Gio Spano | After The Match, Vol.1: François Sagat

WHEN YOU WATCH A GAME, OR ANY OTHER ATHLETIC COMPETITION, YOU OFTEN GET CAUGHT IN THE PASSION OF THE SPORTS. BUT DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT THE PRIVATE MOMENTS AN ATHLETE HAS WHEN THE GAME IS OVER? THE MOMENTS WHEN HE IS ALONE IN HIS LOCKER ROOM, FEELING LIGHT HEADED AND GLORIOUS ABOUT HIS VICTORY, OR ANGRY AND HUMILIATED ABOUT HIS DEFEAT. GIO SPANO SPENT TWO YEARS OF HIS LIFE INVESTIGATING THESE STRONG EMOTIONS, AND CREATED A WONDERFUL PORTFOLIO THAT CELEBRATES THESE INTENSE FEELINGS. A PORTFOLIO HE NAMED 'AFTER THE MATCH.'

François Sagat – who hasn’t heard of him – is one of these guys who seem to be able to turn everything they touch into gold. Hard work, ambition and a reasonable dose of good luck and a remarkable head tattoo, has brought François from his hometown Cognac to a shared habitance in Paris and the West Coast of the United States and a well-deserved celebrity status. He started his career as gay porn actor with Citebeur, a French production studio that concentrates on making gay adult movies, using many Arab and black models (hence François’ image of being Arab even though he is a full blooded Cognaçais). He rapidly made name for himself, working his way up into the international porn industry, by signing an exclusive contract for Raging stallion, and later with Titan. In the total of 4 years he has worked in the porn business he has made 28 films, including the documentary La nudité toute nue. But what really separates François from the many other adult male models, is his ability to adapt himself in many roles, his total lack of star attitude and his talent to sometimes make a joke of himself with a glamor many Hollywood star can envy. François is also one of the many actors/models signed up with Fabscout.com, the largest Adult Male Talent Management company operating today, proudly owned by Gio Spano and his partner.

Gio Spano is many things. Photographer of fashion, portraits, physiques and head shots, and specialist on male physiques, he is also one of the most sought after photographers in the adult entertainment industry, working with people and companies like Chi Chi Larue, Michael Lucas, FPG Entertainment, Jet Set Men and CockyBoys. Over the past two years he has working on his project 'After The Match,' a celebration of the male athlete, by capturing images of extraordinary men that show the viewer those intimate moments after he has competed in an athletic endeavor. The interesting thing in this project is that the models he uses for the portraits aren’t always the athletes you think they are. Many are models who have nothing to do with sports, but who have enough fantasy and imagination to illustrate those intimate emotional feelings. Like François Sagat for example.

When asked to participate in Gio’s project, François found inspiration in paintings of a traditional Japanese sumo fighter. “We decided to build on that imagery and create several images that convey Francois as being a confident champion,” explains Gio. 'After The Match' is meant to exude energy and sensuality with a little grid and edginess. Gio hopes to compile the entire series into his first published book by the end of this year. –B-

BeautifulMag archive for Gio Spano: The Gio Spano Constellation.
BeautifulMag archive for François Sagat: The Man Behind the Mask, Part 1 | The Man Behind the Mask, Part 2 | The Man Behind the Mask, Part 3 |  François Sagat Returns | Sticky & Sweet.

GIO SPANO | BEAUTIFUL

Comments

[Daz]

What a beautiful example of man... adorable.. just perfect

[richard rennie]

over the years, i can say that the concept of presenting different photographers has been somewhat beautiful. perhaps, it's somewhat as they are intrinsically the same for the most part. although, there are various photos of francois himself that i can appreciate through some time, it comes to be humorous that again the "je ne suis pas morrocain alors -- je suis le vrai cordon bleu" as if the honor of being stuffed with ham and cheese is a significant bonus according to the myth of leche de verga.

conceptually, francois remains a fun subject in many photos. the racist card presents itself many times -- thus, in the clever but far from brilliant stage that has come to be some peoples ventures -- the signifier of surface arts such as photography pale in comparison to nature in all parameters beyond giclee.

thank you