y birth in Oak Park, Illinois preceded the first atom bomb, dropped at the end of World War II, by a few days. My parents originally wanted me to be a minister, but they settled for lawyer, glad that I wasn’t going to insist on being an artist. That, they thought, was impossible. Worse, it was QUEER. (Of course, we now know how many ministers are actually queer too:-) In any event, I went to the University of New Mexico, skied, and incidentally got a BA in Political Science thinking I’d go into politics. (Of course, we know about them too.) Then I got “serious” and went to Northwestern University for a law degree. I figured that if I couldn’t do what I wanted to do – at least I’d make some money. Afte five years of trial law with a Chicago / Washington DC firm I called Wasp, Wasp, and Wasp, I wanted to move onto something more creative. Five more years as a lawyer for Columbia Pictures in New York did not satisfy that longing. One Monday morning, walking down the beach at Fire Island after calling my office with an excuse for not being there, I decided to stay at the beach. Forever. I thought that since this might be my only life, I would spend it as an artist, after all. I made large abstract constructions, often with windows to the sky. The world was kind to me; I did not starve. I moved to Los Angeles with my lover, David. My work was given wide exhibition and I was given a fair share of corporate commissions. Then AIDS struck. We were all dying; David died in 1988. I decided that if time were short, I had a few words to say about us. So I made some very gay sculpture drawings and photographs. An art dealer friend suggested that I show my photographs and arranged to include me in a show of nudes at G Ray Hawkins in Los Angeles. That led to the publication of my first book, OUT OF THE STUDIO in 1991. As they say, “who knew.” Suddenly I was a photographer with a best- seller and a multi-book contract with St. Martin’s Press in New York. The world was kind to me again; I did not die. Instead, I spent the next 15 years producing 12 books of photographs, one with a philosophic essay, IN DEFENSE OF BEAUTY, and one with autobiographical prose poems, MEN I’VE LOVED. In my book, IN THE STUDIO, I explored the issues of art vs. pornography. I also spent these years raising money to finance the development of a new AIDS therapy. In addition, I participated in the making of three erotic film documentaries about my work. The first was THE POOL The last two – ON THE COUCH – documented the making of a two volume book set on our sexual energy titled ‘ON THE COUCH, Volumes 1 and 2′. I live in Palm Springs where one can get by with very little in the way of clothes. That of course, serves my work. I’ve been on a non stop nine and a half year trip of relationships with lovers that has, in the middle of this year, run it’s course. Now I’m in the process of assimilating the lessons learned with/from each past partner with a view toward how to make the rest of my life happy – which is how I believe we were meant to be. So far so good. You will see a lot about the past, present and — perhaps future of this journey… Just take a look on some pictures of his work. You must underestand that was not so easy for us to find pictures easy to be pubblished in a blog without sexual content even if they are artistic. But we think that the pictures below gives you an idea of this tallented person. Of course we invite you to visit Mr. Biachi’s website (at the link below) or check his books.
www.tombianchi.com
EROTIC TRIGGERS by Tom Bianchi
If you’re familiar with Tom Bianchi’s work, you already know that there’s very little – if any – separation between his personal and professional lives; a fact that’s very apparent in his latest work, Erotic Triggers: What Turns Us On. Professional detachment has no place in his work; neither does the fantastical, scrubbed-of-reality look so prevalent in other erotic male photography books. Unlike the young shorn twinks and over-pumped “athletes” so popular in gay photography today, Bianchi’s men are generally older, much more natural looking- and much more hirsute. It’s definitely a look – and style – that doesn’t “do it” for everyone, but if it works for you, you’ll be in heaven.Erotic Triggers is an exploration by the famed photographer into the things that turn us on – fetishes, although as he points out in the introduction, that term has a slightly negative association that’s not necessarily accurate. The book is also a look into Bianchi’s mind, since he makes appearances throughout. Beautifully shot and well produced (it is a Bruno Gmunder title, after all), it might not be as “artistic” as some other coffee table books of the genre, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less interesting – or erotic. Aside from photographs of beautiful men in various states of dress, arousal and situations, Erotic Triggers features short essays; descriptions of things that turn us on. And although at times the just-slightly contrived (“Look at us, we’re exploring our fantasies and having fun! Aren’t you jealous?”) stye can be a bit much, (or as Simon would say, “It’s a bit indulgent…”), so long as you know what to expect, you’ll be happy. Bruno Gmunder, 120 pages. In bookstores for about $53; less at amazon.com
