TonyWardStudio.com

Kevin Stewart

Editor’s note: Roger Charles New York – Fall 2 Collection is now available. To see the shirtmakers latest collection and to place an order log on: www.RogerCharlesNewYork.com.

Artwork by Mikel Elam

Posted on October 9, 2011 by A.H. Scott

.

……….Thinking about the Occupy Wall Street movement and the mass arrests across the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, October 1, 2011; I couldn’t let my pen stay silent. This poem is titled, “UNITY”.

.

“Unity is what the ruling class fears most. When the 99 percent unite against the 1 percent, then things in this country will make a shift towards equality for all. Roaring river of righteousness will wash over those heightened fences of hubris which those of closed ears & minds inhabit. Unity is the brass key to unlock a brighter future for us all. Our raised voices are the defiance that will rock the foundations of white gloved arrogance. UNIFY & DEFY..!!”

Editor’s Note: This is the second collaboration of TWS contributors for the re-election of President Barack Obama.

Rod Stewart 1973

.

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Tony Ward

.

CHARLES GATEWOOD INTERVIEW

.

TW: What do you find most compelling about the medium of Photography?

.

CG: I’m a card-carrying voyeur, and my exotic subjects excite me. My camera is a passport to adventure and creative fun. I am my own boss. I have never had a “job.” I travel the world, do whatever I please, photograph famous people, and have kinky sex with beautiful punkettes. ‘Nuff said!

.

TW: You have covered a variety of subject areas in your involvement in Photography. Which of these subject areas do you find the most compelling and worthy of further exploration?

.

CG: I’ve been photographing almost fifty years, and I’ve covered lots of subjects. Most of my work is about people and behavior, and I’ve spent many years documenting alternative culture in all its ragged glory. My extended photo essays include 60s counterculture, rock and roll (I shot for Rolling Stone and Crawdaddy), the radical sex community, and tattooing, piercing and body art (I helped launch the “new tribalism” movement by sparking the RE/Search book Modern Primitives). I also did lots of traditional photojournalism in the 60s and 70s.
One of my favorite extended photo essays is Wall Street, shot between 1972-1976. This work is more formal, and more about social conditioning, societal control, corporate excess, and fascist architecture. Which subjects do I find most compelling today? Barely-legal girls, ha ha.

.

Jimmy Page and William Burroughs, 1975

.

TW: How do you think the medium of photography has impacted popular culture at large?

.

CK: Are you serious?

.

TW: What was it like to encounter William S. Burroughs as a subject in your work?

.

CG: In January, 1972, Rolling Stone sent me and writer Bob Palmer to London to do a feature article on William Burroughs. Talk about a dream assignment. We spent a week with Burroughs, smoked hash, stared into the Dream Machine, played with the E-meter, and dug all Burroughs’ best rants and stories. Rolling Stone liked the story so much they asked me to be their New York photographer.
I shot Burroughs again in NYC, 1975, for Crawdaddy. He and musician Jimmy Page met for tea and chat before a Led Zepp concert. I got great shots from that shoot too.
All my best William Burroughs photographs are in my brand-new book BURROUGHS 23 (www.burroughs23.com). The handmade books were released just a week ago, and already we’ve sold nine of the 23 copies. If you want one, act fast!
PS…I made a similar artist’s book about Dylan with photos from my 1966 Stockholm shoot (www.ACompleteUnknown.com).

.

Burroughs

.

TW: Are you equally compelled to photograph men and women. If not, which gender do you prefer to photograph and why?

.

CG: For most of my career, I’ve photographed everyone. Today, I mostly photograph gorgeous women. Wouldn’t you?

.

TW: How has photography broadened or defined your view of today’s world?

.

CG: Like totally!

.

Charles Gatewood

.

TW: If you could turn back the hands of time, would you have chosen another profession?

.

CG: No, no, no. I do enjoy creative writing, but at heart I’m a picture guy.

.

TW: Describe the feeling of taking a great picture? What happens at that moment?

.

CG: Well, for me the creative act is a wonderful high, especially if the subject is exotic or sexy. I go into what I call “magic space.” Psychologists call it “flow.” Athletes call it “being in the zone.” It’s an exhilarating feeling. Time stands still, there is total communion with the subject, and the creative process (right framing, angle, moment) is like a beautiful zen dance. I work it, work it, work it—and suddenly there it is, my shot!

.

TW: How do you define Photography as Art?

.

CG: Andy Warhol said, “Art is anything you can get away with.” I agree!

.

Greatest Hits

Editor’s Note: To learn more about Charles Gatewood’s work log on, www.CharlesGatewood.com

Virtual Fragrance

Posted on September 13, 2011 by TW

.

Tearsheets

.

To be continued………..

Rachael V

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Rachael V

.

……….Fetish outfits make me feel super sexy and very feminine, and I love having pictures of myself displaying all of that feeling. So I started planning shoots with whoever wanted to work with me. I wanted to gain experience and learn and be the best that I could be – in order to reach the goals I had set for myself. Even though I thoroughly enjoy modeling, it’s not just a hobby. I have had side-jobs since I was thirteen years old. Working hard is not a foreign concept to me. It wasn’t easy to let my mother in on the modeling though.

.

Rachael V

.

I was temporarily living back home when I started out, so I couldn’t not say anything. My mother comes from a fairly conservative background, and even though she raised me to make my own decisions and stand up for myself, I was worried she wouldn’t accept her only daughter doing sexy weird stuff. When I told her about the nature of fetish, she didn’t like the sound of things at all. But when I showed her the pictures I had taken she relaxed. She saw that exploring your femininity outside of mainstream boundaries is not necessarily selling just your sex-appeal, or vulgar for that matter. She’s been plaguing me with requests to go and buy her a corset for a while now, and recently even tried on a pair of my fetish heels.

.

Rachael V

To Be Continued……….

Artwork by Mikel Elam

Posted on September 9, 2011 by A.H. Scott

.

I am honored that TWS would consider me to do this poem. I am excited for the upcoming re-election of the President. And, I hope I can do him justice with a poem about TRUST.

.

As someone who voted for President Obama, I was moved by his message of HOPE. It is true as TW said, that the next step in the movement is about TRUST. Because, I will be honest with you, TW, there are many people that I talk to that are feeling a bit uneasy with the President’s constant compromising with the GOP Congress. Hopefully, when he IS re-elected, his power base will force the GOP to have to let some of his initiatives get passed through the House.
.

As I put my poem together, I envisioned President Obama as Commander of our ship of state. At the helm of this ship, he’s leading us towards a hopeful horizon. Even with his critics trying to turn the ship backwards in time, we must trust that this man is capable to lead this country into the future.

.

I even thought of Ted Kennedy and his family’s reverence for the sea when I began to write this poem. Life is like the ocean and we all are drawn upon the waves and tides that transform our hearts and souls to strive for change. Trusting President Barack Obama is easy. Because, what’s on the other side of the political ledger is hideous and will move this country backwards, in so many ways. Thanks again for the offer TWS.

TRUST

.

The ship of state faces choppy seas of ideological divisions
Commander at it’s helm holds the spyglass towards the horizon
We are all passengers upon this ship
And, to keep on course, all hands must be on deck quickly
Some view the horizon as the setting sun upon their sphere of influence
Some see the sun rising across the horizon with an optimistic purpose
Snappy slogans won’t get us out of this mess,
As gnats of negativity brew in their own distress
Fear is simple
Trust is complicated
Promises never materialize overnight
Yet, a cautious vision can bring clarity in sight
Trust is knowing that the Navigator in Chief is working hard to make things right
Our hearts have embraced hope
Now, is the moment to chart a course with trust
At the helm of this ship of state is a capable man
Yes we can
Keep the faith, baby
Yes we can
Believe beyond the hype
Yes we can
Trust Hope

Editor’s Note: This is the first collaboration of TWS contributors for the re-election of President Barack Obama.

Rachael V: Corset by Ardita FF

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Rachael V

.

The American Dream
Narrative of a Dutch woman and fetish model exploring and working in the US

.

……….My very first introduction to latex changed my life. It happened during my second ever portfolio shoot, with photographer Steepthought of Holland. After doing two sets in pin-up style he suggested I try on the black, 0.25mm catsuit he had in his studio. I lubed up my legs and he helped me into it. Inch by inch the latex touched my legs, then my torso and lastly my arms. It had a high collar and a convenient double zipper, quite the “regular” catsuit. But it was my first, and there are no words to describe the feeling of such a super-thin layer hugging your every curve and merging with your body heat and your skin. I felt incredibly sexy, and immediately added another fetish to my list of fetishes.

.

I was introduced to the fetish scene in 2008 by a former boyfriend. Shopping for my first fetish outfit was incredibly exciting. The dress code for a party we attended was very newbie-friendly, so I showed up in a black Chinese dress and my brand-new pair of 6” Pleaser fetish heels. I had wanted high heels like that ever since the Spice Girls, but I always thought good girls didn’t do those things. Thankfully my eyes were opened: it’s no fun being a good girl all the time.

.

Barbara and Massimo from Ardita FF (www.Arditaff.com) were so kind to make me this fabulous corset especially for this cover shoot. The gorgeous abstract pattern is a variant of their trademark ‘arabesque’, and was first executed on this corset. Having acquainted myself with TW’s work, I suggested black and white for coloring, with a preference for something classic yet modern and ‘mean’. Their amazing design turned out to be a truly mean corset that comes down to the hips and really cinches down your waist. It was a delight to wear it and to take sexy pictures in it. For more of their exquisite garments I absolutely recommend checking out their website, it’s full of eye candy and very affordable couture.

To Be Continued……….

Congressman Pat Meehan

Posted on August 30, 2011 by MoveOn.org

.

The Tea Party is gearing up to put thousands of activists in town hall meetings this month. But with Congress at home, those of us in the American Dream movement have a chance to stop them in their tracks.

.

State representative Patrick Meehan is holding a public event at 50 Powell Road, Springfield, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 7:00 PM. We need a strong showing to turn the tide and change the focus to jobs, not cuts.

.

The tea party’s radical demands just got America’s credit downgraded for the first time in history. This tea party downgrade will hurt every American family, so Rep. Meehan needs to know his constituents want him to focus on restoring the economy by creating jobs, not making more cuts to vital programs. By keeping the focus on “Jobs Not Cuts” we can change the discussion and get Congress working on getting America back to work.

.

Rep. Pat Meehan

.

Town hall meetings are a great opportunity to find out where our elected officials stand, and push for progressive change. With a loud visible presence, we can make sure that Rep. Meehan knows the tea party doesn’t represent his constituents. And by getting him on the record, we can make sure voters know who will really work to create jobs and rebuild the American Dream.

Editor’s Note: To learn more about the event, log on to www.MoveOn.org