Devil's Playground
Devil's Playground (2015)
24¼x18½ Pastel on Pastel Paper
Original is Sold
A bathhouse is far more about getting dirty than getting clean. Between the low disco beat, private cubicles, and adult videos, a visit begins with sultry stares from men loosely wrapped in towels and gropes in dark hallways. The seedy atmosphere outside traditional boundaries makes you feel like you’ve stepped into the Devil's Playground, and you love it.
Gay culture has a rich history of cruising born from historical repression. While modern mainstream media safely celebrates the wholesome, married gay couple, I wonder: to be accepted, must we always behave like straight society? This stream of thought inspired this pastel piece, where I used deep shadows and high-contrast red light to illuminate the muscular figures searching for a connection.
