RisqueSommelier.com

Everyone loves the mysticism and magic associated with Fairies and certainly Risqué is no exception. In fact, Risqué only remembers during his earlier years there only being female fairies…you know…like Tinkerbell. Bart Dick undeniably uses his talent and imagination in creating the fabulous fairytale male pixie “Moonfairy”. Moonfairy appears to be working his magic by pointing his finger past his subject and spreading his magic dust. One wonders if the magic dust actually works or is it just his captivating long muscular physic, mythical elf like head, intricately beautiful wings or his prowess is what entrances his submissive subjects. As with most fairy-like creatures they are up to mischief and it is imaginable that Moonfairy is no different.

From drawings to paper cuttings, Bart expresses his emotions through all his amazing art. Check it out at www.mannenknipwerk.be/.

2005 Tenuta di Pietra Porzia Frascati Superiore Regillo

The label on this Frascati Superiore is what initially attracted Risqué’s eye but it was the dimension of the flavors that held his attention.

The lovely light golden hue swells with the HUGE scent of ripe pear, honeydew melon and billowous pink honeysuckle hinting at soft MAN musky notes. The body of this delight is light but again with HUGE wonderful citrusy acidity, succulent ripe white peaches and white pepper, and the perfumed taste of apples and cloves finishing into a LENGTHY almond finish.

The “Dioscuri” or the Youth’s of Zeus on the label are only a hint at the bright star that this lovely Italian table white is to the tongue. The delivery is so much greater than the expectation!

Risqué would say… .These twins are definitely GROWERS!

For those of you who loved Risqué Sommelier’s “Light on Dark” post December 28th of Ross Watson’s fabulous art, well he has some up and coming exhibits scheduled..

FORTHCOMING 2008 EXHIBITIONS

Melbourne: 24 January - 10 February

New Paintings, Photography, Edition Prints

Midsumma Festival Event

Ross Watson Gallery
465 Nicholson St., Carlton North

Sydney: 26 February - 8th March

New Paintings, Photography, Edition Prints

Mardi Gras Festival Event

Depot Gallery
2 Danks St, Waterloo

Portrait Andrea Doria, Agnolo Bronzino (1503-1572)

Bronzino was a known homosexual with many inferences to his homosexuality in his erotically spiced paintings and homoerotic sonnets. His lovers were both his Master Tutor Pontormo (1494 – 1557) who was also the student and probable boy lover of great Leonardo Da Vinci and later, his own younger pupil, Alessandro Allori (1535 – 1607) whom he adopted as his own son, a rather common arrangement between aristocratic men in sexual relationships in Renaissance Florence.

His gorgeous portrait of the infamous Andrea Doria (1466 – 1560), the renown Genoese Soldier of Fortune and Admiral as the God of the Sea, Neptune was not only fitting to Doria’s prowess but also fed Bonzino’s lust for the strong masculine form in his erotic but emotionless paintings. Doria is yet an aged but powerful and muscularly virulent man juxtaposed against the sturdy wooden mast and thick shafted trident grasped in his ruling hand which the viewer cannot help but to compare with the equivalent shaft of his manhood.

Risqué has long admired this delicious piece of homo art and can’t help but wonder if Bonzino had just a little “Hot Daddy” lust going on as he painted the bigger than life… Andrea Doria???

Daniel J. Skråmestø , Mixed Media on Canvas

There is nothing more beautiful than the nude male physic and Daniel J. Skråmestø captures not only that beauty but creates for the on-looker a hint of sexual arousal by the sensually provocative and vulnerable positions of his subjects. Daniel’s art is curious in that all his gorgeous muses are left anonymous… beauties without a face, only a memorable body and in some cases sans head… at least the one above the heart. Risqué finds the world often imitates his own extraordinary life…as is Daniel’s art, a parallel reflection of Risqué’s own delicious encounters where the exchange of names was replaced with quiet whimpers and sighs!

The artistic Daniel J. Skråmestø was born in 1973 and lives in Lisbon, Portugal. He studied in the Fine Arts Faculty of the University of Lisbon (FBAUL) 1992-96. The Graphic Designer has also a published writer one novel and one children’s book. Interesting enough Daniels artwork is based on pictures only found on the internet.

Pondering Daniel’s art… “Could it be the face does matter or do they all just look alike?”

The Ildefonso Group, Prado, Madrid

Loving the opportunity to share another two brothers, Risqué, in this wonderful engraving of Castor and Pollux, enjoys the homme sur l’homme. As the story goes, these twin brothers were sons of the immortal Zeus, who had changed himself into a beautiful swan and seduced the mortal Leda, the wife of the king of Sparta. Pollux and Castor just so happen to be the brothers (clutch mates) of Helen of Troy…you know, the Trojan War. Eventually, the brothers pursued two beautiful sisters who were already betrothed to suitors. The twins challenged and killed their rivals, but Castor was mortally wounded.

Risqué can’t help but think that they would have been better off pursuing the suitors instead of the sisters. Si tragique! Remember that… Suitors not Sisters!!!

However, filled with “incestuant” love and overcome with grief, the immortal Pollux couldn’t bear being apart from his brother (who had taken up residence in Hades…) so in the end, Z daddy placed both their immortal souls together in the sky as symbols of “brotherly” love. The hatched “youths of Zeus” ultimately became known as the two bright stars that form the heads of the constellation of eternal gaiety, Gemini found in the nighttime skies.

In history the Romans called the stars the “Twin Brethren”, in Egypt they were called “Horus the Elder and Horus the Younger”, in Babylon they were the “Great Twins” and in China they were called “Yin and Yang”.

In Risqué’s mind they are called… more than just …a little gay!

Ross Watson “After Caravaggio” Oil on Board

Risqué just loves Ross Watson’s delicious body of work and especially “After Caravaggio”. Already adoring Caravaggio is a good start but Ross brings this into a contemporary genre by contrasting the classical realism against the modern images and mimics the Light on Dark tenebrous classic technique in his erotically charged works.

Ross’ international renowned and collected works provoke the viewer (voyeur) almost to an emotional connection with the subjects and effortlessly tie the classically referenced work to the modern insertion, seemingly with the same thoughts and feelings and more as if the artist’s subjects are peering out from their dimension and actually viewing the viewer. For additional stimulation, visit Ross’ extensive body of work at the Ross Watson Gallery. Risqué could certainly be caught imbibing in a vin de jour and gazing into the eyes of Ross’ licentious blue eyed, dark and lovely “guardian angel” and contemplating his heavenly aggressions.

Matthew Stradling – Angel – Oil on Canvas

Highly collectible, Matthew Stradling, a renowned British artist has made Risqué do a double take over his beautiful erotic bejeweled angels. While Risqué, a lover and follower of the ecclesiastical male figure, adores the way Matthew has fabulously captured the angel’s lithe body and divine innocence. Risqué can’t help but want one (or two) for Christmas.

Matthew’s art is a part of many collections around the world and Risqué is honored to feature Matthew’s work for all his lushes to celebrate.

Dennis Dean - Photographer

Risqué has in fact been known to occasionally tug on the fruit of the vine and gaze intently at magnificently chiseled men. Risqué can’t help but feel that the “objet d’arte” in the photograph looks as if he would rather have someone else plucking his grapes. Risqué would love to play dress-up as the laborer at harvest time.

As grapes are the fruit of the gods, Dennis Dean is truly a cornucopia of talent among photographers. In “Male Nude with Grapes” he captures the plausible beauty of the lusty male physique. Internationally known, Dennis Dean uses dramatic contrast lighting and the watchful fascination of the subject to cause the spectator to intently focus on the fruit of the vine, the cluster of grapes. All of Dennis’ photography incites a provocative perspective and can be seen at DennisDean.com. Besides being the Creative Director of Window Media’s 411 Magazine, Express News and additional métier, Dennis Dean is not so bad on Risqué’s eyes himself.

Risqué says “life is too short so pluck grapes when ever the moment arises!!!”

Edmé Bouchardon (French, 1698–1762)

Fauns have always piqued the imagination of Risqué and particularly this blatantly homoerotic Hunk-o-Chunk, Block-o-Beefcake, Stud-o-Stone…

Fauns or as the Ancient Greeks referred to them in their mythology, Satyrs, half human and half goat creatures whose devotion was to the god of wine, Dionysus (Bacchus). Throughout the history of art these mischievous and raucous creatures can be seen drinking and cavorting with men and usually in a perpetual state of arousal… disappointedly, unlike our favorite sleeping faun.

The life sized sculpture is Edmé Bouchardon’s (French, 1698–1762) marble copy, gracing the Louvre in Paris, of the original ancient Hellenistic Barberini Faun, now in the Glyptothek museum in Munich. Little is known about its origin or creator as the statue was found in the 1620’s at the Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome. The piece was submitted for restoration in 1628 and had been severely damaged, missing parts of both hands, legs and feet. Historical documents note that in 537AD during the siege of Rome, statues that had adorned the Castel (previously Hadrian’s Mausoleum) were thrown down on the invading Goths and given the location of it’s discovery it is presumed that this was the origin of the damage.

The uniqueness of this ancient work is in its overt sexuality… as the faun lies upon a panther skin on the rocks with his legs slung deliberately open drawing the admirer’s attention into its sexual embrace.

Risqué most specifically adores the silent but unmistakable expression of ecstasy, forever captured on the face of his beautiful fantasy faun.