Marc DeBauch is undoubtedly the master of gay erotic art
Marc DeBauch – the name that anyone interested in gay (or queer) erotic art will immediately recognise.
“One of the most frequently asked questions I get asked is – Where do you get your ideas? I need only look at my hard dick for that answer. If I see something that turns me on enough, I will paint or draw it. Sometimes it’s just the wrinkles on the sheets next to a naked man on a bed, or the backlit glow of hair, on a muscular leg, torso or crotch.
Or maybe it is sunlight reflecting on the water and casting bright sparkles on a muscled man wading in the ocean.
My nude models serve as my best inspiration. I also have a photographic memory, and some of my memories become visions I feel obsessed with sharing with the rest of the world. Painting the male figure is a meditation for me. I worship every millimeter of skin, every hair, and every muscle with my brush.
My models are often friends and lovers. I work using oils on canvas, graphite pencils or gouache on paper. My subject content can range from subtle classical nudes to pornographic images of men in sexual ecstasy. I create sensual and erotic images to illustrate the mysterious, the occult, and the forbidden.
I especially enjoy adding humour to homosexuality, politics, religion and icons. Peter Paul Rubens, George Quaintance, Paul Cadmus and Tom of Finland are among the artists who continue to influence my work.”
When did you discover and start to explore your passion for art?
I started drawing and painting when I was three years old. Before I was five, I remember creating a crayon drawing of the Sinking of the Titanic on the rough plaster of the living-room wall of my parents’ house. It was impossible to remove. My parents weren’t happy with me, but after that they provided me with enough art materials to pursue my creative interests without destroying their home.
When did you start specialising in painting naked men and creating erotic art?
It was over 30 years ago that I started painting male nudes and selling them in a local gay bookstore. In 1995, I entered two paintings in the Tom of Finland Foundation’s Emerging Erotic Artists Contest. I won first place. This opened the door for my art career, as I was immediately approached by galleries and magazines that wanted to feature my art.
This gave me the confidence and notoriety to exhibit and sell my work at erotic art fairs and gay events. At that time, the internet was emerging. My friend Andrew created a website for me, a fantastic tool to get my art out to people worldwide.
To be continued
Marc De Bauch is one of many other gay/queer artists presented on this site. For more, please click HERE
