Author(s): Stefan Ruiz

Photography

"San Francisco Berlin" features straight portraits of gay men geared up for play, shot in an improvised street studio over fetish-themed weekends, in the two cities that between them have defined the aesthetics and social character of the contemporary gay scene. Ruizs pictures are documentary, while at the same time reflecting the crafted image of the subject; many are sexy, some are sad, some for instance the master and slave photographs are provocative. With texts drawn from interviews with some of the subjects, and an introduction by Chris Boot, this book is an entertainment in fashion and style, and a serious consideration of the origins and expression of contemporary gay sexual identity.