I have been honoured with a feature article in FALO Magazine. This Brazilian mag features gay artists that emphasise the male form. (It's published in Portuguese BTW) Issue #14 is free download from: www.falomagazine.com. FB / IG: @falomagazine.
The works they chose for the article cover a broad spectrum of my art practice, from body paint to landscape and gender identity.
Thanks also go to the many patient guys that have modelled for me over the years.
Three examples of the 19 images that FALO magazine have published in the article.
FALO Magazine: translation of the article
Being almost literally the only gay in his small conservative Tasmanian village in the 60/70’s was no particular joy, so at the first opportunity, Rod Spark escaped to Adelaide, South Australia. His desire to explore other cultures eventually took him on a five-year journey around 50 countries to find incredible landscapes and cultural experiences.
With a background in Biological Sciences and Technology – and after many jobs ranging from lifeguards to masseur, from labourer to scientist – he decided to pursue his passion for photography. After completing a Masters in Arts in Sydney, Australia, he has come to better understand his own artistic practice.
His Art usually involves a natural landscape or abstract scenario, but especially how the male form sits within a landscape. Both the strength and the vulnerability that a man can offer in a single image attract Rod: “I like to merge the masculine form into an expansive landscape or use it as an abstract canvas for paint. I use the strong curves of the body to create unique landscapes”.
Knowing that “art is so very subjective and an image can mean radically different things to each viewer”, he usually works in an organic way based on a broad concept idea he wants to achieve. He has a preference for dancers and fellow creatives with whom he can share experiences and exchange ideas throughout the photo-shoots to shape the environment and the light.
In fact, light is very important to him. Inspired by the density of Caravaggio's chiaroscuro, he always tries to bring some creative lighting to his artistic or commissioned projects, in the studio or outdoors.
“I love it when I'm doing moody lighting on the back and butt. So much expression and variation that can be achieved by a simple change in flexing a different muscle! It feeds in to my love of landscapes”.
Rod maintains an honest, open and respectful relationship with the models. He requires a signed release in advance, which details image ownership and expectations of the likely outcomes from the shoot and also talks about nudity and values. He reports that the inclusion of the penis in an image is sometimes tricky, thus he gets more models without frontal nude shots. So, when he finds a model that accepts doing a frontal nude, he gets excited about the visual possibilities. However, he is concerned that the penis becomes the focus of attention in an image detracting from the artistry of the image. However, he believes an erection can be classified as Art – as in Robert Mapplethorpe's photographs – and not as pornography.