Interview with spanish photographer, Mano Martinez.
Could you tell us a bit about your background? How did you get interested photography?
How male erotic photography has developed throughout history it is of great interest for me. Only since the 70s artists began to represent naked men’s bodies from a plastic point of view, without any justification about the nature of their works. Until then, that tendency existed, but always hidden. In this sense my work arises as a result of mixing my interest in the history of eroticism, the representation of the male body in art, and the attraction I feels for a certain type of masculine beauty.
Can you tell us a bit about BOX Nr. 1.?
BOX No 1 contains 10 original photographs, made between 2011 and 2017, printed with pigmented inkjet in Fine Art Paper Hahnemuhle Ultrasmooth.Is a monocube box of 15 x 20 cm. It is lined with cialinen fabric, a 100% cotton fabric, medium weight, acid free with natural feel and rough texture.
Is there any difference for you to shot naked guys or shot a regular fashion story?
Yes. When you do a fashion work, in one way or another, you just conditioned by the guidelines that adapt to the client and the product, and when you dedicate yourself to a work of author this does not happen.
Who is your dream model, and what kind of story would you like to shot with him/her?
I do not have a single model in my dreams, I have many and these change in priority over time. At this moment I could tell you two among many, for example: Milk, by Ru Paul Drag Race and Ryan Gosling, because I fell in love with Blad Runner. I never foresee a story for my photo sessions. When I have the model in front, his attitude, the location and the light that surrounds everything gives me the keys to the story, and everything emerges as magical
How did people respond when they figure out you photograph porn too?
The world of pornography is exciting and many people who appreciates my work consumes porn, so it was well received. The porn producers for whom I work are just some more clients. Perhaps the most harmed in this regard are the fashion agencies in my country, but these were before I worked in the porn industry, to make erotic male photographs. In Spain, perhaps due to the influence of American morality, some agencies are not contemporary.
What is you view of porn industry?
I think that porn, on the one hand, does a service to a large part of humanity, but on the other, it should be more diverse. Much producers work with a profile of very conventional actors. In spite of that, there are also some producers that do it with non-normative bodys. The majority of pornography is aimed at a traditional male audience, which encourages patriarchy, and in which there is no empathy or communication and is quite sexist. It continues to promote that old formula of the dominant male in front of the submissive woman or in front of the most effeminate and passive guy. Also I think it is necessary to bring the porn to debate after the explicit scenes of sex in conventional cinema they continue to create controversy. (Nymphomaniac, Lars Von Trier or Love, Gaspar Noah) and in the art world (1% c ‘est moi, by Andrea Fraser)
What do you do in your sapre time?
I have little free time, and when I have it I like to watch TV series, read, go out with my friends and play sex…
Do you have any plans for New Year’s Eve?
Yes, I will be with my best friends at home, we will have dinner together, we will take 12 grapes with the bells, we will dance and drink.
Find more: @manomartinezyes / www.manomartinez.es/shop/