Sean Johnson’s latest beard video

Image capture: "Online Exclusive: Elliott Heals Christopher"

BEARD THE LION | It’s a few months old, but frankly I could watch men rub beards for hours on end — in fact, if you don’t hear from me in the next few hours, it’s because I’m watching Sean Johnson’s YouTube channel on repeat.

If the models look familiar, that’s because they’re our friends (we go way back) Elliot and Christopher. Ahem, that’s Christopher “PINUPS” Schulz to you.

Mr. Johnson is graduate of SMFA (School of the Museum of Fine Arts). Here’s his take on things.

I see the homosexual man with facial hair as a symbol for masculinity that has been stripped from mainstream gay culture (especially American gay culture). The queer bearded man then becomes the icon of masculinity and a representation of what I feel is somewhat lacking in gay culture.

He goes on:

Aside from the social fetish connection to masculinity, I feel that the beard and the role of the father are connected with a form of dominance in the family. I wanted to have masculine men with facial hair interact in a boyish, playful way, to change the idea of the father from aggressor to something more sensual, thereby queer-ing certain aspects of the ideal family. It may sound confusing, conflicting, and uncomfortable in many ways, but I like the idea of two fully grown men sharing the intimacy of rubbing each others beards together in a private space.

The beard is clearly a fetish for me as well. I love the way it feels on a mans face, I love how it can grow, change shape, color, size, and make a man look older than he is. These differences are all dependent upon the wearer and how he decides to manipulate his beards features; the shaping and growth of it allows him to change his look and ultimately his identity, making the way he is viewed by others changeable and fluid. The videos also focus on how a beard feels through image as well as sound: it’s soft, prickly, fuzzy, and having it rub against your face can be as erotic as kissing.

Hear, hear!

One can purchase a DVD of his video installations (my word, not his) on hisspace.

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