love for the medium. Not only did he follow his classes fanatically, he also shot 4 to 5 extra rolls of film by week, capturing everything he though could even remotely be of interest for his course. Ever since he finished, Nigel has mainly be concentrating on people photography. Inspired by famous artists such as Annie Lebowitz, Herb Ritts and Jean-Baptise Mondino, Nigel Rorbach always strives to shoot his subjects in unexpected situations and surroundings, moving away from the standard studio environment.

The Age of Man is maybe Nigel Rorbachs most ambitious project so far. As said before, The Age of Man explores different aspects of masculinity and man. Nigel explains: “I really wanted to show the duality of man, hence the alter ego series. With those shots I liked the idea that we all wear masks in one way or another, acting differently around different people, and in another way I love that man is capable of playing with image, so it's not always about a real alter ego, but maybe an alternative side of his personality and ego.” The book leads us through different characteristics of a man’s personality. With the sensual shots, Nigel wants to show every side of sexuality. From romantic emotions to passionate eroticism and fetishism. The chapters Adonis, Athletic and Strength are more related to the physical. The Age of Man will be released as a self-publication on Blurp.com and will be available in hardcover as well as digital format for iPod, iPad and iPhone. In addition, Nigel also incorporated two other art forms in this project that are among the media that influence his creativity. He shot a short art film as an extension of the concepts in the book and wrote a piece of music that functions and the soundtrack. –BM-

Nigel Rorbach's The Age of Man is available for purchase on Blurp.com as of June 2012. The printed version will come as a 160 page, , 8" x 10" hard cover book with full color dust jacket for £50,00. The promotional video can be seen at YouTube.

IMMORTAL-IMAGES | BEAUTIFULMAG
IMMORTAL-IMAGES FAN PAGE | BEAUTIFULMAG

BeautifulMag Cover Story | Eric Crawley, Going Native

“ALMOST TWO YEARS HAS PASSES AND I DECIDED TO FINALLY WORK WITH MR. BROCKINGTON AGAIN. AND THIS TIME WE WOULD CREATE SOMETHING MORE BREATHTAKING THAN OUR FIRST COLLABORATION TOGETHER. NOT ONLY ARE WE BOTH PERFECTIONISTS, BUT WE DEFINITELY PUSH EACH OTHER, LEARNING MORE AND MORE ABOUT TAKING THE MOMENT AND CAPTURING IT EFFECTIVELY IN A FRAME. WE DISCUSSED ABOUT HOW BOTH OF US HAVE GROWN AND OBSTACLES WE CAME ACROSS SINCE THE LAST WE MET, AND IT ONLY FUELLED THE PHOTO SHOOT TAKING US FAR BEYOND WHAT WE PLANNED. I SUGGESTED THE INDIAN CONCEPT BECAUSE I WANTED TO EMBRACE MY PHYSICAL BEING. I CHANNELLED MY INNER CHIEF AND WANTED TO THESE SETS OF PHOTOS TO CONVEY THAT THIS IS MY SKIN, MY CHOICE, MY POWER, MY ART, MY WORLD, THIS IS ME…ERIC CRAWLEY.”

Eric Crawley is a model and emerging R&B music artist whom we featured first on BeautifulMag back in August 2010. Eric is driven and determined to make it in the entertainment industry. Growing up he was a beautiful kid and he got scouted as a child model at very young age already. After a few years he gave it a rest though, until two years ago, when he decided to give in to the longing he felt to step back in front of the camera. “I knew that being in front of the camera was another passion of mine. I soon looked up local photographers and came across Calvin Brockington who took amazing photos really capturing the essence of his models.” Eric grew up to be a fully developed man with an impressive physique and personality and he knows how to put that to use. His first cooperation with Calvin Brockington was his jump back into the swing of things. “He [Calvin] taught me a few rules to live by that I could take with me for future shoots. I also learned for myself what I would and wouldn't do in the long run, but things soon changed with time. From that first photo shoot many local and national photographers began to notice something new heating up in Dallas, Texas and curiosity formed more and more about me.”

Picking up his modelling career Eric Crawley soon fell back in the routine he had learned at young age. Except this time he learned he possessed a sex appeal and he knew that was something he could work with. His popularity grew fast and it wasn’t for long before Eric became a name in the industry. And with his fame came a side of exposure he was less charmed with. “I stumbled upon some pretty shocking things,” Eric explains. “I started to see some personal nude photos of myself in the mix of my professional ones being posted everywhere. It scared me right away and I couldn't fathom the thought of people who knew me best to come across it.” Now Eric is not exactly unblessed in the sexual department and he came to notice how people commented positively on those unwelcome publications, which eventually triggered him to think that maybe nude wasn’t so bad after all. As an experiment he snapped some candid shots of himself with a camera phone and posted them out there just to see what response he would get. Captured by the excitement Eric realised he was getting besides himself, losing himself in the process and slowly began to spiral more and more as time went on. Working hard on pursuing a career in music, he came to realize his name was being known more of my anatomy and less of my music. In a way he did appreciate it until people started to associate him with porn.

Professionally and candidly Eric Crawley’s photos are moments he captures. “People will take that moment and create their own idea and make something of it. My pictures maybe of me nude and "hanging" but that's pretty much what they are to someone who doesn't look at it as a whole. I know people will lust over my photos and or appreciate the energy it gives them among seeing it. I also experienced the discussions whether it would hurt my in my dreams of becoming a recording superstar.” At first this realization struck a huge cord in Eric’s heart. The last thing he wanted is his first love of music to be taken from him because of the photos I took. Though for Eric his music and his photos are two different things, he noticed not everyone could see it that way. But it was that single-mindedness that confused him most. “My music is overall about love and inspiration while my photos are more so in the fast world of sex appeal and edge. I don't want to confuse my fans and or audience and have them leave me because of my choices, but then again I am human and feel that it’s ok to have other outlets to express myself.”

For Eric Crawley art is art. And art is what he is about. His voice, his body, his face, his smile. And yes, even his sex. For Eric it is all a canvas. And so he made the bold decision to go back to what he believes expresses that most: photography that shows him at his most vulnerable while adding an element that he is in complete charge of himself. He contacted Calvin Brockington, shook of the limitations laid upon him by society and went native, back to square one. Eric knows that this choice will have consequences. He knows that once again people will contact him, asking and urging him to take it a step further. “I have already received a lot of emails and notices offering me to do porn because of my dick size and how it appeals to the masses throughout the Internet. One thing they fail to realize is that although my photos give that energy, I don't agree with doing porn.”  Eric has been offered great amounts of money but porn is not a world he aspires to get into. Eric Crawley is a human being who is not perfect but willing to take chances in life. His photos and his music are his way to express that. –BM-

Photography by Calvin Brockington.
To learn more about Eric Crawley’s music, visit his YouTube Music channel.

ERIC CRAWLEY | BEAUTIFULMAG
CALVIN BROCKINGTON | BEAUTIFULMAG

Swim Fan

THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO SPEND YOUR SUMMER HOLIDAYS. SOME LIKE TO TRAVEL TO EXOTIC COUNTRIES AND EXPLORE NEW EXCITING LANDSCAPES. OTHERS CAREFULLY PLAN THEIR TRIP THAT WILL TAKE THEM TO DIFFERENT CITIES WHERE THEY CAN ENJOY MUSEUMS, ARCHITECTURE, CONCERTS AND OTHER CULTURAL DELIGHTS. AND THAN THERE IS A LARGE GROUP WHO SIMPLY LIKES TO GO TO THE BEACH.

Many of us like to take it easy during the summer break. Going to the beach, hanging out with friends, soaking up the sun and playing in the water. In other words, pure relaxation and recharging the batteries. Now this seems like a simple vacation, but nothing could be further from the truth. It isn't easy to be a swim fan. First there is the choice of what beach to choose. You only do this once a year, so the choice has the be the right one. Then there is the question of what to do there. Some only need to select a stack of books that will help them through the day and that’s it. But for others it is a bit more complicated. The choice of shades, sun creams and, not to forget, what swimwear. Oh and let’s bring the camera. Yes gentlemen, it is that time of the year again.

Derek Allan Watson started his career as model in Cleveland, Ohio. His story is that one that many dream off. He simply went to a Chicago agency with barely any pictures behind him, met the right scout and signed a contract on the spot. Derek learned the ins and outs by working as a commercial and print model, until he recognized that he probably needed to relocate in order to find new amazing opportunities and challenges. And so, in 2009, he moved to New York City. Since then he has worked for a variety of photographers, has been featured in a number of publications including Ink Homme and Next Magazine and developed his talents in acting. Both off-Broadway, in short-films and on television, where he appeared in Saturday Night Life and Gossip Girl. Now New York seems hardly the place where you can show off your latest swimwear treasures but that didn’t stop Derek. He did it is front of Edwin Pabon’s camera.

Born and raised in New York City, Edwin Pabon began his career as a freelance stylist. He made a successful transition in photography after having studies the art at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Edwin discovered he mastered the ability to capture timeless provocative portraits as well and professional still life photographs for commercial corporations. Living by his self-claimed mantra Love and Joy, Edwin Pabon’s free spirited personality is the foundation of his success. That and his excellent taste in men and swimwear.

After growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey, Michael Psomas quickly sought out the fast pace life of NYC. While currently finishing his masters degree at the Manhattan College in business and PR, Michael has made quite the name for himself as fashion stylist. Now if you put Derek Allan Watson, Edwin Pabon and Michael Psomas together, you have the perfect mix for that ideal beach vacation. A great body, an exquisite feeling for fashionable swimwear and a skillful eye for capturing the right moment. Yes, with a trio like that, the summer vacations can’t go wring. –BM-

Derek is wearing (from left to right, top to bottom): Orlebad Brown from TAGG NYCna | Nasty Pig | Park & Ronen from TAGG NYC | a colorful inflatable beach ball | Sundeck by TAGG NYC | a great looking surfboard | Andrew Christian | T.Rains from TAGG NYC | Nasty Pig.

EDWIN PABON | BEAUTIFULMAG
MICHAEL PSOMAS | BEAUTIFULMAG
DEREK ALLAN WATSON | BEAUTIFULMAG