Into the Shadows the Goth-erotic Photography of Adrian Welch "It seems only natural that there should be people who prefer dark to light, rain to sun...  Nature preserves a balance whether we choose to believe it or not; there is no good without bad, no light without dark."

Adrian Welch

Kindred

Adrian Welch's world is an underground necropolis of sinful pleasure where demon-goddesses lurk behind crumbling gravestones waiting to seduce the innocent into the grave; where phantoms gather like mist in voluptuous undulation amidst a bitter-sweet landscape of death and rebirth;  where gods strike Jesus-Christ poses and seduce the viewer with the promise of life eternal.  His visions both stir and haunt the sensibilities, evoking the mysteries of fear and lust on both a primal and intellectual level that is utterly seductive.

It is curious how you can see someone's artwork and feel an immediate bond with that person even though you've never met;  as if you were kindred spirits--two souls that once touched in a fleeting embrace in some faraway never-never land, only to be separated again until that pinnacle moment when you meet once again.
 
 

Adrian Welch is such a soul. Adrian uses himself as a model for many of his works, as self-portrait.  In all ways his work is a reflection of himself. "I  feature myself in photos whenever possible, although it's a bit tricky and I'm actually kinda camera shy.  My favorite piece with me in it is "Bad Boy", which I submitted as a self-portrait for an art class once.  My teacher had an absolute heart attack....(evil grin)."

Adrian Welch: Bad Boy

Of Gods and Men

"I find there's a noticeable shortage of tasteful male erotica that is not beefcake, pornographic, or cheesy, which is a real shame.  Photographing nothing but female nudes and/or hetero themes seems somewhat limiting to me; sexuality encompasses so much more delicious variety than that, the majority of which never gets depicted decently."

Much of what we consider erotic in dark art has to do with the portrayal of women: the submissive, the seductress, the femme fatale.  Adrian Welch portrays men in a way that is sensual, beautiful and utterly fuckable: the boy, the god and the beast.  To say that I was completely blown away by the beauty and depth of his work is an understatement.  I felt a mystery about it, a subtle sensuality that drew me in and threatened to drown me with emotion, like a fairy tale Ophelia amidst her watery grave.  The more I saw, the more I wanted to taste, to devour, to consume.  And, the more I learned of the man behind the visions, the words, the more haunted and fascinated I became.

The Mind-Fuck

"Erotica is the art of sexually arousing the mind.  Good erotica leaves plenty to the imagination that it stimulates, using high impact composition rich in sexual tension and drama.  It's normal to be aroused by sexual imagery, and to enjoy it."

Adrian's art consumes the viewer on many levels.  It is not only provocative in an erotic sense, but revealing in a deep subconscious level, telling much about the artist behind the lens.

His work is a haunting phantasmagoria of erotic and surreal imagery that reflect his own deep desires, the gothic and fetish subculture in which he dwells, his enigmatic vision and imagination.

"Fetish is all about dominance and submission, which are the essential forces of sexuality.  It's also about degenderizing those experiences, because control and surrender are universal. Acceptance of strong sensations and emotions is exciting and psychologically healthy.

I choose to depict as many aspects of sexuality as possible, because I believe everything we have the urge to do is natural. We are animals, after all...'

Of Man and Beast

"I guess my primary basic belief is that Man is an animal and part of  nature, which makes our sexual expression a very natural thing.  And yet we also have this link to the subconscious world, from which comes our fantasies and other psychological phenomenon.  Most of my work has this surreal aspect to it because I try to blend the carnal with the spiritual in my imagery."

It is Adrian's voyeuristic eye we see revealing the images; the lines and composition, the color and form; all artistically arranged into an evocative image leaving the viewer yearning for more.  It is the ambiguous nature of his works--so subtle and sublime--that makes one want to crawl inside them and die.

"My beliefs, my past, and the things I'm attracted to influence me.
History, mythology, nature, and of course sex, are all favorite themes of mine.  I'm inspired by different kinds of beauty, and reflect them in my work wherever possible.

I've been drawing and writing since I was in grade school, but it wasn't until the advent of digital art that I had the means to take my work to
the next level.  Something really special started happening when I combined the camera with the computer, and when people started taking notice, I knew I was onto something."
 

Beyond Photography

Adrian Welch is an extremely talented, multi-faceted artist.  Although his tool of choice is the camera (which he uses to create beautiful imagery through the combination of photography and graphic manipulation) he is also a writer, a filmmaker, a self-proclaimed goth-fetish-pagan, a philosopher, a dreamer, and a martial arts/creative re-enactment enthusiast who fashions leather and chainmail garments.

"I've always wanted a video camera, because with it you can create art
that is akin to virtual reality; there is music and acting to bring the message across on multiple levels.  With a good DV cam, you can also use the stills to make art with, and you have a million stills to choose from.
I'm currently shooting short sequences for a video montage.  Before that, I directed a twenty minute X-rated bondage video, which was done as a
tasteful fantasy sequence.'

"I always wanted to do a graphic novel.  The manuscript I wrote (a science-fiction novel) was originally supposed to be the script for the graphic novel itself.  I intend to revise it soon, and start posting chapter installments on the web, since I don't have the time to take it further at this point.  I'm told it's a pretty compelling read, even in its  present state.'

"I've also always wanted to do music video, or even a short film.  I love
eye candy films, particularly historical or fantasy ones like Sleepy Hollow or Legend.  I would love to have Tim Burton's  job. Having a book of my work out in print would be very cool.  Right now  I'm working on a 'virtual coffee table art book', with music, poetry, etc.
I'll be making it available over the Web once it's completed."
 
 

Lurking the Net

With internet expanding wildly, there seems no limit to the possibilities for artists and writers alike.  Adrian Welch has enjoyed the exposure that the 'net has given him to make his art available to a wider audience.

"I can't think of a more effective promotional and networking tool for an
artist than the 'Net.  Hundreds of people from around the world see my work every day, and it blows my mind.  I've met many invaluable people such as Heather Corinna, who have helped me a lot, and for that I'm very grateful.'

"My work has been published in Scarlet Letters Journal of Femmerotica,
and this Fall in Cupido Magazine of Norway and Denmark.  My work has been featured online through The Slave Journal, and in various galleries and nightclubs, including ManRay in Cambridge, MA and Fire & Ice in Miami, FL.  I think my art is popular with the "femmerotic" audience because sex is seldom depicted with any grace or dignity these days.  Subject matter such as oral sex, homoerotica, & transgendered imagery all tend to be tacky, pornographic, and crude.'

"Another thing is, my work is controversial.  I frequently depict graphic
sex acts without any real nudity by legal definition; guess how many buttons that pushes?   How about genuinely romantic homoerotica?  It's hard to find, but people do want it, and not a lot of artists are doing it. The fact is, women enjoy sexual imagery as much as men do, provided the material is not also delivering the message that sex is ugly, dirty, or dumb.  I found this was a niche I could fill, and I'm happy to do it. There is a big audience for "high-brow" porn, and it appears to be world wide.