BONDAGE IS BOUNDLESS AT THE EROTIC LOUNGE IN ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

by William Rothstein | March 16, 2008 at 08:12 am

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Text and Photos by WILLIAM ROTHSTEIN

It was quite an unusual sight, even for the Grand Central District’s offbeat artist environment. A young, barefoot, blindfolded man referred to only as "Boy" was hugging a tree on busy Central Avenue, in front of St. Petersburg’s edgy EROTIC LOUNGE @ Gallery 2061. Well, he wasn’t so much "hugging" the tree as he was tied to the tree, with heavy knotted ropes lashing him to the gnarly trunk , his nearly naked form clad only in torn white briefs.

This intriguing performance art piece was the perfect introduction to the latest Erotic Lounge show, titled "Vicarious: Dare To Look" featuring the homo-erotic photography of David Grinnell.

Once inside the gallery, this tree-bound "boy" in briefs seemed almost tame in comparison to the more risque installations awaiting the Opening Night crowd.

On lofty pedestals flanking the far wall stood two nude male models, each clasically posed and holding glass sconces, their modesty somewhat preserved by strategically placed heavy-knotted ropes These "bondage lighting installations" led you past the bar, and into the banquet room, where a slim naked man lounged on the buffet table, casually offering guests strawberries from a silver platter.

At the opposite end of the gallery was yet another nude bondage model who, through some very inventive engineering, had been turned into a lemonade-spewing fountain..

And, while it may seem that these models would steal the show, the true centerpiece of the "Vicarious" exhibit is the stunning photography by acclaimed visual artist and self-described "provocateur photographer" David Grinnell. A Baltimore native, Grinnelle states that he captures his subjects in the same manner as a portrait artist. "Each snapshot takes the viewer much deeper into the world experienced by the subject. Viewers are quietly invited into the setting, to experience the action as if a fly on the wall."

The photography in this comprehensive 20-year retrospective encompasses a wide array of subjects, including portraits, landscapes and fetish, with the male nude at the heart of the collection.. If you "Dare To Look", this groundbreaking show runs through April 15th, 2008 at THE EROTIC LOUNGE @ Gallery 2061, located in St. Petersburg at: 2061 Central Avenue. For further information, please call 727.822.6260