Blue For Boys by Rob Rek - continues the artist's series of male models painted in the photo realistic style with which his work has become synonymous.
The model was chosen for his modern idealized proportions. His sharp facial features and chiseled bare chest are reminiscent of photography by Pierre & Giles or a Jean Paul Gaultier ad campaign.
He is framed by graduating pastel blue tones and embellished with contradictions.
A delicate monarch butterfly rests above his bulging shoulder, contrasting its delicate beauty against his adonis like masculine perfection. This soft feminine reference is then juxtaposed against the rugged sailor's anchor tattoo adorning his alternate bicep.
Blue For Boys subtly questions aging stereotypical views of sexuality and what is still often held up as the ideal of masculinity.