With Love – Gay Artists on the Boyfriends They’ve Captured

February 15, 2017

Share this with your TEAM:

There should be a sixth love language—one that trumps all the rest (unless, of course, it’s a moneyed Justin Trudeau type telling us “Stop working. Here’s my undying devotion and unlimited cash flow. Go do with it what you will.”)

We’ll call this sixth love language the Art of Adoration. You’ve heard it in the most timeless of love songs, or noticed it hung proudly in museums. To be more precise, you’ve felt it. It’s an artist’s rendering of a lover, often their muse. When the connection and trust between two people runs deep, the art that arises is at its most thoughtful. Bystanders are treated to a privileged perspective, where an identity isn’t just exposed more freely but captured more faithfully.

If intimacy is harder to come by for gay men, many of us walled in by years of society-sparked fears and insecurities, then the art produced between lovers becomes an even more fascinating study. Undeniably, the rarity of such love-spawned gay art becomes a source of inspiration.

While we’re still waiting for that special someone to make a masterpiece out of our man parts (or to write sweet Sheeran-like nothings about us in song), TEAM lives and loves vicariously through the following artists who’ve immortalized their significant others in the most significant of ways.

Illustrator Eldridge Que on Gino

“I remember when we started dating, I wanted to surprise him by drawing a portrait of him, but it never happened because i just couldn’t capture his ‘essence’ on paper. Although now, it seems a lot easier to draw him as I am familiar with his physique and know what personality I am translating onto the paper. (Laughs) He knows he looks good so I don’t need to concentrate on any part specifically for his sake. Although, I like staring at his face, so I probably end up working that part up more than the rest. I’m such a lucky guy.”

Filmmaker Petersen Vargas on Shin

“My boy, with love. I couldn’t choose just two, of course.”

Artist Jay Yao on [Name of Husband Withheld]

“I photographed a yearbook photo of him at 13. A representational portrait is something I’ve never been intrested in when it comes to capturing his essence. I have a few photos like that in Art Fair but in an artificial neural network style where he’s completely indistinguishable. We met in our early 20s but the more time we spend—we’re celebrating 13 years together this year—the more ways we imprint each other’s memories.”

Illustrator Mano Gonzales on Jan

“We were hanging out one weekend two years ago and I asked if I could take a photo of him. I didn’t tell him I was gonna draw him so I surprised him with this little sketch. I don’t get to sketch him often but if I do, I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself since I can freely draw him. He’s a photographer so we usually have conversations about how we can push our crafts further. I like his eyes so that’s one part I concentrated on.”

Photographer Bardo Wu on Jake

“I’ve always wanted to photograph Jake in the buff. I mean I have, but just stolen shots, and not like this. One day, I just asked him if I could and he agreed right away. No questions asked.

When I hit 26 last year, I looked around me and realized that so much had changed. I suddenly became aware—and this happens to me quite a lot—of how fast time flies, how beauty fades. This shoot was my way of making sure I don’t forget the little details—the curves, crevices, and textures—of the man I love. I wanted to preserve an image of his present self for our future selves, and do so in an artful way.

To anybody else this is just a man’s naked back and a butt crack, but I know these were taken on my bed, that those are my sheets and my bedroom wall, and that’s my man. I remember how comfortable he was getting completely naked for me, and while I was taking his pictures. It doesn’t seem like much, but it means a great deal to me. That level of trust and intimacy doesn’t come easy with many people.”