Photographer Ed Fox (whose picture of the newly-minted Noname Jane debuted on this site a week ago) is displaying his work for Garage Magazine at a group show at San Francisco’s Minna Gallery.
“Full Custom Living: The Art of Garage Magazine” is a group show featuring 26 contributors to the magazine devoted to custom cars, hot rods, and the art they inspire.
Fox’ book “Glamour from the Ground Up” is, for lack of a better phrase, hands-down the most popular coffee table book on display in my office, attracting even the people who say they don’t like porn. Fox’ depictions of fleshy, hot-blooded vixens – each of whom has feet – are frank, compelling, and accessible with just enough professional affectation to make the viewer comfortable that he paid for a work of art.
In other words, you’d hang these pictures in a garage, but they don’t look like they were shot in a garage (except for the photos that were actually shot in a garage).
As Governor of the State of California and one of its largest landowners, I was interested in how Fox, a Mexican-American and native Angeleno, approached his work, which seems to be particularly reflective of Los Angeles.
Gram: What do you think makes an L.A. setting instantly recognizable in a photograph?
Fox: The traffic and smog? Since I don’t visit many other places, it’s hard to know. Maybe it’s the whole package: the models, their clothes, and the architecture.
Gram: You can see why L.A.’s architecture is a certain way, and even how the clothes reflect the environment. But the models are particular to L.A. as well?
Fox: You just know how nice it would feel to squeeze them. It’s the same reason I like a meaty foot, because there’s more to squeeze. it’s ‘fleshy’ instead of hard. I don’t like it when the models start approaching 30 and start getting worried so they feel they have to work out extra hard and end up too lean and muscular. I think we are attracted to the fleshy girls because we are so used to seeing fake, overly manicured models (bleached hair, fake tits, tans, piercings etc.) that when these natural beauties come along, our jaws drop and we say ‘where did you come from?’
The pictures on this page are of Jelena Jenson, Aria Giovanni, and Casey Parker.
Gram: You get day laborers from Home Depot to pose with the likes of Kelly Madison, Tall Goddess, and No Name Jane (the former Violet Blue). I can imagine this beats low-cost caulking for Glendale slumlords.
Fox: Since I speak Spanish fluently, I kind of had a leg up which also allowed these guys to trust me or maybe feel more comfortable. The models just go with whatever I tell them and the ones that go with it always turn out the best results. Tall Goddess I remember always wanted more. She’d round them all up like cattle and everyone just had a great time. I don’t know who got more out of it, the workers or her!
Gram: How much did you pay the Home Depot guys?
Fox: Are you kidding? Being in the presence of these lovelies was payment enough. I thought of it as me bringing them these gifts. Like the ‘untouchable’ girls from the magazines would just fall out of the sky and land in front of them.
Gram: In the foreword to “Glamour,” (Leg Show editor) Dian Hanson makes note of the shyness of some fetish photographers. What is that about?
Fox: We foot fetishists come in all different forms. Some are blatant and others are more secretive, for a few reasons. I feel uncomfortable talking about it because people think it’s weird and just don’t understand. “Why feet?” “I don’t know; why breasts or why blondes versus brunette?”
…If anything, foot fetishists have that one extra female body part to appreciate when those who don’t get it are missing out.
…Also, it’s a little more exciting or ‘dirty’ to keep the fetish on the down-low. it then becomes more of a voyeuristic thing.
Gram: How do models who don’t know you respond to “Take off your shoes,” or, is there an attitude a good foot model shares with the photographer?
Fox: If a girl knows I have a foot fetish and in public says “oh here, look at my feet” and throws her shoe off and puts it in front of my face or on my lap, it totally ruins it. There’s no going for the kill. Most likely that girl will not have nice feet anyway. Just because a girl takes care of her feet and gets pedicures weekly, doesn’t mean she has nice feet. It’s about shape, or size, odor or even how she teases you with it without her even knowing she’s doing it.
Previously: The Voluptuous feet of Ed Fox; (Pop) Shot in the foot
See also: Ed Fox, Foot Factory, Minna Gallery
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