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February 1, 2006
Calling this a history of Russia's gay culture seems a bit far-fetched
What makes the Bulla photographs particularly striking, and may cast light on the disappearance of Karl Bulla and the exile of Victor, is the unadulterated campness of many of the works.
The Guardian reports on the uncovering of a lost archive of early 20th century "private albums of photographs for body-conscious men and women" (with emphasis - at least in this article - on the men). Some additional shots from the archive, with a couple of "contemporary reinterpretations", the inclusion of which I don't really understand. (My cynical brain imagines curator Valery Katsuba refusing to release the contents of the archives unless his own work is exhibited alongside it.)
Calling this sort of meathead photography "homoerotic" is like finding lesbian undertones in the Russian woman's stereotypical fondness for uber-girly adornment and exaggerated form (super-pointy shoes, death-defying stilettos, and so on). Can't people just admire physique?
Also: "Muscle Maryas". Russian themes do so invite obviousness, do they not?
Posted by michele at February 1, 2006 12:43 AM
Comments
I'm glad you question the "homoerotic" designation too; I was thinking it-ain't-necessarily-so, also, but I think I am in general disinclined to find hidden meanings in things.
(I share your bewilderment over the inclusion of the "modern reinterpretations," too.)
Posted by: Michael S. at February 1, 2006 3:23 AM
I really like this blog - makes me miss Russia so much, which is not essentially a good thing mind you.
Anyway, have linked you...
Posted by: RuKsaK at February 2, 2006 6:34 AM
Oh, thanks. One thing I noticed a while after I started my blog is that a lot of people alphabetise their links list and so blogchik ends up near the top. Not my intention, I promise. I guess I could take it even further and precede the name of my next blogging venture with five or six zeros, to ensure eternal links list supremacy...
Posted by: Michele at February 2, 2006 11:35 AM
Kostia and I were watching "Return of the King" on DVD and I was joking about how Sam and Frodo's relationship is so homoerotic and that the Americans with whom I watched it the first time felt the same way. And Kostia was like, "Don't Americans believe in friendship"? It's like, our prurient little minds are always looking for these hidden meanings that may or may not be there.
Posted by: Megan at February 4, 2006 8:12 AM