




Stuart Sandford is an artist from the UK working internationally. His work has been described as “like Nan Goldin meets MySpace” and “a queer-Brit Terry Richardson”. As well as hot boys, his practice is concerned with modes of representation, public/private dualities, authorship and the role of the image-maker. We caught up with Stuart and posed him with some probing questions.
You are from Sheffield England, what’s that like? How are the boys there? Is there a “scene” is it mixed, gay etc?
Well, I have a lot of love for Sheffield, it’s my hometown. It used to be world-famous for it’s steel but more recently it’s trying to redefine itself as a city of culture, like most post-industrial UK cities. It has a pretty good music scene, the art scene is interesting and, yeah, some of the boys are hot because it’s quite a big university city but, for the fifth biggest city in the UK, the scene is pretty much non-existent. I think there’s maybe three gay bars now and one on-off club. Pretty poor.
What’s your story… so far?
I was born, I grew up. I discovered cocks and asses and started to take pictures and make videos about them… I also studied fine art, politics, philosophy and psychology, did some acting, wrote some scripts and books and stories, co-edited a gay zine, made some short films, travelled as much as possible and have lived in Finland, the Netherlands and Germany.
Where are you at the moment, and what are you wearing?
Right now I’m at my lovely mum’s place looking out of the window at a very grey and rainy day and wearing some comfy old clothes.
You have been spending time in Berlin, is this because of the boys, the bratwurst?
Oh the boys AND the bratwurst. Actually my Polish friend Lukasz and I have this idea that Berlin is the final frontier, anything goes there. Where else can you see a bunch of hot international boys sticking their dicks through glory holes onstage with Vaginal Davies singing along? And in agallery too.
Who are your photographic idols?
Robert Mapplethorpe would be the first one. Wolfgang Tillmans, Terry Richardson and the Bechers too.
How important an issue is sexuality in your work?
Sexuality is important in my work and specifically gay stories do need to be told. However, I don’t look at my work as gay, I don’t even look at myself as a gay man. I identify more with queer and with all the connotations that word holds and like to think of the work as omnisexual rather than homosexual.
Do you think there is an alternative gay culture emerging, that rejects some of the traditional gay stereotypes?
Sure and it’s been emerging for a number of years. Taking Berlin as an example, there’s a huge scene there of the scruffy gay guy, you know the kind, stubble, messy hair, the kind of gay man that would never dream of dancing with their tops off to Madonna, the kind that drinks 10 beers and gets a kebab on the way. My kind of guy.
Digital or film, which do you prefer?
Well, it’s whatever’ s right for the job at hand. I use film for my photographic work and digital for my video work. Both have their benefits.
Who would you most like to photograph, and why?
Right now, Patrick Wolf. I’m a fan of his music, especially his last album, The Magic Position. I think we could come up with something interesting together so, Patrick, if you’re reading this, get in touch. Oh yeah and he’s pretty damn hot too.
In your recent publication ‘Cumfaces’, (which we love!) How did you select your subjects? Are they ex’s or on your ‘wish list’?
They were all selected via good ol’ MySpace. Most of them were either linked to me already as friends or came to me through other friends. I asked them to take a photo of themselves, or get someone to give them a hand, and then on the brink of orgasm take the photo. There were three requirements. 1) the final image had to be landscape 2) it had to take place on your bed and 3) it had to be just head and shoulders. In a way I wanted to have this distance from them and, even though I asked a few close friends to do it as well as my boyfriend, and even did one myself, they didn’t really work as well.
What’s your favorite band at the moment?
Fave bands of the moment (and always) are The Knife and Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine.
What’s your new year’s resolution for 2008?
I didn’t make one, I never do. I always think that if there’s something you want to do or need to do, you should go out and do it now. Why wait another year you lazy bastard?
To get a copy of Stuart Sandford’s limited edition publication ‘Cumfaces’ visit the EVB store.