Mary Jane Holland

“Lady of the ‘dam
Won’t be a slave to the blonde
Or the culture of the popular.
She won’t, she won’t.
Sing at you, I’ll
Fly under radar tonight,
Make deals with every devil in sight.
I will, I will.

‘Cause I love-love, ‘cause I love-love
You better than, you better than
My darkest sin:
Russian hookers and cheap gin.

I think that I could be fine
If I could be Mary Jane Holland tonight.
I think we’d have a good time
If you’d meet me, Mary Jane, in Holland tonight.

Mary Jane Holland,
Whoo-hoo!
(Puff in, puff out!)
Oh, Mary, oh-uh, Jane, ah, Holland,
Whoo-hoo!

I don’t like to boast
But our truffles are the most
Mad magical in Amsterdam.
She won’t, she won’t.
So if you have fear,
Apollo, sit on my lyre and
Play ‘em like a piano, man.
I will, I will.

‘Cause I love-love, ‘cause I love-love
You better than, you better than
My darkest sin:
Russian hookers and cheap gin.

I think that I could be fine
If I could be Mary Jane Holland tonight.
I think we’d have a good time
If you’d meet me, Mary Jane, in Holland tonight.

Mary Jane Holland,
Whoo-hoo!
(Puff in, puff out!)
Oh, Mary, oh-uh, Jane, ah, Holland,
Whoo-hoo!

I know that mom and dad think I’m a mess,
But it’s alright because I am rich as piss.
When I ignite the flame and put you in my mouth
The grass heats up my insides and my brunette starts to sprout.

Introducing, ladies and gentlemen,
Mary Jane Holland!

I think that I could be fine
If I could be Mary Jane Holland tonight.
I think we’d have a good time
If you’d meet me, Mary Jane, in Holland tonight.

Mary Jane Holland,
Whoo-hoo!
(Puff in, puff out!)
Oh, Mary, oh-uh, Jane, ah, Holland,
Whoo-hoo!”

[ Mary Jane Holland – Lady Gaga ]

You know, guys, I don’t do drugs, not even weed. I believe anyone’s free to do them and have an opinion on the matter – I’m not expressing judgement or anything – it’s just not my cup of tea; therefore, I’d rather not to address the matter at all in my art, since it is something I have little to no experience of and am not very interested in knowing better.
So you guess it, the perspective of rendering visually a song about weed for my Artpop Generation project, which I felt compelled to do because it’s my second favourite from the album, posed a serious challenge to me… for about ten minutes or so, I guess.
I actually came up with this concept pretty much as soon as I heard the song the first time: as I don’t do drugs, the best equivalent I could find in my own life was music. I’m basically high on music all the time: I’m seriously addicted to it (to the point of not answering the phone when I’m listening to something I particularly like), I trip while listening, it makes me more social, it can calm my nerves or give me juice for an evening out… We can say that, metaphorically speaking, music is my weed. There we go with the concept: headphones as my own spin on the subject and smoke to keep a connection with Gaga’s original idea.

Truth be told, I could have shot this photo anytime in the past year and a half as all I needed was to set the black background, do my hair, trim my beard and set up the tripod. I didn’t until today at first because I’m lazy and then ‘cause I’ve been experiencing a severe inspirational block in the past few months. I hope this gets me back on track at last.

Artpop

“Come to me
In all your glamour and cruelty.
Just do that thing that you do
And I’ll undress you.
Keep it tight.
Sometimes the simplest move is right.
The melody that you choose
Can rescue you.

A hybrid can withstand these things.
My heart can beat with bricks and strings.
My Artpop could mean anything.

We could, we could belong together, Artpop.
We could, we could belong together, Artpop.
We could, we could belong together, Artpop, Artpop, Artpop.

Come to me
With all your subtext and fantasy.
Just do that thing that you do
In a perverse hue.
Lovers’ kites
Are flown on beaches for public sight.
The colour palette you choose
Can profit you.

A hybrid can withstand these things.
My heart can beat with bricks and strings.
My Artpop could mean anything.
Could try to sell you out or I
Could show you all the reasons why
My Artpop could mean anything.

We could, we could belong together, Artpop.
We could, we could belong together, Artpop.
We could, we could belong together, Artpop, Artpop, Artpop.

Brushes with darkness won’t help you create
Your destiny of self, but Artpop could mean anything, anything.
I try to sell myself but I am really laughing
Because I just love the music not the bling, music not the bling.

Free my mind, Artpop:
You make my heart stop.”

[ Artpop – Lady Gaga ]

Okay, I know Artpop should be written all capital and stuff, but I don’t really care, I like correct capitalisation in my titles.
With this said, the title track of Gaga’s new album is currently my favourite song from the new era. It is the manifesto of Gaga’s eclectic attitude to try and unify art and pop culture, which many people consider incompatible (whether she’s really doing it or not, and if it should involve Terry Richadson is beside the point now), and is fittingly the namesake of my project, as I try to draw together my many, often clashing influence.
That’s why I came up with a visual rendition so soon – I actually did immediately, but didn’t get to shoot it until now for external causes. I wanted this photo to represent the symbiosis between the forms of art I find most inspiring and close to myself. So I put there music (the headphones) because it’s the form of art I’m most in love with and find most inspirational, photography (my old Canon EOS 1000D, beside the photographic work itself) because it’s my favourite form of self-expression, but I also put a bit of painting by quoting one of my favourite pictures ever: Caspar David Friedrich’s Wanderer Above The Sea Of Fog. In many ways, that’s one of the single works of art that changed my artistic perspective the most, introducing me to European Romanticism, through which I started appreciating Gothic art, when I was a narrow-minded, (neo)classical-only oriented kid.
This “modern interpretation” of paintings won’t be the only one I’m doing for the Artpop part of the project, as some songs lend themselves quite well to such a work. Some are much more complicated, though, and will require a bit more time. In general, this is a project which has slowed down considerably lately, so I can’t promise I’ll be very active on it comapred to the other long-term series. But well, let’s see how things will turn out in the next few months.

Black Jesus

“Black, black, black, black.
Black, black, black, black.
Black, black, black, black.

Jesus is the new black,
Jesus is the new black,
Jesus is the new black,
Jesus is the new black, ow!

I grew up in New York City,
Since I was born on Broadway, baby.
Moved downtown when I was just nineteen
To start a new life on the New York scene.
There’s no way I could be stopped,
Was taking my best shot,
I had a better plan.
There’s no way I could be stopped,
Was coming for your spot,
I met better men.

Amen on the runway,
Dressed in his best.
Amen fashion on the runway,
Work it, Black Jesus.
Amen on the runway,
Dressed in his best.
Amen fashion on the runway,
Work it, Black Jesus.”

[ Black Jesus † Amen Fashion – Lady Gaga ]

I don’t really know how to consider this photo in relation to Amen Fashion – if it’s a sequel, a prequel, if they are related at all or go on their own, but here it is. Taking two separate photos for the Black Jesus and Amen Fashion halves of the title was my plan from the beginning, and I can say the two photos turned out two polar opposites: monochrome vs colour, indoors vs outdoors, dark vs light, long-pondered concept vs sudden gust of inspiration… maybe this is what well make them go along eventually.
There is a bit of an inside joke on this photo, because once I was out spotting a rather neglected beard, but was dressed quite well as usual. On a bus, a little girl was staring at me, then all of sudden asked her mother: “Mom, is that boy Jesus?”. I don’t know what kept me from replying: “No, sweetheart, I’m too well-dressed. I’d rather be the Antichrist.”, but that’s basically how I got the idea of a fashionable Black Jesus with a bramble brooch on the beret instead of the crown of thorns. And here we go: the brooch was the hardest thing to come by for the shoot, but at least it’s done now. I had a lot of fun both thinking and actually doing it because, for some reasons, I bloody enjoy twisting christian imagery. Maybe because it’s so morbid and perverted on its own and appeals to my murkiest side.

I really wish I could speed up this project, but for some reasons it turned out to be slower than I expected. I guess that’s because many songs are about couples, which are scarce to find (especially couples where both partners are photogenic), and a lot because I feel more committed to my other projects. Besides, I have most of Born This Way and the whole The Fame Monster mapped out, am working easily on Artpop, but most of The Fame songs just stay silent. I just have no chemistry with most of that album. So, I guess I will take one step at a time without trying to rush this project out. I don’t know, let’s see.

Aura

“I killed my former and
Left her in the trunk on Highway Ten.
Put the knife under the hood;
If you find it, send it straight to Hollywood.

Aura-ah-ah,
Aura-ah-ah,
Aura-ah-ah,
Aura-ah-ah,
Aura-ah-ah,
Aura-ah-ah.

I’m not a wandering slave, I am a woman of choice.
My veil is protection for the gorgeousness of my face.
You want to pity me ‘cause was arranged one man to love,
But in the bedroom, the size of him’s more than enough.

Enigma pop star is fun, she wear burqa for fashion:
It’s not a statement as much as just a move of passion.
I may not walk on your street or shoot a gun on your soil.
I hear you screaming: is it because of pleasure or toil?

Dance.
Sex.
Art.
Pop.
Tech.

Do you wanna see me naked, lover?
Do you wanna peek underneath the cover?
Do you wanna see the girl who lives behind the aura,
Behind the aura?
Do you wanna touch me cosmic, lover?
Do you wanna peek underneath the cover?
Do you wanna see the girl who lives behind the aura,
Behind the aura, behind the curtain, behind the burqa?
Oh!

Artpop!”

[ Aura – Lady Gaga ]

Here we go: Artpop has been around for a month now, and I couldn’t miss to draw some inspiration from it to go on with my Lady Gaga-inspired series. Despite my initial less-than-warm reaction to the album, with a few listens I started to get into it and discover the magic of most of its songs, with the result that I’m already full of ideas for related photos.

On the other hand, as I mentioned on Facebook, I’ve decided that whenever I feel too depressed I’m going to take some self-portrait to raise my mood. I started this week, and I decided to shoot Aura first.

Now, the problem with many of Artpop’s songs is they’re very specific about Gaga and leave little space for personalisation and re-interpretation. I can still relate to many of them, but not to the level I did Born This Way or The Fame Monster. Well, Aura is somewhere in-between too personal and relatable. Despite being written about a woman (well, about Gaga herself), I can still see myself in its lyrics. Let’s just say I know well the whole idea of hiding behind a mask (even a negative one as a burka) to protect myself. If we wanted to twist the key-line I used as a starting point for my photo, “my bitchness is protection for the gorgeousness of my heart”. So, here I am modelling for this photo.

Of course, given the feminine subtext of the song, I opted to go back to looking as androgynous as I haven’t in ages – the last time I wore sharp eyeliner must have been around 2011 – but I decided to keep my beard on because, well, I’m not a woman after all. And because I wanted to point out how songs written from a feminine point of view can apply to men as well.

On a side note, at first, I had thought of quoting some famous painting too, which I’m going to do in some other Artpop photos, but I eventually scrapped the idea and just turned Aura on full volume and let it inspire me there and then. I find the result very satisfying and I’m glad this is how I’m opening Gaga’s new era, photography-wise.

Americano

“I met a girl in east L.A,
In floral shorts as sweet as May.
She sang in eights and two barrio chords.
We fell in love, but not in court.

Aaah, America, Americano.
Aaah, America, Americano.

Mis canciones son de la revolución,
Mi corazón me duele por mi generación.
If you love me, we can marry on the west coast
On a wednesday, en el verano en agosto.

I don’t speak your, I don’t speak your
Language, oh no.
I don’t speak your, I won’t speak your
Jesus Cristo.

Aaah, America, Americano.
Aaah, America, Americano.

I will fight for, I have fought for how I love you.
I have cried for, I will die for how I care.
In the mountains, las campanas están sonando.
Todos los chicos y los chicos están besando.

I don’t speak your, I don’t speak your
Language, oh no.
I don’t speak your, I won’t speak your
Jesus Cristo.
I don’t speak your, I don’t speak your
Language, oh no.
I don’t speak your, I won’t speak your
Jesus Cristo.

Aaah, America, Americano.
Aaah, America, Americano.
Aaah, America, Americano.
Aaah, America, Americano.

Don’t you try to catch me,
Don’t you try to catch me,
No, no, no, no.
I’m living on the edge of,
Living on the edge
Of the law, law, law, law.”

[ Americano – Lady Gaga ]

I had this photo in my mind for one good year so far.
Americano was one of those songs which didn’t really catch my attention at first, but with which I fell in love after many listens – and I’ve listened to Born This Way countless times so far. And after falling in love with it, I got the right idea for a nice visual rendition.
I heard about Argentiera, a former mining village on the north-western coast of Sardinia, from my mother years ago, who did a trip there with a friend. She told me about this semi-abandoned village with mining wells, a lot of bare wood and abandoned machinery, and that it had this distinct frontier feel which would have made it the perfect set for some western movie – there was even a saloon-like bar. I kept this idea in the back of my mind aftermaths, until I truly gave Americano a chance, and bam!, there I was. I had never visited that place myself, but I knew it was the right one for shooting this photo, a western-inspired photo of me wearing a cowboy hat I bought some ten years ago during a school trip to Eurodisney.
In time, the village changed: the few residents tried to turn it into a more mainstream touristic place, so most of the old buildings were renovated, the sinkholes were closed, an old mining well building was all painted a horrible white and completely emptied of the original wooden pillars, so the feel was mostly spoiled. Yet, some parts survived as they were, and when mom and I went there at last, they looked exactly how I imagined them, perfect for the photo!
Beside the very unique location I chose for this set, which required a trip while I was at my mother’s for the summer break, another reason for the long wait was purchasing a graphic tablet. The song has a vibing, ironic feel I thought could be best represented with an ironic photo with a “scribbled over” effect done with the tablet. As usual, the wait paid out and the final effect is exactly what I wanted. Yay!

Scheiße

“I don’t speak German but I can if you like, ohw yah.

Ich schleiban austa be clair,
Es kumpent madre monstère.
Aus-be aus-can-be flaugen
Begun be üske but-bair.
Ich schleiban austa be clair,
Es kumpent üske monstère.
Aus-be aus-can-be flaugen,
Fräulein üske-be clair.

I’ll take you out tonight,
Say whatever you like.
Scheiße, scheiße, be mine.
Scheiße, be mine (scheiße, be mine).
Put on a show tonight,
Do whatever you like.
Scheiße, scheiße, be mine.
Scheiße, be mine (scheiße, be mine).

When I’m on a mission
I rebuke my condition:
If you’re a strong female
You don’t need permission.

I, I wish that I could dance on a single prayer.
I, I wish I could be strong without somebody there.
I, I wish that I could dance on a single prayer.
I, I wish I could be strong without the scheiße, yeah.
Without the scheiße, yeah.

I don’t speak German but I wish I could, ohw yah.

Ich schleiban austa be clair,
Es kumpent madre monstère.
Aus-be aus-can-be flaugen
Begun be üske but-bair.
Ich schleiban austa be clair,
Es kumpent üske monstère.
Aus-be aus-can-be flaugen
Fräulein üske-be clair.

Love is objectified by what men say is right.
Scheiße, scheiße be mine,
Oh shit, be mine (oh shit, be mine).
But high-heeled feminist enlisting femmes for this,
Express your womenkind,
Fight for your rights (fight for your rights).

When I’m on a mission
I rebuke my condition:
If you’re a strong female
You don’t need permission.

I, I wish that I could dance on a single prayer.
I, I wish I could be strong without somebody there.
I, I wish that I could dance on a single prayer.
I, I wish I could be strong without the scheiße, yeah.
Without the scheiße, yeah.”

[ Scheiße - Lady Gaga ]

Scheiße is easily one of my favourite Lady Gaga songs. It’s deadly catchy, blends a whole lot of influences and has extremely clever lyrics, both in the messace conveyed and in the use of the fake German monologue (if you have something to say about it, I’ll be glad to discuss it in the comments). Scheiße is also one of Briar Rose’s favourite Gaga songs, as it’s very meaningful to her. No wonder, thus, if I wanted her to model for it.
This photo really went through much tribulation: the idea is perhaps about one year old, but due to several circumstances it had to wait until now - which did really help, as I finally have a full-frame now. Briar Rose and I discussed the idea and the styling months ago, agreed on the details, but missed most of the occasions to shoot it. Finally, we made it happen and it came out almost exactly how I imagined it, but definitely conveying the message and feelings I wanted it to have.

The differences between the original idea and the final outcome are basically two: first, I wanted a brick wall as the background, but eventually the fence worked much better than it would have; secondly, you can’t unfortunately see the top underneath the leather jacket, which was supposed to be part of the concept. There were other shots that showcased it, but I opted for this one because it has the perfect feeling even without it. The idea was to have a lacey, childish top hidden by the leather to symbolize the tough skin women have to grow in today’s society as opposed to the desire for the freedom to be feminine, but Briar Rose’s expression and pose alone do convey this feeling. Despite the outfit, she’s not a prostitute or anything like that, she’s just a woman who’s trying to shield her own womankind from the world by looking harsh and dangerous.

Anyways, we can’t really stay serious for too long, so enjoy our parody of Llama del Rey’s Ride thingie, which unfiortunately is pretty much the total oppposite of Gaga’s empowering, stand-strong, pro-woman message.

Starstruck

“Groove, slam, work it back,
Filter that, baby, bump that track.
Groove, slam, work it back,
Filter that, baby, bump that track.
Groove, slam, work it back.
Space Cowboy, just play that track.
Gaga in the room, so starstruck,
Cherry-cherry-cherry-cherry, boom boom.

Rolling out to the club on the weekend,
Styling out to the beat that you’re freaking,
Fantasize on the track that you’re tweaking,
Blow my heart up.
Put your hands on my waist, pull the fader,
Run it back with original flavor.
Cue me up, I’m the twelve on your table,
I’m so starstruck.

I’m so, I’m so
starstruck,
Baby, ‘cause you blow my heart up.
I’m so starstruck,
Baby, ‘cause you blow my heart up.
I’m so starstruck,
Baby, ‘cause you blow my heart up.
I’m so starstruck,
Baby, ‘cause you blow my heart up.

Baby, now that we’re alone, got a request:
Would you make me number one on your playlist?
Got your Dre headphone with the left side on,
Wanna scratch me back and forth back and forth, uh-huh.
Put your hands on my waist, pull the fader,
Run it back with the original flavour.
Get the breakdown first
Up until the chorus to the verse.

Hey, lil’ mamma, like really-really, is that him?
I haven’t seen you before and you’ve got all them big rims
Into that cash flow, I’m a fan of you, don’t trip,
Shawty say, hand over you signature right here
Like it’s just a dotted line, and I’m supposed to sign.
How she at it, a fanatic, and I think it’s going down.
She so starstruck, the gal all stuck,
I should have had an overdose, too many Starbucks.
Ain’t never seen a baller, paper that’s that taller,
Stunners that let their top back on their Chevy Impalas.
Hummers and all that fully loaded with two spoilers.
What did you call that when you showed up with two dollars?
But that’s another chapter, son of a bachelor.
All on me, just spotted a baby actor,
So please swagger, they’re gonna dagger,
Got what she want, shawty happily ever after.”

[ Starstruck - Lady Gaga ]

I might have stated it repeatedly, but even though I kind of consider myself a Little Monster now, I still have a quite scarce feeling with Gaga’s debut album, The Fame. Out of what she’s done so far, it’s perhaps the most canonical work, with really good songs beside banal or even shallow ones. Although I already have at least sough ideas for such songs as Paparazzi, Just Dance and LoveGame, and love others such as Poker Face, I Like It Rough and Again Again, I find it difficult to relate to most of the other songs from that period and therefore draw inspiration from theme, whereas most of the ideas for The Fame Monster and Born This Way are already fully sketched up in my head.
Nevertheless, when inspiration strikes you can’t ignore it, and this was the case with Starstruck. In this case, it was the star-shaped ceiling light at my friend Mari’s house that gave me the inspiration. I immediately asked our friend Valentina to pose for me, which she accepted, and the photo was quickly taken. There were quite a lof of funny moments, as both of us had to climb on ladders and she was a bit afraid of that, with Mari and her flatmates helping us to keep balance, but when we succeeded it was even more satisfying.
So, her expression, the headphones and, of course, the star-shaped light she’s staring at are all meant to represent the song lyrics and the concept of being starstruck. The shiny bracelet she’s wearing is a fashion detail I thought woud add a nice touch to the photo, which it did. I’m quite happy with this photo and I discovered Valentina is really photogenic, so I’m now looking forward to working with her again soon. Also, I’m glad I got such an idea for this song, as I was afraid it would be harder to represent because it’s not among my favourites.

Fashion

“I am, I’m too fabulous.
I’m so fierce that it’s so nuts.
I live to be model-thin,
Dress me, I’m your mannequin.

J’adore Vivienne, habillez-moi,
Gucci, Fendi, et Prada,
Valentino, Armani too.
Merde, I love them, Jimmy Choo!

Fashion: put it all on me.
Don’t you want to see these clothes on me?
Fashion: put it all on me.
I am anyone you want me to be.
Fashion: put it all on me.
Don’t you want to see these clothes on me?
Fashion: put it all on me.
I am anyone you want me to be.

Ooh la la la,
We love designer.

I need some new stilettos,
Can’t walk down the street in those.
You are who you wear, it’s true,
A girl’s just as hot as the shoes she choose.

J’adore Weitzman, habillez-moi,
Louis, Dolce Gabbana,
Alexander McQueen, eh oh,
Merde, I love those Manolo.

Fashion: put it all on me.
Don’t you want to see these clothes on me?
Fashion: put it all on me.
I am anyone you want me to be.
Fashion: put it all on me.
Don’t you want to see these clothes on me?
Fashion: put it all on me.
I am anyone you want me to be.

Ooh la la la,
We love designer.”

[ Fashion - Lady Gaga ]

The photo for Fashion came as unexpected as the song itself: I had no clue about its existence until I heard it playing from Alessandro Jonah’s computer and totally fell in love with it. Similarly, I didn’t plan to take a Fashion photo during this session - I didn’t even start to think of the concept - but it came out by itself.
I wasn’t even sure if I really liked this photo until I started toying with it in Photoshop to see what I could get out of it and I was blown away. Beside the colours, which were as bright even before I opened it courtesy of the amazing Burano, and Briar Rose who’s totally gorgeous by nature, I love how the dress turned out. You can perfectly see the pattern of the lace and how the light gently draws Briar Rose’s body underneath it. This is everything fashion photography should be about, which is why I give this picture the title.
I’ve also learnt quite a lot about how to handle details in fashion photography from this photo and a little mistake I’ve done (which I won’t reveal, of course!), so it also helped me grow professionally.

Dance In The Dark

“Silicone, saline,
Poison, inject me.
Baby, I’m a free bitch,
I’m a free bitch.

Some girls won’t dance to the beat of the track.
She won’t walk away, but she won’t look back.
She looks good, but her boyfriend says she’s a mess,
She’s a mess, she’s a mess.
Now the girl is stressed,
She’s a mess, she’s a mess,
She’s a mess, she’s a mess.

Baby loves to dance in the dark
‘Cause when he’s looking she falls apart.
Baby loves to dance in the dark.
Baby loves to dance in the dark
‘Cause when he’s looking she falls apart.
Baby loves to dance, loves to dance in the dark.

Run, run, her kiss is a vampire grin.
The Moon lights her way while she’s howling at him.
She looks good, but her boyfriend says she’s a tramp,
She’s a tramp, she’s a vamp.
But she still does her dance,
She’s a tramp, she’s a vamp,
But she still kills the dance.

Baby loves to dance in the dark
‘Cause when he’s looking she falls apart.
Baby loves to dance in the dark.
Baby loves to dance in the dark
‘Cause when he’s looking she falls apart.
Baby loves to dance, loves to dance in the dark.

Marilyn, Judy, S-S-S-S-Sylvia,
Tell ‘em how you feel, girls.
Work your blonde Benét Ramsey,
We’ll haunt like liberace.
Find your freedom in the music,
Find your Jesus, find your Kubrick.
You will never fall apart,
Diana, you’re still in our hearts.
Never let you fall apart,
Together we’ll dance in the dark.”

[ Dance In The Dark - Lady Gaga ]

Funny isn’t it, how the first truly goth-looking photo I’ve taken in months is inspired by Lady Gaga, who so many metalheads, goths and other sub-culture representatives almost demonise as the very epitome of mainstream, sold-out music. Once again, the truth is she’s such a valuable, multifaceted, amazing artist that the very concept of “genre” doesn’t apply to her work. Her songs draw from and can evoke any kind of imagery, even something as gothic as this photo. This is what a complete artist should do, in my opinion.

With this said, this is one of those photos that really speak for themselves. All you can see, from the dim, grazing light to the messy make up and hairdo, up to Deborah’s outfit and, in particular, her expression and pose, is meant to be representing the song lyrics. The final outcome of the photo is exactly what I had in my mind for theis song, but I have to say it was extremely hard to achieve given our lack of studio light. We had to do everything with the afternoon sun through the window with no control over the intensity of the light, waiting for the clouds that were drifting by to regulate it by themselves. I was about to give up, but as usual, when you have to struggle to get something the result is even more satisfying, isn’t it?
On a side note, I mentioned that this photo is much more goth-looking than most of my current stuff, but it still retains a fashionable touch in it, in particular because of what you can see of the outfit. I consider it a good match point of my older and current work.

Alejandro

“I know that we are young and I know you may love me,
But I just can’t be with you like this anymore...
Alejandro.

She’s got both hands in her pocket
And she won’t look at you, won’t look at you.
She hides true love en su bolsillo,
She’s got a halo ‘round her finger, around you.

You know that I love you boy,
Hot like Mexico, rejoice.
At this point I gotta choose,
Nothing to loose.

Don’t call my name, don’t call my name,
Alejandro.
I’m not your babe, I’m not your babe,
Fernando.
Don’t wanna kiss, don’t wanna touch,
Just smoke one cigarette and hush.
Don’t call my name, don’t call my name,
Roberto.

Alejandro, Alejandro.
Ale-Alejandro, Ale-Alejandro.
Alejandro, Alejandro.
Ale-Alejandro, Ale-Alejandro.

Stop, please, just let me go. Alejandro, just let me go.

She’s not broken, she’s just a baby,
But her boyfriend’s like a dad, just like a dad,
And all those flames that burned before him,
Now he’s gonna fight your fight, gonna cool the bad.

You know that I love you boy,
Hot like Mexico, rejoice.
At this point I gotta choose,
Nothing to loose.

Don’t call my name, don’t call my name,
Alejandro.
I’m not your babe, I’m not your babe,
Fernando.
Don’t wanna kiss, don’t wanna touch,
Just smoke one cigarette and hush.
Don’t call my name, don’t call my name,
Roberto.

Alejandro, Alejandro.
Ale-Alejandro, Ale-Alejandro.
Alejandro, Alejandro.
Ale-Alejandro, Ale-Alejandro.

Don’t bother me, don’t bother me,
Alejandro.
Don’t call my name, don’t call my name.
Bye, Fernando.
I’m not your babe, I’m not your babe,
Alejandro.
Don’t wanna kiss, don’t wanna touch,
Fernando.”

[ Alejandro - Lady Gaga ]

Alejandro has been the second song by Lady Gaga I really grew to like and put onto my iPod. Back in the day (we’re talking about 2010) I used to be more of a bigoted metalhead and loathed her on the simple basis that she was Lady Gaga. I mean, come on, she was some blonde popstar who made music for selling and sung about meaningless things like going clubbing and screwing, and her music was banal and commercial. The truth is, (like most metalheads) I did never even care to listen one single album of hers. I just judged her on the basis of my prejudices without even knowing what I was talking about. Indeed, those two songs I had on my iPod had such beautiful music videos that I enjoyed watching, thus I did really listen to them and that’s why I was, like, “okay, they do really sound cool”.
As I mentioned in the Heavy Metal Lover entry, it was Alessandro who eventually forced me to give Gaga a true listen (to The Fame Mosnter), allowing her to conquer me completely, so I really owe much to him in this sense and that’s probably why I tend to picture him in many of my Gaga-inspired works.
Anyways, Alessandro was doubtlessly the best choice for the Alejandro photo becasue... well, try and guess why. It was because of the name, of course, but also because I particularly liked the light I saw on his balcony when I went there to shoot Heavy Metal Lover and, for some unknown reasons, I immediately associated it with the song. Oh, and I adore shooting him whike he’s smoking, and with the cigarette verse and the light which would emphasize the smoke it would have worked perfectly.

Alessandro and I did the styling together, then I did his make up (actually just the eyeshadow) and we were ready to shoot. The photo itself did not require much work except for some attempts with slightly different poses and some work to catch the perfect light, but while I was shooting I already knew what the difficulty would be. For this particular photo I wanted a cross-process kind of postproduction with a blue-greenish hue on the shadows and a yellowish one on the highlights. I had to do some attempts because greenish shadows would result in pink highlights, while yellow highlights would turn the shadows blue, but I eventually succeded in what I had to do. This postproduction also perfectly fit the cyan tones of the glass, so I can say I’m very happy with this photo.
On a side note, Alessandro is a fucking lucky bitch: what you can see in this photo is his actual skin with no make up or Photoshop retouh whatsoever. Now, that is luck. I really wish my skin looked that amazing too...

Amen Fashion

“Dancing in my relevation,
Underground pop civilization.
Concrete poetry to feed my mind,
Old symbolism was left behind.
There’s no way I could be stopped,
Was taking my best shot,
I had a better plan.
There’s no way I could be stopped,
Was coming for your spot,
I met a better men.

Amen on the runway,
Dressed in his best.
Amen fashion on the runway,
Work it, Black Jesus.
Amen on the runway,
Dressed in his best.
Amen fashion on the runway,
Work it, Black Jesus.

Put it on, Amen Fashion.
Celebrate, ooh ooh, a new compassion.
Put it on, Amen Fashion.
Celebrate, ooh ooh, style your passion.
Put it on, Amen Fashion.
Celebrate, ooh ooh, a new compassion.
Put it on, Amen Fashion.
Celebrate, poh ooh, wear out your vision.

Black Jesus, Black Jesus, Black Jesus.
Jesus is the new black, ow!”

[ Black Jesus † Amen Fashion - Lady Gaga ]

The best way to describe this photo is quoting my dear friend Soy Mallika and what she wrote in a comment about it and my own reply to her comment:

† Somehow the pose of Alessandro from this shoot reminds me of you from Inorganic Angel. Maybe is also because of the same symbolism of the aura from behind: here the window, there the wheel. Only here, is clear that is has a more saintly absorption, especially because the background is kind of blurry and give this effect of rays all behind the model. All these (and the chair story) to suggest only one line from the song: “Old symbolism was left behind”! Well, as crazy as you were at the moment, was an impressive idea. Turned out better than you expected.
(Actually it wouldn’t have had the same effect if you would have let the background more sharp. The focus pops up the model this way and was a good choice).
I smiled at the “amen for the fashion man!” and “jesus is the new black”. Not to the lyrics of the song, but to the way you depicted these into your work. This new jesus with bolted belt, cut gothic gloves, Turkish scarf and French hat is really a piece of something! A free saint is the new fallen prophet! Bet you didn’t think exactly this way, but Gaga would be proud!

† Yeah, these two photos do actually share a connection. The idea is quite similar, although opposite in a way. In Inorganic Angel there was an angel-like model with a mundane kind of halo, here in Amen Fashion is a mundane fashion model with a religious background that makes up the halo. So basically the former represents the earthliness of santity, the latter the misticism of mundanity. So yep, I had also Inorganic Angel in my mind while shooting Amen Fashion, they’re sisters, or at least cousins.

Indeed, Inorganic Angel was thrown in the blender when I came up with the idea of this photo and I immediately imagined how taking a complementary photo would help, but I don’t think I consciously realised how Alessandro’s look did actually define the language of what would come out of this shot. I think, though, that such things did subconsciously influence me to make this image how it is now. I really have to thank Mallika for pointing that out.

Enjoy the story of how this photo was actually realised in the description of its “shadow” sister Like A Boss.

Heavy Metal Lover

“I want your whiskey mouth all over my blonde south.
Red wine, cheap perfume, and a filthy pout.
Tonight bring all your friends because a group does it better.
Love is down with a dance: let’s have a full house of leather.

Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-who, ooh-ooh-ooh,
Ooh-ooh-who, ooh-ooh-who,
Heavy metal lover.
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-who, ooh-ooh-ooh,
Ooh-ooh-who, ooh-ooh-who,
Heavy metal lover.

Dirty pony, I can’t wait to hose you down.
You’ve got to earn your leather in this part of town.Dirty girls, in a patch Follow the Remington Rebels.
Let’s raise hell in the streets, drink beer and get into trouble.

Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-who, ooh-ooh-ooh,
Ooh-ooh-who, ooh-ooh-who,
Heavy metal lover.
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-who, ooh-ooh-ooh,
Ooh-ooh-who, ooh-ooh-who,
Heavy metal lover.

I could be your girl-girl-girl, girl-girl-girl,
But would you love me if I ruled the world-world-world?

Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-who, ooh-ooh-ooh,
Ooh-ooh-who, ooh-ooh-who,
Heavy metal lover.

Whip me, slap me, punk funk.
New York clubbers bump-drunk.
Dark like liquorice, bar slam.
Move it, this is your jam.
Wash the night with St. Jameson
Like a baptism,
Heavy metal lovers play,
Baby we were born this way.”

[ Heavy Metal Lover - Lady Gaga ]

Oh yes, folks: this is yaoi and totally Lady Gaga!
First of all, let me introduce to you the model: Alessandro is a friend of mine and he’s the one who made me love Lady Gaga. Like the average metalhead, initially I utterly despised her, then I found out a couple of her songs were a guilty pleasure to me, and then Alessandro basically forced me to really listen to her, which totally conquered me. Heavy Metal Lover is currently my favourite Gaga song and is also one of Alessandro’s favourites. All of the above, combined with the fact he’s one of the hottest boys I know, made him the perfect choice for my co-model in this shot.

Now I’ll introduce to you the photo. I had the idea last September while having dinner at the Chinese right after listening obsessively to this song for the whole afternoon. Suddenly, while I was humming the chorus waiting for my noodles, the image as you see it stuck in my head (except for the model) and I knew I had to do it. Everything, from the poses to the make up, accessories, lighting, hue and Impact font title was there in my mind, so I just texted it on my mobile not to forget it and then transcribed it to a txt file on my computer.
It is interesting to say that I had largely neglected that song for months before I suddenly started obsessing over it and got the inspiration. I subsequently realised that part of it came also from The Fame Monster promotional shoots taken by Heidi Silmane, most notably the frontal light, golden hue and the chains, but that’s unsurprising, given that everything about Gaga is inspiring, from her music to her visuals and character.
Perfect, the idea was there, as clear as day. The problem now was finding a model. I could not ask just anybody randomly because I needed a certain complicity with my “heavy metal lover” in order for the photo to work: basically, I knew that if we did not feel at our ease with each other, the photo would come up totally fake and passionless. That, and I would not have dared to pose (half) naked while hugging and snogging and almost fucking a perfect stranger. I decided to ask Alessandro because we get along well (at least when I’m not trolling him) and after we met for the first time I found out he had much more sex appeal face to face than in his Facebook pictures. I had to work a bit to convince him because of the bare-chested part, but in the end he agreed and we shot.

The shoot was, like, hilarious. I did Alessandro’s make up and hair with much complaint both from him and from me, as I dreaded his indomitable hair but ended up yelling at him after I found out that it was easy to comb (he even had a natrual wave) and he simply never did it. Then I dolled him up with the fetish accessories, with Heavy Metal Lover looping from his laptot all the while. Once again, LunarShore was there to help and assist us. He acted as my “double” while I was setting the camera on the tripod so I could be sure I would not end up out of the frame, and as my “remote control” pushing the button with my settings while I was posing. As you can see from the backstage pictures, there was a huge lot of laughing because I eventually scratched Alessandro, bit his collar, we lost balance multiple times and could not be serious in those making-out poses for more than thirty seconds at a time. Then we decided to shoot the Heavy Metal Barbapapa thing after LunarShore’s idea and that was the end of it all. Fortunately, the photo I wanted had been taken and we were done with the whole ordeal anyways.

So, this is my first serious and openly homoerotic photo and I’m really glad I could finally get it out of my mind after six months. I really have a bunch of such photos written down and patiently waiting for their turn, but some require an ever closer bond between me and the other model, so they’re, well, on hold indefinitely. On the other hand, I’m developing a lot of ideas based on Gaga’s songs, so perhaps that will be my new project, in parallel with the Infernal Lords and the Inspiration Hurts series. I just have to find it a name.