[Sek-See]
A layered interactive zine and joyous love letter; I created this passion project in response to what I saw as a missed opportunity in much of the commercial gay and queer-centric periodicals and publications. This became especially apparent when my husband and I were searching for a new calendar with queer overtones. We wanted something sexy yet tasteful.
We scoured the internet and everything we found was another version of tired gay tropes— unrealistic versions of masculinity, lack of body positivity and a disappointing representation of the queer spectrum. For this publication, I wanted to create a modern homage to the pin-up model: one which challenges the outdated notions of what it means to be sexy.
A Celebration of the Queer Form
I took time with each of these unique humans to get their take on the subject, and was delighted to see some themes emerge as they told their stories. When asked to define the word sexy and describe what that meant for each individual, all of them first pointed to characteristics which had nothing to do with physical appearance. I loved hearing how people were deeply attracted to human qualities and personality traits. They admired others that shared their zest for life, drawn to humans who were self-assured and self aware, and described an intangible pull and chemistry that could only be felt in person.
Each of these subjects has been incredibly generous with their time and have provided us with a glimpse into their personal (and undeniably sexy) photo albums. When choosing these individuals, it was important that they had each found a way to embrace who they are without apology. Confidence is especially sexy, and highlighting an assortment of humans who have learned to love the body they are currently in is meant to inspire others to do the same.
Many spreads in this publication contain and augmented reality component. The X icon sprinkled throughout the zine indicates the option to unlock additional content with your phone or smart device through the Artivive, a playful nod to albums unlocked on queer dating apps.
Audio: "I Feel Love" by Sam Smith
