CThru.com Presents Tony Ward

The Fairy Of Pirate's Alley

Posted by Charlene Lanzel

……….I was living in New Orleans’ French Quarter for the winter season in 2007. I fell in love with the city and its past, and became curious of the history of Exchange Alley where I was living. My husband (Ronnie Magri) and I decided to do some research, and headed over to the Historical Society on Chartres Street. What we found was that the infamous painter Edgar Degas had once owned property across the alley from our building. I began studying Degas’ life and discovered he was an avid drinker of Absinthe. I had heard many tales of the mysterious wormwood elixir and longed to try it. After all, it seemed to be the official drink of some of history’s greatest artists!

The Devil Drinks Absinthe

Absinthe is said to evoke the spirit of “La Fee Verte” or “The Green Fairy”. I learned that Absinthe was being served at The Pirate’s Alley Cafe, just a few blocks away. So, my husband and I headed over for my first taste. These two painting’s, “The Devil Drinks Absinthe” and “The Fairy of Pirate’s Alley” are the documentation of that night. They are portraits of myself an my husband, sitting across the table from each other in Pirate’s Alley, experiencing the effects of the notorious drink. We have since become Absinthe snobs and enjoy trying different brands from around the world.

……….To learn more about Charlene Lanzel’s work log on to www.CharleneLanzel.com.

Posted by Lady C

It is no secret that finding the perfect partner is a daunting, perilous task.  Women expose their hearts to the world on a daily basis and hope to get them back in one piece.  And because there aren’t enough Romeos to go around, I have seen a lot of hearts in need of mending.  So many women I know have what men tend to refer to as “baggage.”  They are jealous, suspicious and insecure.  I have been through some tough relationships, and admittedly have had some baggage of my own…  I didn’t trust men, thought them all to be filthy, lying chauvinist (if one, two, three are, they all must be).  I assumed every male who engaged me in conversation had a hidden agenda (which often proved to be true).  After a particularly enraging breakup, I had the idea to swear off men…  and I began referring to myself as an aspiring lesbian.  My proclamation was half in jest, but after subjecting myself to the doings of men, I’ve almost convinced myself that my most compatible partner may actually be a woman.

  The male response to such a statement is usually, “You’ll regret it.  Women are complicated, you have no idea what dating one is like!”  Even one of my closest lesbian friends agreed that my hypothetical attempt would most likely be an unfruitful one.  But my rationalization is this:  If women are (so lovingly dubbed by men) the complicated, emotional, irrational sex, who could understand a woman better than another woman?  The only flaw in my plan, as many people have pointed out, is I am not attracted to women or even to the idea of a perfect relationship QUITE enough to desire women sexually.  Oh, I agree women are beautiful!  Throughout art history, no subject has been so admired as the female form.  I love an attractive, intelligent, powerful female just as much as the next borderline feminist…  but despite my revelations and rationalizations, my relationships with females have never become sexual.  So I began another heterosexual relationship.  And as the cycle goes, once I get fed up with being lied to and cheated on, being told I’m too sensitive or think too much, I find hope in the fact that under all my new baggage I can proudly call myself an aspiring lesbian.  -Lady C

True Love

Posted by Alex Remnick

The series is called “Mike and Kate” and it depicts an actual couple, who have been dating for over a year now. While shooting, I worked with the following guidelines in mind.

•Neglect the inclination to overly display or emphasize the presence of nudity
•Attempt to realistically and objectively depict the dynamic of a relationship outside of the public eye
•Draw symbolism from the seemingly un-symbolic space in which the shoot took place
Nothing in this shoot was set up, except for the fact that Mike was nude. I left for a few minutes to get more film, and when I got back, Mike was playing his guitar. Kate removed her bathrobe in the last few images because she thought she looked silly in her bathrobe.

Mike And Kate

These images are about true love, and what that term really means. Not true love in the fairy tale sense of the word where a poor young orphan meets a prince and they live happily ever after, but rather, what love truly means. Mike and Kate have definitely had their share of fights, but they can always count on being able to come back to these moments. They can always hang out half-clothed on a Sunday afternoon, do nothing, and be happy just to be together.

…….Alex Remnick is studying photography at the University of Pennsylvania.

Portrait Of Yoko, New Years Eve, 2009

Posted by Yoko Grosshans

……..Ever since I was three years old, my parents’ traveled a lot. From that early age I had a golden opportunity to visit places all around the world. My father’s job as an environmental chemical engineer, required extensive travel and not wanting to miss time spent with his children and wife, he chose to bring us along on many occasions. Mom and dad instilled in me a passion for having an open mind to new and different cultures which eventually led to my yearning to become a photojournalist.

Traveler

In my early teens, dad introduced me to photography which taught me the importance of developing both verbal and visual communications. Those early influences got me interested in studying photography and communications in college at Temple University and Tyler School of Art. I remember the very first photographic opportunity, when I traveled throughout Southeast Asia for a year with camera in hand like it was yesterday. I spent four months in India where I had the pleasure of studying with the gracious, tender and loving Dalai Lama for an extended period.

Yoko's Lingerie By Victoria's Secret

Richard Gere happened to be visiting his holiness at the same time, which made the experience additionally memorable. I would have to write a book to express all the other experiences I treasured while visiting the ancient country of India. The 4 months I spent in Nepal were also incredibly memorable. To live on a mountaintop and wake up every morning surrounded by the Himalayas is indescribable.

Yoko's Makeup Ashley Bohl For Mac

The time I spent in Thailand was beautifully crazy, if that makes any sense. In Bangkok, The Red Light District brought me a sense of sadness, but the full moon parties were a blast. I enjoyed the islands which were so calm and serene and where I also learned to scuba dive was a cherished moment . How does one sum up year’s worth of experience? Perhaps there will be more stories to tell…..

Mashed Up

Posted by Chantal van Duppen

……We started Mashed Up simply because we love to create worlds and bring stories to life. Life would be too boring if we did not have the chance to paint the colors more intense and bright. We are currently teaming up with a photographer, make up artist and an editor to realize our upcoming projects. We see ourselves as story tellers that direct photo shoots. Our ultimate goal is to be art directors for advertising, fashion, lifestyle and music clients. We also have our own view on life that we want to bring forward in our free work.

An image tells an unfinished story. It is up to the viewer to ask himself, what has happened and how the story finishes, because in the end the image will always belong to the viewer, and truth lies within the experience of it. We say that “we design the experience”, and “everyone has their own experience, we design yours”.

Photos by Eric Soenens

In life, we are inspired by contradictions, history, the human ego, sex, violence, instincts, urges and spirituality. In our free work we find the human flaws the most interesting and beautiful subjects to investigate. Faces, attitudes, and postures make us wonder what is hidden beyond the surface. We believe in a system of life which connects people and events tp each other. As different forms of art can be connected to each other, we came up with the name, Mashed Up, which is derived from the term “mash up” (song or composition created by blending two or more songs by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the music track of another).

Duo

As a duo, our interests and backgrounds are interrelated. While Iris has a passion for poetry, narrative literature and dance, Chantal loves photography, film, art and graphic design. This combination makes us work well together. Furthermore, having a commercial background in marketing we have both learned to merge into a business driven environment as well.

Iris And Chantal

www.MashedUp.nl

…..to be continued….

Love Meter

Posted by John Gialuco

Lou-pop had been drawing cartoon characters for a few years and once in a while he would mention Bettie Page, a model and dancer during the 40’s and 50’s. When Lou showed me his latest scantily dressed Betty Boop drawings, he would have this sheepishly looking smile on his craggy face. I could see that he wanted approval for this risque moment. Some weeks later I brought him a group of nude photos I printed from Betty Page and Marlyn Monroe magazine spreads. He quickly stuck them under his 1940s something coffee table in his living room. Lou-pop had a lot of beautiful living room furniture form those earlier years.

I had peaked his desire to enter the soft porn artistic realm and he became more free spirited with his drawings. He eventually migrated to hard core porn in the months that followed. Louie’s favorite subject was Betty Boop, who for her time, was a sexually titillating cartoon character. Betty made her first appearance on August 9, 1930 in the cartoon, Dizzy Dishes.

One day I received a complete nude drawing of Marilyn Monroe in the mail from Lou, later to be followed by other nudes and a Betty Boop drawing in a sexual situation. Lou-pop was hitting home runs with his money shots. When my wife and I visited him, he would respectfully wait until Amy left the room, and then he would quickly pull out his latest naughty drawings and wait for my response, in which I was always encouraging him to do more of. He had a lot of fun with these heroines of his youth and was finally able to express his sexual love and desires for this much repressed era.

Our child within always needs acknowledgment throughout our lives. In time we would get a holiday card of Betty Boop or some other voluptuous blond in various tantric like positions from Louie. They always had a fun context and I found them to be very innocent as lovemaking usually is. Lou and Uncle Gus are examples of how we can age gracefully in our modern time. They used their expression of sexual desire as a way of adornment and compliments to women’s bodies. In our society’s schizoid integration of sex and morality, it seems that we must wait until our senior years to reveal our natural desire of affection for each other.

He started drawing around the age of 85, first interpreting TV Guide images, cartoons, ads and later progressing to the Smithsonian and other more refined magazines. Lou-pop had no art training during his life. Only the desire to express life as best as he could. I would call him an Outside artist. Louis Dominic Colagreco died on September 22, 2009 at the age of 93. RIP

Mr. John

Two Brunettes

Louie Porn

Nude Boop

Lou-Pop Porn

Sexometer

Lou-Pop

Melissa Norbeck

Posted by Melissa Norbeck

I just don’t get it! You think things are going pretty well with a guy, and you think it may actually have the potential to turn into something, but no, he just stops calling. What makes a guy decide not to call or come around anymore? What turns men off? Is it a girl who gets too drunk, a girl who does drugs, a girl who has kids, a girl who talks about an ex, or maybe a girl who’s too clingy? Really, I’d like to know.

I consider myself pretty picky when it comes to men. However, I’m not saying I always make the right choices; I definitely picked some bad ones. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever picked the right one. I guess that’s one of the reasons why I’m single. Getting married was never really high on my priority list (obviously, since I’m still not married, and I’m 33). Going to college, receiving a degree, and starting a career were important goals I set for myself. Now that I have earned two degrees and began my career, I am focused on buying my own house. I feel like the relationship and marriage thing will fall into place when the time is right. Society looks at those who are single like there’s something wrong with them. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard, “Why are you single?” or “You’re pretty. How come you don’t have a boyfriend?” It kills me because many of the people who ask those kinds of questions or who are in relationships shouldn’t even be in the relationships they’re in. Besides, what’s wrong with being single?

But anyway, except for the few long term boyfriends I’ve had, the times I start talking to guys and actually like them (which is rare), it just ends. I’m curious what makes certain guys stay with certain girls and what make other guys want to move on so quickly. There are many people who are in relationships and many guys willing to be in relationships, but I always seem to find the ones who don’t want relationships. Maybe I am too picky. Maybe I let the good ones get away. Maybe I give off the vibe that I don’t want a relationship. Oh, and I’ve heard I’m unapproachable. That’s a good one. The guys who are interested in me, I’m not interested in them. I mean it’s not hard to find a boyfriend; it’s just hard to find a good one. Also, I think many guys are mostly looking to just get laid. If a girl gives it up the first night, the guy usually doesn’t call since he already got what he wanted. But if a girl doesn’t give up enough, the guy doesn’t call anyway because why does he want to bother with a girl who won’t have sex with him. And guys say we’re hard to understand.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my life, and I enjoy being single (most of the time). I just want to know what the deal is!! So – all you men out there – what turns you off?

Yoko, Palomar Hotel, New Years Eve, 2009

…….The Studio wishes everyone love, peace and happiness in 2010…………TW

. Yoko’s lingerie Victoria’s Secret
. Makeup by Mac
. Makeup artist Ashley Bohl

Julia

…..When Julia’s husband called the studio he sounded like any doting husband that gushed about how beautiful his wife was. The conversation invariably led to, “would you be interested in photographing Julia”? I gave him the customary answer, to send some pictures along via email for a quick revue. The husband is Dutch from Amsterdam where they met and live. Julia is from Bratislava, the capitol of the Slovak Republic, with a population of about 429,000, also the country’s largest city.

Julia in Bathroom, Topless

The email images were satisfactory, so I arranged to meet the couple at my apartment in Amsterdam, where we made plans to produce the shoot.

Julia At The Canal

The husband dreamed of his wife appearing in the pages of Penthouse…….

Red Light District

She was Penthouse material……….

Penthouse Pet Of The Year