Rick Castro
Encyclopedia
Rick Castro is an American photographer
, motion picture director and stylist whose work focuses on bondage
and sado-masochistic sex
.
, California
.
Castro began work as a fashion stylist and clothing designer. Over the years, he worked for as a stylist on fashion shoots or designed clothing for Marlene Stewart, Bette Midler
, Herb Ritts
, the style agency Cloutier
, George Hurrell
, 'Interview
' magazine, 'GQ' magazine, 'Vanity Fair
' magazine, 'Rolling Stone
' magazine, 'I-D
' magazine, Tina Turner
and John Leguizamo
.
Castro cites eight great events as changing his life:
bought him his first automatic camera. In 1988, at the age of 30, Castro became a freelance photographer, and his work appeared in the Los Angeles gay news magazine 'Frontiers
' and the national gay news magazine 'The Advocate
.'
His first solo exhibit, 'Nothing But A Man, Everything But A Woman,' debuted in 1989 at A Different Light Bookstore in Silver Lake
, a suburb of Los Angeles. It was followed a year later by 'Mass Murder & A Cute Boy' at the same location.
Throughout the years, Castro has had a number of exhibits, including 'Furotica: It Ain't Exactly Bambi' at the Track 16 gallery in Los Angeles, 2004.
Castro's work is collected by the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction
.
His 1994 short film of hustler interviews inspired Bruce LaBruce
to film 'Hustler White
' with Tony Ward
. Castro collaborated on the film with LaBruce, which became an international sensation. Castro has directed a number of other short films and a documentary.
He currently resides in Los Angeles, where he is the L.A. correspondent for the Australia
-based Studio Magazines, publisher of the nude male art photography magazine 'Blue.'
Since November, 2005, Castro owns and runs Antebellum Gallery, the only fetish art gallery in America, and perhaps the world.
www.antebellum.us.ms
Castro himself says his work is highly time-bound, linked to the 1980s and early 1990s:
In many ways, Castro can almost be said to be a historical photographer, recreating images and looks from that time period rather than capturing contemporary styles. 'Nostalgia' is not a word one usually associates with BDSM photography, but in Castro's case it may be an apt adjective.
Good as it is, Castro's photography also stands squarely in the quasi-religious tradition of most BDSM photography. The art historian and critic Edward Lucie-Smith
has pointed out that Castro's work is deeply rooted in religious art, especially Catholic
art of the Baroque
period. The believer, suffering for his beliefs, is mimicked by the gay man, suffering for his homosexuality. The ecstasy of martyrdom is mimicked by the ecstasy of sex. These themes were explored by the great Christian Baroque painters, and Castro's bondage photography—like most bondage photography—draws heavily on these paintings for its poses.
But Castro's photography transcends run-of-the-mill BDSM imagery. Writer Mark Christopher Harvey notes that Castro's photography 'can be viewed as a long form of meditation—not only on the aesthetic virtues of bondage but also on the psyche of sex itself...' Harvey points to the 'wry humor' that is often missing in more commercially inspired or less artistic BDSM photographs.
But in including humor in his work, Castro confounds the Baroque—which focuses on simple, strong, dramatic expression—in favor of Mannerism
. Yet he avoids the self-conscious, overcharged, unnaturally detailed, jarring elements of Mannerism.
Castro's work move beyond mere artistic characteristics, however, and captures the sexual fetishism
of BDSM as well. The transgressive nature of leather fetishism—harkening back to 'bad-boy' filmic images made popular by James Dean
and Marlon Brando
—intersects with the transgressive nature of homosexual sex and promiscuity in the era of AIDS. Castro's images have power because they are those of the true fetishist. These are not images produced by 'just any' photographer who can hire a handsome model and buy a leather harness off the rack at a local sex shop. Castro's images reflect the imagination and variety of BDSM and leather fetishists; they create and lead, rather than follow, popular culture and sexual fashion.
In these ways, Rick Castro's photographic work rises above that of other BDSM photographers.
45 Minutes of Bondage (1994)
Hustler White, (1996)
Another 45 Minutes of Bondage (1998)
Plushies and Furries (1999)
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, motion picture director and stylist whose work focuses on bondage
Bondage (BDSM)
Bondage is the use of restraints for the sexual pleasure of the parties involved. It may be used in its own right, as in the case of rope bondage and breast bondage, or as part of sexual activity or BDSM activity.- Private bondage :...
and sado-masochistic sex
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
.
Early life
Rick Castro was born in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Castro began work as a fashion stylist and clothing designer. Over the years, he worked for as a stylist on fashion shoots or designed clothing for Marlene Stewart, Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, Herb Ritts
Herb Ritts
Herbert "Herb" Ritts was an American fashion photographer who concentrated on black-and-white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture.-Early life and career:...
, the style agency Cloutier
Cloutier (style agency)
The Cloutier Agency based in Santa Monica, California represents creative artists who provide hair, make-up, grooming and wardrobe styling for motion pictures, advertising, photographic layouts and more. The agency also sometimes provides photographers and art direction for photo shoots.The...
, George Hurrell
George Hurrell
George Hurrell was a photographer who made a significant contribution to the image of glamour presented by Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
, 'Interview
Interview (magazine)
Interview is an American magazine which has the nickname The Crystal Ball Of Pop. It was founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol. The magazine features intimate conversations between some of the world's biggest celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thinkers...
' magazine, 'GQ' magazine, 'Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
' magazine, 'Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
' magazine, 'I-D
I-D
i-D is a British magazine dedicated to fashion, music, art and youth culture. i-D was founded by designer and former Vogue art director Terry Jones in 1980. The first issue was published in the form of a hand-stapled fanzine with text produced on a typewriter...
' magazine, Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
and John Leguizamo
John Leguizamo
Jonathan Alberto "John" Leguizamo is an Colombian-American actor, producer, voice artist, and comedian.-Early life:...
.
Castro cites eight great events as changing his life:
-
- Reading Anthony BurgessAnthony BurgessJohn Burgess Wilson – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English author, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. The dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is Burgess's most famous novel, though he dismissed it as one of his lesser works...
' A Clockwork OrangeA Clockwork OrangeA Clockwork Orange is a 1962 dystopian novella by Anthony Burgess. The novel contains an experiment in language: the characters often use an argot called "Nadsat", derived from Russian....
in 1969; - Seeing The ExorcistThe Exorcist (film)The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
in 1973; - Seeing Patti SmithPatti SmithPatricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
at The Roxy TheatreThe Roxy TheatreThe Roxy Theatre is a famous nightclub, on the Sunset Strip, in West Hollywood, California. The Roxy is owned by Lou Adler and Adler's son, Nic, who operates the club.- History :...
in 1974; - Seeing Pier Paolo PasoliniPier Paolo PasoliniPier Paolo Pasolini was an Italian film director, poet, writer, and intellectual. Pasolini distinguished himself as a poet, journalist, philosopher, linguist, novelist, playwright, filmmaker, newspaper and magazine columnist, actor, painter and political figure...
's Salo, or 120 Days of SodomSalò o le 120 giornate di SodomaSalò, or the 120 Days of Sodom , commonly referred to as Salò, is a controversial 1975 Italian drama film written and directed by Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini with uncredited writing contributions by Pupi Avati. It is based on the book The 120 Days of Sodom by the Marquis de Sade...
in 1976; - Falling in love with Joey, his lover, in 1984;
- Discovering the joys of a cup of tea in 1997; and
- Being involved in a bicycle accident in 1997 which left him unable to walk for a year.
- Reading Anthony Burgess
Photographic career
In 1986, photographer Joel-Peter WitkinJoel-Peter Witkin
Joel-Peter Witkin is an American photographer who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His work often deals with such themes as death, corpses , and various outsiders such as dwarfs, transsexuals, hermaphrodites, and physically deformed people...
bought him his first automatic camera. In 1988, at the age of 30, Castro became a freelance photographer, and his work appeared in the Los Angeles gay news magazine 'Frontiers
Frontiers
Frontiers is southern California's oldest and largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender magazine. It is distributed freely at gay bars, clubs and businesses throughout Southern California...
' and the national gay news magazine 'The Advocate
The Advocate
The Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
.'
His first solo exhibit, 'Nothing But A Man, Everything But A Woman,' debuted in 1989 at A Different Light Bookstore in Silver Lake
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Silver Lake is a hilly neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California east of Hollywood and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Silver Lake is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but it is best known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters and the creative class.The...
, a suburb of Los Angeles. It was followed a year later by 'Mass Murder & A Cute Boy' at the same location.
Throughout the years, Castro has had a number of exhibits, including 'Furotica: It Ain't Exactly Bambi' at the Track 16 gallery in Los Angeles, 2004.
Castro's work is collected by the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction
Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction
The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction is a nonprofit research institute at Indiana University. It was established in Bloomington, Indiana in 1947...
.
His 1994 short film of hustler interviews inspired Bruce LaBruce
Bruce LaBruce
Bruce LaBruce is a Canadian writer, filmmaker, photographer and underground gay porn director based in Toronto, Ontario.-Biography:...
to film 'Hustler White
Hustler White
Hustler White is a 1996 film by Bruce LaBruce and Rick Castro, a satiric black sex comedy about gay hustlers and their customers in Santa Monica, California. It stars Tony Ward and LaBruce in an addition to the Queer Cinema canon, which is also an homage to classic Hollywood cinema...
' with Tony Ward
Tony Ward (U.S. actor)
Anthony Borden Ward better known as Tony Ward, is an American model, actor, fashion designer, painter and photographer.-Early life:...
. Castro collaborated on the film with LaBruce, which became an international sensation. Castro has directed a number of other short films and a documentary.
He currently resides in Los Angeles, where he is the L.A. correspondent for the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
-based Studio Magazines, publisher of the nude male art photography magazine 'Blue.'
Since November, 2005, Castro owns and runs Antebellum Gallery, the only fetish art gallery in America, and perhaps the world.
www.antebellum.us.ms
Critical assessment
Castro works predominately in black-and-white photography.Castro himself says his work is highly time-bound, linked to the 1980s and early 1990s:
My documentation is a time capsule of that period. The early 80s started off with the leftover freedoms and hedonism of the 70s, then plunged into the darkness and fear that accompanied AIDS. Sex was once again demonized, as it had previously been in the Victorian era and the 50s. ... As fear of sex and the religious right gained even more power, the undercover police constantly patrolled the streets. At the same time drugs (crack, 'Tina') became harasher as the unstable economy created desperation on the street. Then the Internet came along with a network of online brothels and eventually wiped out the street scene entirely.
In many ways, Castro can almost be said to be a historical photographer, recreating images and looks from that time period rather than capturing contemporary styles. 'Nostalgia' is not a word one usually associates with BDSM photography, but in Castro's case it may be an apt adjective.
Good as it is, Castro's photography also stands squarely in the quasi-religious tradition of most BDSM photography. The art historian and critic Edward Lucie-Smith
Edward Lucie-Smith
John Edward McKenzie Lucie-Smith is a British writer, poet, art critic, curator, broadcaster and author of exhibition catalogues.-Biography:Lucie-Smith was born in Kingston, Jamaica, moving to the United Kingdom in 1946...
has pointed out that Castro's work is deeply rooted in religious art, especially Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
art of the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
period. The believer, suffering for his beliefs, is mimicked by the gay man, suffering for his homosexuality. The ecstasy of martyrdom is mimicked by the ecstasy of sex. These themes were explored by the great Christian Baroque painters, and Castro's bondage photography—like most bondage photography—draws heavily on these paintings for its poses.
But Castro's photography transcends run-of-the-mill BDSM imagery. Writer Mark Christopher Harvey notes that Castro's photography 'can be viewed as a long form of meditation—not only on the aesthetic virtues of bondage but also on the psyche of sex itself...' Harvey points to the 'wry humor' that is often missing in more commercially inspired or less artistic BDSM photographs.
But in including humor in his work, Castro confounds the Baroque—which focuses on simple, strong, dramatic expression—in favor of Mannerism
Mannerism
Mannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. It lasted until about 1580 in Italy, when a more Baroque style began to replace it, but Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout much of Europe...
. Yet he avoids the self-conscious, overcharged, unnaturally detailed, jarring elements of Mannerism.
Castro's work move beyond mere artistic characteristics, however, and captures the sexual fetishism
Sexual fetishism
Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the sexual arousal a person receives from a physical object, or from a specific situation. The object or situation of interest is called the fetish, the person a fetishist who has a fetish for that object/situation. Sexual fetishism may be regarded, e.g...
of BDSM as well. The transgressive nature of leather fetishism—harkening back to 'bad-boy' filmic images made popular by James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
and Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
—intersects with the transgressive nature of homosexual sex and promiscuity in the era of AIDS. Castro's images have power because they are those of the true fetishist. These are not images produced by 'just any' photographer who can hire a handsome model and buy a leather harness off the rack at a local sex shop. Castro's images reflect the imagination and variety of BDSM and leather fetishists; they create and lead, rather than follow, popular culture and sexual fashion.
In these ways, Rick Castro's photographic work rises above that of other BDSM photographers.
Published books
He has also self-published the following hand-made books:-
- The Bondage Book #1. 1992.
- The Bondage Book #2. 1993
- The Bondage Book #3. 1994
- The Bondage Book #4. 1996
Filmed works
Automolove (1992)45 Minutes of Bondage (1994)
Hustler White, (1996)
Another 45 Minutes of Bondage (1998)
Plushies and Furries (1999)