One of the 3 images of the RA-RE campaign
MILAN - ""A hymn to freedom, including the freedom to be homosexual."": this is how photographer Oliviero Toscani explains the meaning of the new shocking campaign created for the menswear brand Ra-re, featuring two men who kiss and touch each other in their most intimate parts.
The three shots of the campaign, which from September 5th Invading the walls of major Italian cities, from Milan to Rome, the photographs portray two amateur models (one a photographer, the other an advertising executive, and they were a real-life couple) in various poses, all decidedly affectionate. In one, the older, graying man is embracing the blond boy from behind, nibbling on his ear and squeezing him between his legs. The other two are both on a sofa: in the first, the two models are kissing, while in the second, the graying man, lounging, is squeezing his partner's private parts. The images, more than vulgar, are almost playful, partly due to the ironic attitude of the models, who seem to be joking with each other rather than attempting a sexual approach.
According to Toscani, playing with a friend's private parts It is not an indication of homosexuality, on the contrary: "All men play at "pinching" each other". The photographer, never satisfied with provocations, even goes so far as to say that ""They even do it in Parliament, even the most unsuspecting ones."". The photos "call into question the relationship between two men, a bit like Benigni, who at Sanremo – he recalled – chased Baudo's penis on live television." So far, the joke between heterosexuals, the ironic squeeze in the shower, in the locker room after the match.
But the shots, obviously, refer to "a problem that is still a taboo, to what is said but not done". The inspiration, in fact, was born from book on Gay Pride created by Toscani and released only in France, with a preface by Minister of Culture Jack Lang. "Gay Pride is one of the most important cultural actions of recent years; it is a discourse on minorities that goes far beyond sex, and involves—he stated—human rights." In this sense, Toscani also drew inspiration from Pasolini, "who personally paid the price of being part of a minority, which is always more creative than the majority." Also among the key images of this campaign, the former Fabrica creative director cites the famous shot by Tazio Secchiaroli where Mastroianni and Fellini playfully joke with a mannequin.
If the owner of the company, Luisa Bertoncello, To explain his choice of advertising subject, he talks about "social awareness" aimed at "brand retention." Toscani explains that he "neither wants to improve nor worsen the world," but simply follows his "instinct," a lesson he's learned in 40 years of fashion photography: "Messages—as he himself says—sell.".
