Photos: Venfield8
I've never considered the dick pic a form of art, but then again, most guys don't have Venfield8 snapping shots of their schlong. The mysterious Los Angeles-based artist has made a name for himself creating a brand of striking, sexually-charged imagery that evince his roots in luxury fashion photography. So how did he go from working with clients like Perry Ellis and Town & Country to taking phallic glamour shots?
"About four years ago, I had a friend who decided to go into the adult industry. He asked if I could take some shots of him with a hard-on," Venfield8 told Out, and the rest is history. His friend landed an agent, who kept asking him who took his "head" shots, with the intention of publishing them. Not wanting to upset his conservative clients, he came up with a catchy pseudonym.
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"When I lived in London, I lived off a private courtyard park called Venfield, just like in the movie Notting Hill," he explained. "And I have always liked the number 8—it is the symbol of infinity. So really, I just pulled it out of thin air, but I think as far as pseudonyms go, it’s pretty good. I could have said Joe Smith, but it isn't nearly as fun. And it just took off.
"Within three months I had an exhibition at a gallery, and people were really intrigued by the name—was it a person, a label, or what? It's all those things, and it's just me. But now it is more than just a name, it’s an expectation, it’s a way of seeing the world, it’s a brand."
Click through the gallery for more of Venfield8's photos, as well as his thoughts on what makes an image sexy, the fear of the penis in mainstream society, and the singular ability of a naked man's image to transfix.
OUT: Can you speak to the role sex and sexuality play in your work?
Venfield8: Honestly, sex is never in the top three in terms of things I am addressing in my pictures. I know that may be surprising because of all the nudity, but my work isn't porn. The intent is never to arouse. If, as a by-product, the viewer is aroused, fine, but that is never the intent. I am really only interested in sexiness as a currency that is used to make a point. Americans have this knee-jerk reaction to nudity and immediately mesh it with sexual acts. I find that interesting. I photograph nude men because there are so few things out there that elicit the same confused and varied reactions.
What is the major theme or idea you strive to get across as an artist?
I try to always instill a sense of playfulness and confidence into my work. The model should always project a sense of being in control and confident—even when allowing for some vulnerability. But never shame. All these pictures on the web where models try to be sexy while hiding their genitals—it seems so contrived and banal. I never want to take those pictures. Showing your genitals isn't always appropriate, but enough with the duck lips and the come-hither looks.
Confidence and directness is so much more interesting and sophisticated. When people look at my pictures, they are peering into my world, and that world is diverse, confident, and fun. It is also very chic and sometimes glamorous. I try to make my images about something more profound than just pretty models. I try to direct the viewer's eye and show them my world. I invite them in. In that way, I hope my pictures inspire people. As my platform has grown I realize what a responsibility and a privilege it is. I am so lucky to be an artist that people pay attention to.
What is the sexiest part of a man? And is that your favorite to photograph?
Venfield8: I don't know if I could name just one part that is the sexiest. On different people, it is different things. And anyway, what I find sexy has so little bearing on what makes it into an image. I don't create images to turn myself on, nor really, anyone else for that matter. When models come to me and say, "I just want to look sexy," I direct them to other photographers. There are a lot of other photographers out there that can do that for them. It’s not very hard taking sexy pictures of someone who is sexy. There is no challenge, and it gets so boring after a while. If my pictures are sexy, it’s not because the models have perfect bodies or are trying to be—it is because they are confident in showing themselves. And that is sometimes harder to capture.
In terms of parts that I like to photograph, you would be hard pressed to come up with something with as much power and baggage as a penis. There is just something in our society that has deemed this funny, flappy organ with so much intrigue, interest, and emotion. Having it in a photograph telegraphs so much to the viewer—and the artist has very little control about how it will be received. Viewers bring their own emotional connotations to it—and it can tangibly change a photograph in ways nothing else can. It is fascinating to see people's reactions. Fear, nervousness, laughter, arousal—it runs the gamut. It is so mysterious and powerful, that I use it to provoke and get attention. And yet faces are the most intrusive and interesting thing to capture. They say primitive cultures thought the act of taking someone's picture resulted in seeing into or taking some of their soul. With faces, I am not entirely convinced that is untrue.
Do you have a favorite photo? Or a favorite model?
Venfield8: I really don't. As I look back on the images, I am reminded of certain moments or feelings I had at the time of the shoot—and that is always comforting, but they all mean something different to me. And I know it sounds insincere, but whomever is in front of my camera at the time is my favorite. I am putting all my energy into the connection and creation of an image with this person, the whole world is in that moment and I am only concentrating on them. It’s like a little crush—you really have to feel it. And when a model “gives" themselves to me—puts themselves into that position where they trust me—and we start to collaborate, that is the magic.
Venfield8: When I started shooting as VENFIELD8 I made a pact with myself to only work with people that I like. Because that was not the case with my fashion career and life is too short. If I am going to do this, it will be only with people I would want to spend time with ordinarily, no matter how beautiful or famous or whatever. So I am very lucky to have the luxury of only working with people I like.
Should there be more nudity in fashion, particularly male nudity, whether it be on the runway or in magazines and ads?
I am a proponent of all nudity, male and female. It is so much more accepted to have a nude female model in a fashion story because it can be so chic and so intimate and sophisticated. It is the same for men, though most mainstream magazines shy away from it, capitulating to our society's various hang-ups about naked men. But years ago, YSL (under Tom Ford) did a fragrance ad featuring a full frontal shot of a model in black and white. It was an homage to the famous shot from the 70s featuring Yves himself, and it was so chic and so beautiful. But it only ran in Europe. So it can be done, and be done tastefully and with a great impact, but most advertisers and the general public are not yet sophisticated enough. But of course it must be done judiciously, otherwise it becomes commonplace and boring. So the tide is turning, if very slowly.
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