Incubus’ Choice: Close-up on Cumrades (Harald Seiwert)

What message(s) do you want to express through your work?

Messages are not my thing, it’s more for politicians. I just want to express my own (gay) sexuality through my photos. But maybe one tiny message: Sex and humor is a wonderful combination – even in art.

Which artists inspire you? Who are your masters?

I like the surrealists – Dali, Magritte. With a bizarre and twisted way of thinking, I feel connected to them. And I like Escher, Vasarely, Caravaggio, Bacon, Pierre & Gilles, Erwin Olaf.

What have you gained by being on the internet?

A lot of publicity, some exhibitions, nice contacts, some (art) friends. And a publisher. Without internet my book Cumrades had never been published. Economically internet does not work for me. People copy and spread my photos constantly, but – who cares. I see it as a compliment. Obviously some like my work.

Did the internet enable you to meet new models, to find new exhibit places?

Yes, I find a lot of models in chat rooms. And all of my exhibitions (except in my hometown Amsterdam) were planned via internet.

Has your work ever been censored? If so, how did you deal with it?

All the time. Because I don’t hesitate to show in some of my photos male frontal nude, erections, real sex etc. A lot of people consider my photos as plain pornographic. And porn will always be censored. I don’t care and will go on with my photos that way. I don’t see my photos as porn but more a persiflage of gay- erotic- and porn-clichés.

What projects mean a lot to you at the moment?

I go on with my inspired set for a while. I have some ideas for more gay erotic projects but at this moment I’m busy with Inspired.

Could you tell us a few words about the place you live/work in?

Amsterdam. Should be well known to everybody :-) But if you live here for a while (I grew up in a small German town nearby Düsseldorf), you’ll see a lot more than only the sex, drugs and rock’n roll cliché.

Close-up on…