Beautiful

BeautifulMag Week 41-42 | Anxious Leaves

Once upon a time a little leaf was heard to sigh and cry, as leaves often do when a gentle wind is about. And the twig said, "What is the matter, little leaf?" And the leaf said, "The wind just told me that one day it would pull me off and throw me out in the sky!" The twig told it to the branch on which it grew, and the branch told it to the tree. And when the tree heard it, it rustled all over, and sent back word to the leaf, "Do not be afraid. Hold on tightly, and you shall not go till you want to." And so the leaf stopped sighing, but went on nestling and singing. Every time the tree shook itself and stirred up all its leaves, the branches shook themselves, and the little twig shook itself, and the little leaf danced up and down merrily, as if nothing could ever pull it off. And so it grew all summer long, till October.
For the past four years it has been our goal to find beautiful work from talented people and bring it to your attention. It has been our mission to discover new talented gay artists and give them the exposure they so deserve so that one day, they too, can spread their colorful wings and fly high up in the sky. Over the years we have met many people and made many friends. Most of them you have encountered here on our digital pages, and a large group of them you keep seeing back here. And now there will be BeautifulVision.

You probably read about it before. BeautifulVision is a joined venture of BeautifulMag and international publishing house Bruno Gmünder. It is a 260 page, full color, hard cover book edition, combining 37 of those friends and displaying what they do best: creating stunning art photography. Besides the fact that all royalties of this book will go to support Sidaction.fr, the French organization that invests in research and education against Aids/HIV, we also hope that Beautiful Vision will be another springboard for those featured in this first printed edition of BeautifulMag. Some of them already had their works published in print, but many never did, and that makes BeautifulVision a book you just can not miss. That makes BeautifulMag the strong tree, nurturing its leaves in golden sunlight and prepare them for that puff of wind that will surely come and take them from its branches, blowing them high up in the sky where they will be exposed in all their glorious colors to the rest of the world to see and enjoy. -B-

BEAUTIFULMAG | EVERYTHING THAT IS

This Is It

MICHAEL JACKSON, ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY BELOVED ENTERTAINERS AND PROFOUNDLY INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS OF ALL-TIME, IS NO MORE. BUT HIS MEMORY LEAVES AN INDELIBLE IMPRINT ON POPULAR MUSIC AND CULTURE. MICHAEL JACKSON IS DEAD, BUT HIS LEGEND LIVES ON. THROUGH HIS MUSIC.

The summer of 2009 characterizes itself unmistakably as the summer that Michael Jackson died. Michael Jackson’s extra ordinary career spans 42 years, in which he sold more then 750 million records worldwide. He has been recognized as being the most successful entertainer of all times and his music has changed the world. Now, 3 months after his sudden death, Michael Jackson will hit the charts once more with a brand new song and album.

On October 12th, This Is It, the first new Michael Jackson song to emerge since the world mourned the loss of this musical icon will be released  Soon to be followed by a two-disc album under the same title, featuring the music that inspired forthcoming film MICHAEL JACKSON'S THIS IS IT. Disc one will feature the original album masters of some of Michael's biggest hits arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film. The disc ends with two versions of the never-released This Is It. This song is featured in the film's closing sequence and includes backing vocals by Michael's brothers, the Jacksons. Disc two offers previously unreleased versions of some of the artist's classic tracks. This disc also features a touching spoken word poem from Michael Jackson entitled "Planet Earth" that has never been heard before.

The This Is It album will be available internationally on October 26th and North America on October 27th to coincide with the worldwide release of the motion picture which arrives in theaters on October 28th and runs for a limited two-week engagement. The motion picture MICHAEL JACKSON'S THIS IS IT will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena. Michael Jackson is no more, but his music will live forever. This is it. –B-

MICHAEL JACKSON | BEAUTIFULMAG

Thomas Synnamon | Leather & Lace

LOOKING AT THE FASHION TRENDS OF THE PAST FEW CENTURIES, IT IS ALMOST REGRETTABLE HOW COLORLESS OUR WAY OF DRESSING HAS BECOME. WHERE WE NOW CLOTH OURSELVES WITH JEANS AND T-SHIRTS, MEN ONCE USED TO DRESS MUCH MORE ADVENTUROUS AND – YES – WE DARE TO SAY SEXIER.

Leather. One of the oldest goods of mankind. The fact it is made of animal skin already implies the strength of the product. It is durable and strong, elastic and protective. Leather is the ultimate organic expression of pure masculinity.

Lace. A light-weighted, refined fabric, often created with open patterns that creates an even stronger emphasize on its delicate personality. Beautifully crafted it is mostly used for trimmings, ruffles and fringes and adds a unmistakable feminine touch to any piece of clothing or home decoration.

Leather and lace, so different in personality and together so strong in bringing the perfect harmony of masculinity with a soft edge. Something Thomas Synnamon understand as no other and masterly uses as a concept in one of his most recent series Leather & Lace. Posing his models in what has become characteristic for Thomas’ photographic work, and having them dressed with touches of leather and lace, Thomas has been able to create an ambiance of strong masculinity, sugar coated by a soft layer of femininity. The 21st century man, seen by Thomas Synnamon is anything but feminine and anything but butch. It is a man that has the dangerous look of a pure predator, able to seduce you with his kindness and softness. A dreamlike, sexual radiance.

Thomas Synnamon's leather & lace series is part of the first book he is about to publish with his work. By using strong athletic male models, that curve and bulge at all the right places, and are the manifestation of modern day male sexuality, Thomas has succeeded in creating a collection of portraits that have a strong editorial look but with a little edge and fun to it. It combines all Thomas has learned in his 4 years career as self-taught photographer. –B-

THOMAS SYNNAMON | BEAUTIFUL

The Wolfman

EVEN A MAN WHO IS PURE OF HEART AND SAY HIS PRAYERS BY NIGHT, MAY BECOME A WOLF. WHEN THE WOLFSBANE BLOOMS, AND THE AUTUMN NIGHT IS BRIGHT. – Old gypsy poem.

Lawrence Talbot’s childhood ended the night his mother died. After he left the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor, he spent decades recovering and trying to forget. But when his brother’s fiancée, Gwen Concliffe, tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns home to join the search. He learns that something with brute strength and insatiable blood lust has been killing the villagers, and that a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector named Aberline has come to investigate.

As he pieces together the gory puzzle, he hears of an ancient curse that turns the afflicted into werewolves when the moon is full. Now, if he has any chance at ending the slaughter and protecting the woman he has grown to love, Talbot must destroy the vicious creature in the woods surrounding Blackmoor. But as he hunts for the nightmarish beast, a simple man with a tortured past will uncover a primal side to himself… one he never imagined existed.

Inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, The Wolfman brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins. Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, a haunted nobleman lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes. Reunited with his estranged father, played by Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins, Talbot sets out to find his brother and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself.

The Wolfman , directed by Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III) will open in theaters on February 12, 2010. –B-

THE WOLFMAN | BEAUTIFUL

See Through Me

WHAT DO PORN, FASHION AND JEWELRY HAVE IN COMMON? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE. TAKE TWO INDEPENDENT MALE ADULT BRANDS AND A PORN ACTOR TO SHOWCASE THEIR PRODUCTS. ET VOILA. THE ULTIMATE MIX IS MADE. SEXY UNDERWEAR WITH SEXY ACCESSORIES ON A SEXY MODEL. IT IS THE PERFECT MARKETING MIX.

The world of pornography can hardly be described as being very fashion-conscious but in the eyes of 2 independent labels, Vizeau underwear and Esculpta jewelry, porn-stars like Alexy Tyler offer just the right attitude to showcase their work. So what does men's jewelry, sleek underwear, and porn really have in common? Creating unusual ways of presenting their work, as it seems to be perfectly in line with the mentality of the creations of these two labels, both of which have already demonstrated their innovative and highly original style approaches in their fields. A liberated and healthy view on sexuality and style as synonymous with the man of the future fuels the imagination behind both brands.

Vizeau is the company that proved a long time ago that one-legged jockstrap for men could not only be feasible - and incredibly sexy too, and Esculpta, the jewelry maker that succeeded in the challenge of removing the 'sleeze factor' from the words 'Cock Ring' in making this item into a classy and sensual piece of jewelry. The relationship between Vizeau and Esculpta goes back to 2007, when both teams first started discussing their common aesthetic grounds and discovered a synergy to build upon their original ideas. Since then they have been working on several projects (including this photoshoot) and are now preparing the launch of a brand-new label of unique risqué creations (which is still a secret until November 2009). Nikias, the chief designer from Esculpta describes the project to come as in effect being "equivalent to the men's bulge revolution". "Prior to Le CockRing, Le CockRing II and of the exciting new innovation we're unveiling in November," says Nikias, "items created for male enjoyment were usually purchased in a sleazy sex-shop with some embarrassment and conviction, so it was therefore a great challenge to re-design this enjoyable toy and make it as fine and as beautiful as to provide immense fun and elegance, if not pride to wear."

'See Through Me' is the name of Vizeau's new range featured in the shoot. The jewelry items featured and designed by Esculpta are not for sale, but were designed specifically and made-to-measure for the model to wear. They made this a fun and liberating couture jewelry experience for the Esculpta team. –B-

Photography by Michael Ching.

ESCULPTA | BEAUTIFULMAG
VIZEAU | BEAUTIFULMAG

BeautifulVision, The Men of BeautifulMag.eu

BEAUTIFUL. A WORD THAT PROVOKES MANY EMOTIONS. EVER SINCE HUMANS STARTED TO LIVE IN IN ANY KIND OF SOCIETY, BEAUTIFY AND THUS BEAUTIFUL HAS BEEN A DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN IMPORTANCE AND MEANING. AND NOW, SINCE FOUR YEARS, IT HAS BECOME SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT INDEED.

Since 2005 BeautifulMag, previously known as Beautiful, has created the opportunity to gay artists to present their talent. Like no other site, BeautifulMag has positioned itself as a platform, a window displaying a constant parade of stunning photography. Sometimes emotional, sometimes provocative, sometime sensual and sometimes just simply beautiful. Like no other site, BeautifulMag has been exploring the deeper thoughts and meanings of featured photographers, the concept behind the concept, the vision of the artist. And by doing so, BeautifulMag has become a concept by itself. An establishment, unique in its kind, that has made it possible for everyone to enjoy the vision of male beauty.

And now we are taking it one step further. For the first time in history you will be able to enjoy BeautifulMag in print. Not as a magazine, but as a book. And not just a book. No, it is a high quality photo book, 260 pages full of stunning portraits, a collection of 40 photographers that with their work represent what BeautifulMag is all about. Besides that, BeautifulVision, The Men of BeautifulMag.eu will contain many small paragraphs and anecdotes, the moments taken from four years of BeautifulMag, that makes the site what it is today.

BeautifulVision, The Men of BeautifulMag.eu will be available for purchase as of November 2009 (USA January 2010) but can already be pre-ordered. The royalties of BeautifulVision will go entirely to Sidaction, the 15 years old French organization active in the ongoing battle against AIDS/HIV, both scientific and social, on international level. -B-

Photos from top to bottom, left to right: Hotsnapz (cover) | Sandro Bross | Kevin Slack | Ethan James | Jerrad Matthew | Andre DeLoach.

BEAUTIFULVISION | BEAUTIFUL

Sylvain Norget's Rabbit's Foot

SYLVAIN NORGET HAS OVERCOME HIS BIGGEST FEAR SIMPLY BY FACING IT. AND HE DID THIS IN THE MOST LITERAL WAY. SYLVAIN SUFFERED FROM RABBIT PHOBIA AND DECIDED TO TAKE HIS FATE IN HIS OWN HANDS, COMBINING HIS FEAR WITH THE TWO THINGS HE DOES BEST, MODELING AND PHOTOGRAPHY.

Sylvain Norget’s The Naked Rabbit transformed from a self-imposed cure of leporiphobia into a very serious art photography project. Dressed in (almost) nothing but a rabbit mask, the model-turned-photographer modeled in front of his own camera in the most unexpected places and poses, and shot hundreds of photos of himself. The result is a large collection of self portraits. Some sensuous, some sexual, some intimate and some even scary. But all of them with the rabbit mask integrated. Sylvain fought his fear and by doing so he created a unique series of portraits, now beautifully assembled in a book publication, entitled TNRP The Naked Rabbit Project. A book that seems to have become Sylvain Norget's rabbit's foot.

But Sylvain Norget is more than the Naked Rabbit. At 34 years he can look back at a successful career in modeling, dancing and interior decorating. Skills and talents he now masterly combines in his unique self portraits, as well as in the work he does with others. Active in both fashion and artistic photography, Sylvain offers his services for portraiture and portfolio work. About his photography Sylvain says: "My work is simple. I have no messages. I just love doing pictures. I love people; I love faces. My pictures don’t tell a story – you can imagine one for sure, but it’s not my point. I just want to photograph…" And photographing is what he does. With style and with class. –B-

Discover The Naked Rabbit in Sylvain Norget’s book TNRP as well as in our anthology BeautifulVision, The Men of BeautifulMag.eu.

SYLVAIN NORGET | BEAUTIFULMAG
TNRP BLOGSPOT | BEAUTIFULMAG
TNRP | BEAUTIFULMAG