In Your Face: Tyler by Mark Grantham

GRAFFITI sends a message, be it strong, edgy, erotic, colorful, artistic, sexy, imperfect...it is there to make a statement and to be admired...it might be rough around the edges...it invites bad behavior...it pushes boundaries and is often outside the law and in your face...it's unpredictable...you have to steal a second glance...
It sounds a lot like a naked MAN

The naked man in question is Tyler (Ty_E), shot by one of my favorite photographers Mark Grantham. The statements above, part of an upcoming photo exhibit, Man + Graffiti, featuring the sometimes outrageous relationship between the male figure and color urban graffiti. I will share more of the details as it gets closer, but if your in or around the Santa Cruz area in May be sure to check it out!

Combining the male figure with urban graffiti has always been a staple of Mark's work and Tyler is heavily featured in the upcoming exhibit. With his long lean body, Tyler is pretty much perfection and an amazing model to represent what I love so much about Mark's work. Tyler says he has a high tolerance for getting dirty or mildly uncomfortable which is a requirement when your hanging from chains, bending over chairs, and holding on to rusty medal bars in the abandoned buildings and warehouses that provide the setting for Mark's artistry.

Tyler is also the perfect subject for Mark's new book on blurb featuring over 100 images of Tyler. Tyler calls modeling a periodic diversion and also a way to capture how he looks at this point in time. Tyler thrives on exercise and really pushing himself, occasionally to the breaking point. If the weather even hints at being good and he has some free time you'll usually find him on the beaches, probably running.

'Tyler stands out in the crowd. He turns heads. He's nearly fearless, totally uninhibited, enthusiastic, energetic, fairly modest, and very hot. Modeling is a lark to him - just something to do for fun - a chance to show off a bit, although he's still surprised at all the attention too.'
Mark Grantham

Mark reports putting together the book was a long process as he kept photographing Tyler more and more so it never felt quite finished...until now. Check out an incredible 37 page preview with some scorching hot images on blurb HERE: