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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
This man, this glorious man..., April 2, 2002
Writing in 'Clothes Show' magazine in 1995, journalist Sylvia Patterson memorably declared: "Marcus Schenkenberg is so good-looking it is, frankly, preposterous. He's a cartoon fantasy man...his chest is a two-seater sofa!" It isn't simply that Marcus is so completely, breathtakingly beautiful - that much should be obvious to anyone who's ever seen his image in print, on film, on the Web, or even in the flesh - it's also because his inevitable success as 'the first male supermodel' prompted a renewed interest in men's clothing and hygiene at a time when the fashion industry seemed oblivious to this gaping hole in the market, and because he paved the way for an entirely new breed of celebrated male models, including Michael Bergin and the awesome Tyson Beckford, amongst others. Hence the title of this archetypal 'coffee table' book, "Marcus Schenkenberg New Rules" (1997), an uncredited collection of essays, interviews and observations from some of fashion's top-rank glitterati - Gianni Versace, Bruce Weber, Richard Avedon, et al - copyrighted by Universe Publishing, Marcus Schenkenberg himself, and Boss Models.Anyone expecting a pure beefcake portfolio in the manner of Marcus' eye-popping calendar work may be slightly disappointed by the majority of photos in this book, which examines the 'Marcus' phenomenon almost exclusively within the context of his achievements as a fashion model. There's a smattering of wholly gratuitous body shots, of course (including a number of magazine covers, and a full-page, full-color study of his naked torso on p. 8), but even those images which feature partial nudity are as much concerned with selling the clothes as the man who's wearing them. There isn't a lot of biographical detail in the sparse text, either: We learn that he was born Marcus Lodewijk Schenkenberg van Mierop in Sweden - there are brief valentines from his mother and older brother, along with some endearing childhood photographs - but we're only given a vague summary of his early family life, and not even a specific date of birth (4 August 1968). We're also told that he came to America to seek his fortune in 1988 and was discovered by photographer Barry King the following year whilst rollerblading in Venice Beach, California. Immediately signed to an agency, Marcus struggled for a time to secure meaningful employment until 1991, when his appearance in a Calvin Klein advertising supplement (designed and photographed by Bruce Weber) in 'Vanity Fair' made him famous overnight. And no wonder: Amongst other things, the supplement contained the justly-famous shot of Marcus (reproduced here in slightly abbreviated form on p. 49) luxuriating beneath an open shower, totally naked except for a loose pair of jeans which he's holding between his legs, barely concealing his modesty - an image so erotic and powerful, it can take even the most jaded observer completely by surprise. The rest, as they say, is history... And yet, much as the reader may be overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of Marcus' physical grandeur - augmented by a rigorous daily exercise regime, and cultivated by some of the world's finest photographers and stylists - the book ponders his modeling triumphs whilst revealing virtually nothing about Marcus the MAN. He describes himself as an ordinary guy in an extraordinary position, whose personal life amounts to little more than an endless round of photo-shoots and modeling assignments. And that's it, really. If there's more to Marcus than meets the eye, he isn't telling. Those who complain about our culture's tendency to define others simply by their appearance will find no reassurances here, with a subject who positively encourages us to view him at face value, a blank page on which we're allowed to write our wildest, raunchiest fantasies. In this case, it's more than enough. And while some of us still prefer his beefcake/calendar work, "New Rules" ultimately provides a useful - though somewhat shallow - overview of Marcus' life for newcomers and devotees alike. Favorite photos: The 'angel' pose (p. 115) taken at the Givenchy Haute Couture Alexander McQueen Show in 1997, with a near-naked Marcus framed by two enormous feathered wings which emphasize and encapsulate the transcendent nature of his physical perfection. And Barry King's 1989 snapshot of Marcus (p. 38) rollerblading on Venice Beach whilst clad in little more than tight shorts and a bandanna, drawing our attention to the strong line of his body, his long legs and heavy chest, a vision of incomparable beauty. Like all the best pin-ups, Marcus Schenkenberg is naked even when fully clothed, inviting all-too-predictable comparisons with the likes of Michelangelo's David, amongst various other exalted works of art. Which isn't too far-fetched when you think about it. I mean, just LOOK at the guy! Who could possibly resist the temptation of such voluptuous splendor?...
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by Roberto Bolle
by Greg Gorman
by Matt Albiani
by Mark Jenkins
by David Leddick
