Boyway
Boy with a Rose, 2000
Ink and gouache on paper
11" x 8.5"

Boyway
J. Dutch, 2004
B&W photograph
6" x 4"

Boyway
Pork, 2004
Ink on paper
8.5" x 11"

Boyway
Self Portrait — at Home
2004

Testosterone Treats — Boyway in the Big Apple
by Stephen Broadway (aka Boyway)

Let me start by thanking curator Harvey Redding for an excellent job in bringing ALLURE to the city. Not only was that pink wall a stunning backdrop, but the Diana Vreeland quote really summed up the spirit of a show that celebrated the depth of fascination an artist can develop for a specific male ideal.

I would like also to thank Charles Leslie, Fritz Lohman and The Foundation for inviting me to share more behind the scenes reflections and tales of boy-watching (and drawing and photographing) on the evening of Boywayz Haute Homeboyz Salon Oct. 6, 2004.

THE SALON
I was thrilled about including the talents of three inspiring men: David Casto who read a poem that he wrote specifically for the evening, David Hart, who played the classical Indian string instrument, the sitar, and a performance by J. Dutch, a young Brooklyn rapper who has been my most recent muse for drawings and photography, the salon allowed me to share the different creative elements that I am surrounded by which heavily influences my artistic choices. Plus, to be surrounded by mentors, colleagues, friends and my students was very special.

HISTORY
Born in Nepal, I grew up living in several countries and traveling extensively with my family before I came to the Big Apple to study at the Parsons School of Design. I was always hesitant about living in this crowded, violently aggressive city...until I arrived. It was awe at first sight. Everything that I had been dreading faded and was replaced with the thrill of being in an environment filled with others like me: people who wanted to experience something more. Something significant. Something challenging.To live more openly and honestly and to live passionately.

I was happy to finally be in that mix and start my formal art and life education.

HIP HOP HEAVEN
It was the early eighties and the hip hop movement was just building steam. Who would have imagined that it would grow to such a powerful enterprise? Manhattan still had plenty of grit then, which wasn't exactly pretty, but it was the precise element that gave that extra edge and magic that defined New York City. It was those 'break-dancers' who caught my eye immediately...how could they not? Those perfect specimens of chiseled, tightly muscled, goateed teens who defied gravity with their unique style of street dance-performances.

Often latin, these menacingly handsome young men were the 'it' boys of that period. It was all about their Adidas track suits, oversized sneakers, bold gold chains and medallions...and their unmistakable erotic appeal. Highly energized and sexually mysterious, they were the ones to watch patrolling the streets by day and after dark, setting the club world on fire with their intoxicating mix of flamboyant masculinity. I was among the legion who caught that 'banjee-boy' fever...and it changed my visual expression of male beauty forever. Up to that point, the prevailing male ideals were the preppy jocks of Bruce Weber, the denim clad cowboys in Blueboy, the gymrats in second skin spandex and the leather-fetish fantasies of a Robert Mapplethorpe.

While these images were an adequate source for day dreaming, they were surpassed in my imagination by the rough and exotic allure of the B-Boyz.

A big part of their allure for me was their choice of wearing oversized clothing...considering that more often than not, they were in exceptional physical condition. When they danced, bits of skin were flashed, only to be hidden once again when they stood up...they dressed this way to allow maximum freedom of movement and to separate themselves from looking 'gay'...a style of dressing that left nothing to the imagination.

It delights me that that aesthetic is still very much in style...and perhaps has even enjoyed several 'comebacks.' To be able to catch the boyz 'breakin' is still fun; a whole new generation spinning on their heads while their extra large shirts slip down to reveal that perfectly chiseled young torso.

INSPIRATION
Living in Manhattan since the eighties has been a huge source of inspiration for me. The streets are regularly flooded with a variety of men from every corner of the planet. The infinite kinds of masculine beauty is quite staggering. My work centers around the appreciation of the 'blue-collar' underpolished fellows. Their unselfconscious yet outrageous handsomeness continues to fascinate. When I approach many of them to pose for me, their first reaction usually is that of surprise...in that they have never been invited to be the subject...much less to being celebrated as the object of desire. But I usually end up convincing them to give it a try...and over time, they gain more confidence and are much more at ease in
working with artists.

I prefer spotting and cultivating my own models, as apposed to working with the pros...the chance to transform a 'regular' guy into a 'Boyway-image' is very satisfying for me. Professional models are usually accustomed to this process and therefore less satisfying for me to transform. Besides, the fun in transforming a boy on the corner handing out flyers into an iconic Boyway image is much too wonderful to trade in. This kind of creating takes a very strong focus on my part and can be quite exhausting, so I don't take it lightly. Not just managing the technical aspects of the work, but to keep a certain chemistry going can be quite challenging.

LIFE TODAY
We live in remarkable times concerning erotic male imagery. Thanks in large part to the collaboration between Bruce Weber and Calvin Klein who introduced the homoerotic image to the masses, the planet has been covered with the naked male for twenty years. The packaging of men's underwear alone has become a commercially competitive art form. Now with the internet, the world wide web has more naked male flesh than there is time to properly appreciate. All this over saturation of male explicitness has only made me reconsider my visual choices.

I am more interested in capturing a certain facial expression, a glance, the sweetness of a more natural physique, the vulnerability.

On the other hand, it's a treat to be able to live at a time where the male image is not such an eyebrow raiser. I admire those artists who dared create work at a time where their personal lives and reputations were at stake. I feel it is a political act for me to continue in my personal exploration of this subject that continues to catch my eye.

For more Boyway, check out www.boyway.com.