About

He Knows the Meaning of Wood

He is a male Las Vegas artist who is openly gay. Madeira Desouza was born in what was once a small town in California’s central coast region.

His pen name grew from his Portuguese heritage and parents Edward and Evelyn Goulart. He was given the first name of Elwood but most people refer to him by his nickname, Woody. The word madeira is Portuguese for wood. The surname Desouza is a variation of the surname Souza from his mother’s side.

He Wants You to Rethink Masculinity

He consistently creates artworks which present a unique and challenging representation of what makes a person masculine to encourage his viewers to rethink their perceptions and beliefs about masculinity. His art is within the bara underground art genre and as is typical of this genre, Madeira Desouza’s artworks are known for featuring hypermasculine men, muscular, aggressive, and sexualized, often in stark contrast to the conventional portrayal of masculinity in mainstream media. The art of Madeira Desouza challenges the traditional notions of masculinity as a stoic and dominant force, instead portraying it as complicated, fluid, and at times, unstable.

Moreover, Madeira Desouza’s artwork is influenced by the cultural and societal shifts he witnesses as a gay man living in Las Vegas, where masculinity is often exaggerated and performed for a public audience (as seen nightly in the Fremont Street male street performers who invite visitors to pay $20 for the chance to kick them in their balls.) As an LGBTQ artist, Madeira Desouza’s work is inherently political and socially combative since his art pushes against the binary constraints of gender and queers upending the mainstream perceptions of masculinity.

Challenges to Conventional Norms and Beliefs

His art offers an alternative and unconventional representation of masculinity by challenging the traditional notions of who men are supposed to be. Through his artwork, he dismantles toxic masculinity as defined by feminists and he creates space for diversity and fluidity in the understanding of male gender. His art encourages critical thinking and challenges viewers to consider their own beliefs and biases that form the basis for perceptions of manhood and manliness based upon real-world traits that men genuinely show.

His art is a provocative and challenging exploration of gender, power, and sexuality. It engages with complex and controversial themes in ways that go against the conventional norms and beliefs, while also raising important questions about representation, objectification, and the physical and emotion harm men can cause other men. As such, artist Madeira Desouza is an active and ongoing contribution to emerging social considerations of gender, sexuality, and representation in contemporary art and broader society.

Commentary by Madeira Desouza

Two Spanish men, Salvador Dali and Joan Miro, had a profound influence upon me as international artists dating back to the time when I was a boy. As an adult I became interested in the work of underground artists such as Dom “Etienne” Orejudos and Tom of Finland. The 3D digital male images that I create today have a direct link back to established traditions of surreal art and underground art that appeal to those who enjoy viewing male images while getting an emotional kick out of the experience.

Bara Underground Art Genre / Gay Surreal Art / Underground Art /

Definitions:

ART:  Skills and techniques put to the craft of creating digital or physical works that are usually produced with the intention of being viewed, collected, studied and discussed by the viewers.
BARA:  Originating in Japan in the 20th century, the bara underground art genre is created by gay men for gay men depicting man-on-man same-sex feelings, a clear sexual identity of masculine men, and stories of man-on-man behaviors which can be aggressive, violent, or exploitative. Discover more about bara.
GAY:  Pertaining to males who are homosexual or men who enjoy having sex with men.
SURREAL:  Exhibiting attributes of dream-like or nightmarish experiences that can result in a wide range of emotional responses in the mind of the viewer.
UNDERGROUND:  Taboo works or creations that are for other reasons outside the mainstream.

These images in this section of the website are presented considered as fair use because they are used solely for criticism, comment, teaching, scholarship, and research. All image copyrights are held by the originating artists or their estates.

I have recommendations for you to search for: Dom “Etienne” Orejudos was an American artist who drew masculine men in highly controversial BDSM poses and situations during the 1970s and 1980s, for example. My creation of digital imagery using 3D tools was also influenced by Touko Laaksonen (better known to the English-speaking world as Tom of Finland) whose gay art was first were published in the United States in the late 1950s.

These two men led the way in the production of art with an imaginary, surreal, exaggerated focus upon the male body, masculinity, and homosexual male sexuality. Other content creators like me who attempt similar surreal or underground works owe a debt to them both and we must respect the pioneering for which they were uniquely responsible.

Dom “Etienne” Orejudos

There are some gay men who never care to look at art that is intended for a gay male audience. I had been one of them. Then, one day I accidentally saw the works of Etienne while browsing online and I was blown away!

I immediately wished that I had taken the time to study gay art because I realized I had missed out on a terrific experience. Although Etienne worked primarily in black and white line drawings, to me, he seemed almost magical for the ways in which he knew exactly how to create surreal, exaggerated men who are so instantly appealing. Is it the shapes of the bodies that the Etienne men have? Is it their expressive faces? Is it the dramatic and emotional situations in which he places his men? It is all of these things and more.

To be honest, there is also a troubling violence and violation in many of the works of Etienne. No question about that. Violence and sex have some linkage that many people probably would rather deny and never consider. But, the linkage is there to be found. Without it, Etienne could not have drawn the men and the situations that he drew. His efforts would have been disregarded had there been no connection whatsoever violence and sex.

This is a challenging and controversial matter which inevitably poses many tough questions about how and why sexualized violence can become an element of an gay male artist’s expression. Etienne does not deserve credit or blame as the originator of these kinds of often disturbing visual depictions in gay surreal art. I think that he is notable because he bravely chose to create gay surreal art that some consider to be disturbing.

Tom of Finland

Immediately after I learned of Etienne, I was thrilled to find the works of Tom of Finland. He is perhaps the most famous artists of the 20th century for gay men. His prolific BDSM themed creations, which were born of post-World War II European sensibilities, demonstrate a most definite respect for (and awe of) highly masculine males. Tom of Finland also does not shy away from male-on-male brutality in the context of sexual conquests.

Tom of Finland is often remembered for his vividly depictions of the homoerotic aspects of Nazi Germany during the 1940s, especially uniformed men with intense masculinity. He is also one of the most prominent artists to explore the gay male’s lust for masculine cowboys in sexual situations involving danger.

The heterosexual majority certainly may choose to shun surreal depictions of male instincts and behaviors towards other males such as sexualized violence. Yet, these were brought unashamedly to the public in print media during the 20th century by Etienne and Tom of Finland.

What mainstream society chooses to avoid, however, should hold little persuasive value to us gay men, per se. We gay men have always known how to be honest about what we like and we are at our best when we go after what we like passionately. I recommend that we gay men should take time to learn about artists like Etienne and Tom of Finland in their own context, but especially because their surreal masculine male art survived them.

Greek and Roman Influences

Depending on the breadth and quality of your formal education, you may have been introduced to the crucial role that culture and society play in the development of artistic sensibilities and works of art. Much of what we embrace today in Western society regarding artistic expression descended to us courtesy of Greece and Rome from thousands of years ago.

One can easily find artifacts online and in museums from both of those classic civilizations that depict male-on-male sexual behaviors and violence among men. Although the word homosexual was not coined until the late 1800s, thousands of years earlier (with or without any name for it) the ancient Greeks and Romans accepted that human nature included men who had sex with men. That men did violence to other men was also well known and accepted as a basic fact of life in those long ago times.

Today, it is tempting for us to think that human nature and behavior has changed significantly over time, especially due to advances in technology to make our lives more civilized. But, when it comes to sex and violence, it probably would be wise to ponder whether human nature has really changed all that much over hundreds of centuries.

Asian Influences

After learning to appreciate the works of Etienne and Tom of Finland, I found the artistic works of two gay male artists from Japan.

First, I became aware of Sadao Hasegawa, who created unforgettable and surreal images that mix vivid aesthetic beauty in males with shockingly horrible, violent fates. Hasegawa’s work pays homage to the well-known Japanese artistic style favoring bright color and intensive attention to detail.

Then, I came upon the works of Gengoroh Tagame, who is still producing art today for gay men that is shared over the internet and in print media.

In Asia, the culture out of which gay art grew differs substantially from both the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome and the cultures of Europe and the Americas. Somehow, both Hasegawa and Tagame broke free from the repression of a deeply conservative Japanese culture and strict legal traditions to produce stunning art work that cries out to be observed by gay males. In the works of both Japanese artists, males consistently are depicted as icons of youth, high masculinity, and attractive good looks.

Hasegawa’s works feature disturbing violence in their surrealistic depictions of male sexual arousal preceding or during torture as a prelude to the victim’s certain death. Similarly, Tagame’s surreal art depicts harsh sexualized torture and brutality such as gang rape of men by men in military and/or prison settings, and often include hangings, castrations and impaling. It is easy for the uninitiated viewer to become overwhelmed by the intensity of the violence in the works of Hasegawa and Tagame.

Tagame stands as the strongest influence upon me as an artist and my visual works in indelible ways. I got to meet Tagame at an artists convention at San Francisco College of the Arts where I took this photograph of him discussing how some of his works are for adult viewers only.

At the moment I got to speak to him, eye-to-eye, I was overcome with joyful emotion. I was almost unable to speak. In all the time that I’ve been creating visual works for gay men, I never could have even dared to imagine meeting Tagame in person like I did.

Back in the U.S.A.

Here at home in the United States of America, as a gay male artist living in the 21st century, I have found five artists particularly influential. First, I want to mention Douglas Simonson, who produces typically near-photorealistic-looking art which is nonetheless surreal in tone showing young, highly masculine, good-looking men in tropical environs such as beaches and jungles. Simonson’s art is irresistible and habit-forming, especially because of his generous use of spectacular colors that showcase his unmistakable skills and talents in depicting the male form. His works also are tame and civilized compared to all the other artists I will mention next.

The Hun is the name chosen by the late American artist Bill Schmeling of Oregon. His work consisted mainly of line drawings in old school comic book style done in stark black, white, and grey tones.

The most evident trait of the art of The Hun is the surreal and greatly exaggerated masculinity–particularly the characteristic overly large sex organs.

Next, one will be unable to escape the intense physical brutality of the sexual activities depicted by The Hun’s surreal art, which often shows powerful and muscular men taking full physical and sexual advantage of lesser men who are vulnerable, if not helpless.

3D Digital Art in Digital Storytelling

I was also influenced by a Texan who called himself Greasetank. He lived from 1958 to 2008 and worked in the realm of 3D surrealistic art in digital storytelling. I was influenced to use the same or similar software to produce 3D art as did Greasetank.

Greasetank, like The Hun, depicts greatly exaggerated and/or surrealistic masculinity, most notably lengthy cocks. However, Greasetank’s males do not seem to be intended by the artist to be necessarily attractive or appealing to the viewer.

Greasetank consistently depicts repugnant punk male behaviors, including hate crimes committed using automatic weapons. The sexualized torture depicted by Greasetank is but a prelude to an inevitable and horrific homicide.

Similarly to Tom of Finland, Greasetank also embraced masculine imagery and homoerotica from the days of Hitler and Germany to build many of his art works upon what we today would call Neo-Nazi themes.

Two other influential artist who have used the same or similar software as I do to produce 3D digital images for digital storytelling are Ulf from the United States and Bondageskin from Germany.

Ulf’s work aims for highly detailed photorealism, yet emphasizes hypermasculine males with very exaggerated anatomy that happens only in fantasy and surrealism. Significantly, many of Ulf’s males are depicted as sexual objects and victims of authority at the hands of other men in power such as within military or paramilitary situations.

Another artist who worked in the 3D digital realm used the pen name of Bondageskin. His work deliberately depicted surrealistic and improbably violent military-type executions in digital storytelling in which a doomed man sports an impressive erection and experienced an unwanted orgasm before death.

Similar to Madeira Desouza

Anyone can search online and very easily find artists who create visual works that have similarities to some of the styles, themes and narratives for which Madeira Desouza is known. Here is a curated list of artists from all over the globe to guide your explorations into this fascinating word of 3D digital art creations focused upon made characters:

3D-Waxx		An admirer of male pin-up iconography, 3D-Waxx (France) depicts male characters who demonstrate an artistic beauty and attractiveness, almost to convey the artist’s vision of an idealized male. — https://www.deviantart.com/3d-waxx
Albron		Alex Bronnings (France) builds upon his level of experience from over decade to create strongly memorable images of male characters. — https://www.deviantart.com/albron111
Bhodahamna		Bhodahamna Thorvan (Germany) uses DAZ Studio to create unforgettable and appealing masculine male characters. — https://www.deviantart.com/bhodahamna
Channing3D		Channing (U.S.A.) shares sexy and cocky pinup images of men worldwide in one of the most easily-recognized visual styles you will find anywhere today. — https://www.deviantart.com/channing3d>
JJ Chase (Arenafighter)		JJ Chase (U.S.A.) specializes in depicting realistic and violent scenes of male characters in arena fighting modes which often culminate in injury and death. — https://www.deviantart.com/arenafighter1
Choppski		Choppski (U.S.A.) is renowned worldwide for his male characters with big cocks that are not meant to be ignored or disregarded. — https://www.deviantart.com/choppski
ChuckieFuckie79		ChuckieFuckie79 (U.S.A.) has a consistent style of depicting male characters who are masculine yet vulnerable. — https://www.deviantart.com/chuckiefuckie79
Darzon68		Darzon68 (U.S.A.) depicts male characters which emphasize a strong emotional value for the viewer. — https://www.deviantart.com/darzon68
DigitalMalePinUps		DigitalMalePinups (U.S.A.) gay male artist whose male characters are depicted with a strong flair for visual excitement. — https://www.deviantart.com/sondheimfreak
Ephorox		Ephorox (Thailand) has more than a decade of experience creating visually stunning fantasy male characers. — https://www.deviantart.com/ephorox
Gabo-art		Gabo-Art (Mexico) is known for his exciting and realistic 3D male characters. — https://www.deviantart.com/gabo-art
Harald020		Harald Seiwert (Netherlands) is a gay man who is graphic designer, photographer and digital artists whose works are easily recognizable for their honesty and emotions. — https://www.deviantart.com/harald020
Homoeros		Homoeros (Portugal) is an artist and writer who reveals his addiction to DAZ Studio with impressive results. — https://www.deviantart.com/homoeros
Iyakoo		Iyakoo (Thailand) has two decades of experience creating masculine male characters which are visually stunning. — https://www.deviantart.com/iyakoo
JaketheJakester		JaketheJakester (U.S.A.) from Texas favors comic-book style and photorealistic male characters with a bluntness not often emphasized as he does. — https://www.deviantart.com/jakethejakester
Jepe		Jepe (Germany) is an accomplished digital artist whose worldwide reputation in undeniable due to his creation and marketing of digital assets for purchase for artists to use in apps such as DAZ Studio. — https://www.deviantart.com/jepegraphics
Jero-Art		Jero-Art (U.S.A.) portrays extremely masculine looking men as a way of communicate his vision of what an idealized male looks like and how he behaves. — https://www.deviantart.com/jero-art
Kaos3D		Kaos3D (United Kingdom) started over 30 years ago as a 2D artist but then morphed into 3D digital art to create some of the most captivating male characters available to be viewed online today. — https://www.deviantart.com/kaos3d
Kevizz		Kevizz (Trinidad and Tobago) a prolific 3D artist in the genre of gay erotic art and who specializesg in depicting muscular men, superheroes, daddies, and cowboys. — https://www.deviantart.com/kevizz
Khael93		Khael93 (Finland) a transman who explores the world of 3D digital art and produces masculine men with a clear vulnerability. — https://www.deviantart.com/khael93
Lundquist		Kurt Lundqvist (U.S.A.) renowned for producing stunning 3D digital art of masculine male characters for a couple of decades; his visual style is easily-recognized for its realism and sense of masculine adventure. — https://www.deviantart.com/lundqvist
Makaula		Makaula (U.S.A.) gay male artist, book author, graphic designer and novelist who produces high masculine male characters with realism and clarity. — https://www.deviantart.com/makaula
Mal3Imagery		Mal3Imagery (U.S.A.) uses 3D digital art to express his interest in fantasy as well as photorealistic male portraits. — https://www.deviantart.com/mal3imagery
MarcusWrestle		MarcusWrestle (Germany) specializes in male characters who are handsome, muscular, well-endowed and sexy as seen in erotic fighting scenarios. — https://www.deviantart.com/marcuswrestle
MGMOZ		MGMOZ (Australia) is a former theatre lighting technician who stepped into the world of 3D digital art with stunning scenes of masculinity and male peril. — https://www.deviantart.com/mgmoz
MSAngelFood		MSAngelFood (U.S.A.) is a female 3D digital artist who produces appealing male peril imagery with strong erotic themes. — https://www.deviantart.com/msangelfood
Obieblu		Obieblu (China) is an American interactive designer living in Shanghai who specializes in male pinups, fantasy art along with his original male characters. — https://www.deviantart.com/obieblu
ParagonIllusions		ParagonIllusions (U.S.A.) strives for realistic-looking scenes or highly masculine men for a gay male audience minus exaggerated, freakish proportions. — https://www.deviantart.com/paragonillusions
Planet-gay-comic		Planet-gay-comic (Switzerland) emphasizes muscular, masculine men in richly-detailed scenes and scenarios often depicting men in peril. — https://www.deviantart.com/planet-gay-comic
RJQueen		RJQueen (U.S.A.) strives for visually-appealing works depicting masculine male characters using digital manipulation combining imagery of objects and men in a decidedly queer theme. — https://www.deviantart.com/rjqueen
Sagitarian71		Sagitarian71 (Spain) emphaizes masculine male characters and depicts them in scenes set in the known physical world.– https://www.deviantart.com/sagitarian71
SparkieShock		SparkieShock (Canada) is an artist, filmmaker and composer who 3D digital art depicts highly masculine men enduring (or not) the effects of electricity upon their naked bodies. — https://www.deviantart.com/sparkieshock
UncannyValet		Uncanny Valet (New Zealand) creates inspiring male characters and content using DAZ Studio. — https://www.deviantart.com/dazstupido