FEATURE

By Connor Davenport

SLAY IT AGAIN, SAM ARTIST SAM MORRIS SHOWS NO INHIBITION IN HIS EXHIBITION

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SAM MORRIS

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am Morris is often called the modern-day Tom of Finland. Like his predecessor, Sam's work is stylized, homoerotic fetish art that depicts the quintessential gay male. However, where Tom of Finland celebrated men with extreme muscular body types, often performing aggressive sex acts, Sam's work tends to focus on the handsome but relatable 'boy next door' gay man. "I aim to create an aesthetic that is romantic, yet sexy," he explains. "My work invites the viewer to fantasize over the man they have a crush on at work, or maybe the one that works at the local coffee shop or the DILF they are secretly following on social media."

We caught up with the Berlin-based artist when he was in Miami last month, exhibiting his work at Art Gaysel. Connor Davenport: How would you define your unique take on gay eroticism? Sam Morris: I use lots of different art mediums to explore the male form. At Art Gaysel, I showed some of my photographic prints, film work, paintings and sculptures. It was a pretty confronting exhibit with many different expressions of the body and sexuality. CD: What would you say is the most beautiful part of a man's body? SM: The penis. It's where we place a lot of our power, shame, motivation, emotion, sexuality. It's the hidden facet of each of us that we're all dying to reveal. CD: How has technology, social media, and the hookup culture impacted your work? SM: I'm a child of the internet, for sure. Social media has helped me connect my work with others. CD: How do you keep your followers engaged? SM: I work very hard on producing the work that I do and I'm constantly sharing different parts of my work. I'm lucky that people want to see it. CD: Who are the men featured in your images? SM: I shoot guys from all over the world.

12 WIREMAG.COM #2 2020