i only took one photograph the first time i went to Paris. Mel and i were eating at this fabulous little bistro in the Latin quarter and she saw the Taschen store from our table, i thought this was coolest thing and we made a plan to come back first thing in the morning which turned into first thing in the afternoon but nevermind all that we went into the shop and across the room in back there it sat, the biggest hugest monster of a book i had ever come across. it must have weighed about forty pounds and it was Tom of Finland, god it was sexy. i opened it up and laid it out on the table. it was an illustration spread of about five muscular men with cocks bigger than Jesus in a forest watching as a naked man tied to a tree got his ass whipped. the man holding the whip had a cigarette dangling from his half smile. i had never been so turned on by a drawing before, i didn’t even know it was possible. the reflection of the store window hit the page in a way that made the work glow and i had a silent little moment right then and there. a few days later in Le Marais we stumbled upon a wall with a huge Tom of Finland drawing and text about an art opening. needless to say this piqued my curiosity and i went to the wall and then i noticed a door and then i opened the door which was very heavy and i only got it about four inches and it closed with a thud but before it did i saw a red glow and heard a dull thumping of electronic music from inside and i looked back at Mel with an Alice in Wonderland sort of smile and i attempted to open the door again and the same thing happened and i knew that i needed to be in there and third times a charm and this time it opened all the way and there i was standing in the front door of this amazing gay bdsm boutique filled with all sorts of masks and hoods not unlike the one in this image and i felt kid in a candy store, a french candy store, and that night i thought about how life is filled with these precious little moments that add up and become an experience and how magical the whole thing is.
http://www.dominarosafletcher.com/