I have just done this with the help of my recent dissertation, a Threadless challenge and a desire to free myself from certain societal shackles. I may very well have overstepped the mark, it’s literally my signature move, but I thought I was safe with a challenge titled: ‘Censored‘. Having seen the other entries, I am suddenly, soddenly, decidedly not sure.

It wouldn’t be right of me to let you venture further without a warning that these images are certainly NSFW, they are what some could consider: incredibly provocative works; protective measures, where possible, should be procured.

You have been advised.

The audience for these works is very clearly a subculture of gay men who: enjoy attention, are potentially slightly, bordering on aggressively narcissistic, and not so secretly vain and understand that there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

SO of course it’s a very niche market! >.<

You can inspect the work better if you click on this link.

The second image is a little racier.

For a better view click on this link. It is worth noting that these images can be voted on if they pass the internal censor >.<

The typography in this design paraphrases a reference to a Camille Paglia quote:

“Gay men are guardians of the masculine impulse. To have anonymous sex in a dark alleyway is to pay homage to the dream of male freedom. The unknown stranger is a wandering pagan god. The altar, as in pre-history, is anywhere you kneel.”

Camille Paglia

She’s not necessarily someone I agree with per se, nor disagree with to the same measure, she is however, an endless source of interesting thought, but her writing becomes often overly florid, when she presents no evidence for her claims. There’s nothing wrong with florid language, nor romantic leanings, but without a road-map, recipe or instruction of any kind: people only see the lunatic howling at the moon; a bitter lesson harshly won.

The third and final work in this collection is easily the most NSFW, and tragically enough I think it represents the harshest forms of censorship: burning. The word faggot is derived from the bundle of sticks that was used to ignite the pyres beneath the feet of sentenced ‘witches’. The word witch was hurled at those who did not fit in to societies, often people of an LGBT persuasion in what were deeply religious times, hence the derivation.

Tom of Finland reclaimed masculinity within strictly homosexual boundaries and is credited with being the first person to inform the appearance of a counter-culture directly via his work. This work shows a (modified) page of his work burning, the blank page underneath reminds us that a new page can be whatever we want it to be, and that there will always be new pages.

You can study the details a little better if you click on this link.

Thank you for dropping by, hopefully you haven’t been too traumatised by the sight of a Cock or two.

UPDATE: Two of the works have been declined and they don’t really give you an actual reason, but that was also the fastest I’ve ever had a response, the average is closer to three days, I posted those works today.

The one that survived is potentially the most obscene so I’m surprised it survived.

Having said that, all three designs are still up for sale in my shop, which you can find by clicking on this link, Happy Shopping!