Nayland Blake, Artist

Gorge , 1998

When Nayland Blake made Gorge, he and his collaborator were part of a fetish scene referred to as "gaining and encouraging," which focuses on eating, gaining weight, and supporting efforts at weight gain in others. At first glance the scene seems more madcap than erotic, as the artist's collaborator feeds him a variety of iconic American foods, but it quickly moves from humorous to acutely visceral. Blake willingly confronts nuanced and oscillating moods: from arch sensuality—gnawing erotically at whatever is put before him—to insatiable gluttony, to a determined physical endurance.