Category Archives: News

Propaganda ~ Inauguration and Exhibition at Taiwan Photo

On 4th October 2012 my artwork series “Propaganda” was inaugurated at the VIP preview of Taiwan Photo, staged in Taipei, Taiwan.  Photographs of the inauguration can be seen via this link and additional photographs of the Taiwan Photo Art Fair can be viewed via this link, both of which are albums shown on my official Facebook page.  The series consists of 12 artworks, each depicting a nude figure (6 female and 6 male), upon which propaganda posters of the period in question have been super-imposed.  Each figure is depicted against a representational back-ground of photographic/graphic origin.  Each artwork is available as an edition of 4. Measuring approximately 100cm on the longest edge (depending upon the artwork in question).  Specific details are shown on the image above.

The series is a unique way of presenting the influential imagery and messages used by the government to influence the thinking and mind-set  of the population of the People’s Republic of China during the respective periods.  A full explanation of the series in the form of PDF documents, can be found via these links: Propaganda (English) and Propaganda (Chinese).

Subsequent to Taiwan Photo, the artworks will exhibit be the subject of gallery exhibitions in Taiwan, and subsequently at public Museums in both Taiwan and Mainland China.  The series will also be exhibited at selective gallery venues in Singapore and Hong Kong.

The full series can be viewed in high-resolution HERE.

Artwork Previews Now Available via Tumblr.com

I have just created a new Tumblr blog entitled “Imaginism”, wherein you will find previews of my as yet unreleased artworks. The link to this blog is: http://photoconception.tumblr.com/.

These same works can be viewed in my closed Facebook group of the same name, the link to which is: http://www.facebook.com/groups/imaginism/. If you are in my friends list, and would like to be added to my Imaginism Facebook group, please message me with the request.

Enjoy!

Yakuza ~ A Unique Photographic Novel

Yakuza ~ the novel

Yakuza ~ the novel

Yakuza ~ the novel

Yakuza

An Erotic Photo Novel

By Thomas Hodges and M.Christian

 

Yakuza is truly unique project about two people, a man and a woman, who, at first, felt torn between two worlds, but who come to understand – though their passion, their sexuality, the meeting of the their souls and spirits — that where they first saw conflict and isolation that there is actually a power in becoming the best of their separate worlds.

Alan is a man with the land of his birth, France, on one side and on the other his life as Yakuza, a member of Japanese organized crime.  Gaining the trust of a local family boss, his Yakuza Oyabun, he has risen through the ranks by his ruthlessness and his coolly calculating intelligence.  But no matter how high he rises within his crime family, his foreign birth will always keep him away from being truly accepted: Alan, no matter what he does or how well he does it, will always be the outsider.  That is, until he meets Natsuki, and he will understand that he is, and will always be, a part of something: the land of himself.

Natsuki is a woman caught in the strange domain where, on one side, she is Japanese, and so must be demure, polite, and most of all respectable, and on the other her own heated desires.  Her world was a one of simple colors, of a life mapped out and planned by the culture she was born into.  But then comes Alan, the exotic, the strange, the different, and she becomes enraptured by him and the colors running over his body in the form of his traditional Yakuza tattoos.  And with his colors, and his passion, will come for her a way to bridge her desires as well as her role in society.  With Alan will come a way for her to use him to paint her own unique canvas of life.

Yakuza, too, is a book that is also the best of both worlds: a project that straddles the visual and the literary, the photographic and the linguistic, the voyeuristic and the immersive.  Yakuza is a story, told with photographs – or a novel illustrated with images.

Created by famed photographic artist Thomas Hodges, and renown erotic author M.Christian, Yakuza is a beautiful, striking, and most of all, poignant work of sex, sensuality and passion.  Yes, Yakuza is explicit and erotic, but beyond the passion of its characters and its artist and writer, Yakuza is a work that does in its execution what its characters do within it: they show that despite differences, the gap between photographs and words, there is power and beauty in creating something with the strength of the two.

In Yakuza, Alan and Natsuki learn to be together, in their lives as well as their cultures, instead of apart — and so do Thomas Hodges and M.Christian demonstrate that the imagery of photography and the immersive nature of literature can also combine to create something special and truly memorable.

 

Thomas Hodges, a British national, currently residing in Italy, specializes in the art-nude and erotic-nude genres, but also produces a limited amount of work in abstract, architecture and landscape. Commercially, Thomas works in the Fashion and Beauty sectors, although this is progressively being replaced by his work in the movie industry, shooting film stills.

In 2006, Thomas founded the art movement “Imaginism”, primarily to encapsulate his own style of imagery. Regardless whether the image be that of the naked female form, an architectural monument, an urban or rural landscape of an unidentifiable abstraction, apply your imagination to see beyond what your eyes first behold!

More detailed information about Thomas Hodges can be read at Wikipedia.

His Official Website

His Commercial Website

 

M.Christian is – among many things – an acknowledged master of erotica with more than 300 stories in such anthologies as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica, Best Lesbian Erotica, Best Bisexual Erotica, Best Fetish Erotica, and many, many other anthologies, magazines, and Web sites.

He is the editor of 25 anthologies including the Best S/M Erotica series, The Burning Pen, Guilty Pleasures, The Mammoth Book of Future Cops and The Mammoth Book of Tales of the Road (with Maxim Jakubowksi) and Confessions, Garden of Perverse, and Amazons (with Sage Vivant) as well as many others.

He is the author of the collections Dirty Words, Speaking Parts, The Bachelor Machine, Licks & Promises, Filthy, Love Without Gun Control, Rude Mechanicals, and Coming Together Presents M.Christian; and the novels Running Dry, The Very Bloody Marys, Me2, Brushes, and Painted Doll.

More detailed information about M.Christian can be read at Wikipedia

His Official Website

National No Panties Day ~ all in a good cause!

CC Wang supports National No Panties Day

May 26th 2011 marks the second annual “National No Panties Day” (NNPD) ~ “A Bit Risqué for those at Risk!” All funds raised are in support of a charity for battered women and children.

Actress and model CC Wang is supporting this event, and on that day, she is planing a sponsored photo-shoot. She’s now seeking sponsors. In return for the sponsorship, she will do a full one day photo-shoot in a variety of “risqué” outdoor locations (and she says “feel free to make suggestions!”).

You will be able to donate directly to the charity in question, so no problem in making sure the monies reach the people who need it. She will post info on how to donate in due course.

The full portfolio will then be posted online, and all of my sponsors will receive a private link for where they can not only view the portfolio, but also download any of the high-resolution images for printing.

So, if you are interested to support this event, leave a comment to let me know and I’ll send you details of how to donate once they are available.  You can also check-out her Facebook page, where she will be posting additional information. You can also see a portfolio entitled “Inspirations for National No Panties Day”, just to give you an idea of what’s in store! By the way, all the images in that portfolio were shot be yours truly! ;-)

Be generous, it’s all in a good cause :)

Freedom of the arts on Facebook!

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Foto-Verona, dream or reality?

Without any doubt whatsoever, Italy is far behind numerous other European Countries when it comes to the subject of photographic art.  The culture in Italy is such that contemporary arts in general lag behind, compared to the likes of U.K. France, Germany and Spain (to name but a few).  However, when we talk of photographic art, the situation is much worse, with photography generally not being perceived as an artform by most members of the Italian public.

There are many reasons for this, not least of all education at an early age, and of course culture as a whole, with fine arts in Italy being very  focused on historic tradition and the grand masters.  This however, is something that the Country would like to change, and efforts are being made to some extent, and art galleries specialising in Fine Art Photography can be found, albeit limited in number.  There is also also the Centre for International Photography (FORMA) based in Milan, which one could generally consider as comparable to the International Centre of Photography (ICP) in New York City.

This is a situation that to some extent also exists in Japan, although this said, Japanese people are huge fans of photography, simply once again, it has been slow to find recognition as an artform.  That is why the Tokyo Photo art fair, first launched in September 2009, was a major step forward in this domain, and despite some difficulty in finding financial support for the initial show, the 2010 show has gone on to be a major international success.

It is my belief that Italy would benefit greatly from hosting its own international photographic art fair and that such a show could and would prove to be a major success.  With this in-mind, I am developing a collaborative association between my one Company “Expo?Art”, and local Italian partners, with a view of establishing and hosting the very first “Fiera Internazionale  d’Arte Fotografica” in Verona, Italy.  Whilst at first glance Verona may not seem like an obvious choice, geographically it is excellently situated, sitting at approximately the half-way point between Milan and Venice, and with the advantage that the city itself is rich in culture and historical interest, notably the house and tomb of Juliet, from which Shakespeare’s famous play is derived.  Aside from this, Verona also benefits from the presence of the Scavi Scaligeri International Photography Museum, which is uniquely housed underground, amidst the remains of Roman stone roads and mosaic floors.

At this juncture, much depends upon the vision and support of the Regione del Veneto, but already a suitable venue has been identified, situated very near to the Verona Exhibition Centre, all within easy reach of Verona’s international airport.

This project is still in the early stages at this moment, but is evolving quickly, so watch this space for further updates. Additionally, feel free to comment here-under, as your input is greatly appreciated, especially if you happen to be an art gallery specialising in photography, and even more so if you habitually participate in the numerous international art fairs. Alternatively, if you would like to e-mail me directly, please feel free to do so.

Artwork Info

the official website of photographic artist Thomas Hodges

The artworks page of my website has been recently updated, to incorporate an information link immediately beneath the thumbnail of the artwork series.  That link will take you to the blog posting of the series in question, wherein you will find full details and information on that specific artwork series.

My artworks are currently undergoing an inventory check and update, so some of the links are as yet not live, but all will be updated during the course of the coming weeks.  Earlier series that have not be featured previously on my blog, will of course now be featured, so effectively, this blog will become the principal source of information for all artworks I produce.

I have numerous new artworks series pending release, so watch-out also as they are listed both here and on my official website (the link to which is now shown to the right of this post).

I believe this change will facilitate my artwork collectors (both existing a future) by providing them with an immediate source of information on all of my artworks, both technical and inspirational.  Of course, prices are not given, but are available immediately upon request.  Kindly note that I do not sell my artworks directly, as in loyalty to my agents, dealers and representing galleries, all purchase enquiries are communicated to a representative.  The only exception to this is in regard to benefit sales and the like, which are administered on a case-by-case basis.

Enjoy my work and thank you for your continued support, which as a full-time professional artist, is greatly appreciated!

The Works! ~ New Photo Blog on Tumblr

I have just started a new Photo Blog on Tumblr, which is a selection of images taken from my various artwork series, editorial series and my archives.  Stop-by and take a look and be sure to subscribe if you want to keep updated on the regular posts:  The Works!  CLICK HERE

140 Hours Art Auction via Twitter

I currently have five artworks available for purchase via New York City based 140 Hours Art Auction, which sells uniquely via the platform of Twitter. 140 Hours are celebrating their 1st Anniversary, and I shall be continuing an ongoing association with them throughout 2011.

The five works that I currently have with them can be found HERE.  Opening bid prices are very competitive, so this is potentially a great opportunity to acquire one or more of my works at below market value!

Personal Interview in the WACCM TOO Group on LinkedIn

On 8 July 2010 in the WACCM TOO Group on LinkedIn, I gave a personal interview to group owner and moderator Mikkel Madsen. To read the full interview in PDF format, CLICK HERE.