Customer Reviews

Torero: Matadors of Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Spain

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Ruven Afanador seems to be the spiritual heir of the little boy in the story of the emperor's new clothes. He insists on seeing--and proclaiming through his work--exactly those visual elements of the bullfight that everyone else sees but adamantly ignores. One of his major themes, perhaps the major one, is clearly announced on the dust jacket by the image of a semi-tumescent lad wearing only his taleguilla and grasping a pair of bull's horns (which may be why Amazon shows no cover illustration above). Afanador's style might be described as a cross between the baron von Gloeden and Helmut Newton, or maybe Diane Arbus with more than a dash of Robert Mapplethorpe. Like Mapplethorpe he finds morbidly erotic beauty in places where some would not care to venture, but beauty it is. And like all the above-mentioned photographers, he is an absolute master of his craft. Whatever you might think of the subject matter, the photos are technical marvels--one wants constantly to reach out and touch all those rich textures! The prospective buyer should also be aware that the range of subject matter goes beyond toreros in--and out of--their tight pants, and I would be doing Afanador an injustice to leave the impression that his work is merely pornographic. (One of the most striking images in the collection is a shot of four matadors' jackets hanging from meat hooks in the abattoir). And beyond all the possible influences I've mentioned, his is a style--rather, an inseparable combination of style and subject--that's very much his own.

I suppose that the few poems sprinkled throughout the volume are appropriate accompaniments to the photos, though they could easily have been dispensed with. The introduction is quite helpful, as is the thumbnail index at the end which identifies models and locations. The volume itself is richly produced and beautifully printed, with a sewn-in ribbon bookmark. ...

Even Hemingway, through Lady Brett, couldn't help remarking on "those tight green trousers," but for too long the majority of people (especially artists) associated with bullfighting have pretended to ignore all those lurid paquetes y nalgas. Afanador's stunning collection goes a long way toward remedying that ignor-ance. Overall, a long-needed addition to the body of art and photography associated with toreo.

A fresh,bold book focusing on the sensual appeal of the mythic latin symbol of machismo: The Bull Fighter, starring actual pros and amateurs of the bullring.
It's wonderful how despite the bright, feminine colors and extraordinarily ornamented uniforms, they never once compromise the sex appeal of these exceptionally handsome young men, who are all inspired by the legendary (and controversial) blood sport.
A book of professional male models pouting and posing in bullfighters'costumes would have been a silly, easily forgotten cliche.
There's a lot of Helmut Newton's influence in the photography and considering Newton's obsession with women, it's funny to see men being eroticised in his famous pictorial style. In a perfect world, there would be lots of books of this artistic quality celebrating the heroic beauty of other actual professional sportsmen.

In this bold and beautifully designed book, the bullfighter or "Torero" finally gets the attention he deserves, not as an object of the bull's attention, but as an object of desire, in a very sensual, yet masculine way. This is not to say these images by this talented photographer are of torero's just showing off their erotic appeal in tight costumes. There are many other photos of the rooms, equipment and costumes in settings by themselves that are very artistically photographed. The erotic appeal of the bullfighter is no longer censored and relegated to the background. These black and white photographs display many nude and semi-nude poses of very handsome, young, and athletic men in their tight fitting torero costumes, where little is left to the imagination. Afanador's admiration of male beauty is very apparent in this book of images. He has an eye for capturing the attitude, machismo, and inherent beauty and vulnerability of these brave men. I thought it was pleasing that Afanador features some of the torero's in their costumes on one page and nude on the opposite page in the same pose.

The poems by Gloria Marie Pardo Vargas, interspersed throughout the book, add to the enjoyment. This is a large over-sized book that is beautifully designed and bound (included is a red ribbon marker) that is a must for any collector of male erotica or for anyone who has always had a fascination with torero's and their beautiful costumes. I have only one regret, I would love to see a book of these same images in color showcasing the beautiful colors and patterns of the torero's costumes. This is a book that I will enjoy over and over again. As a collector, this is at the top of my list.

Joe Hanssen

The photographs are beautiful and erotic. I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates male Hispanic beauty.

A truly stunning collection of photographs concentrating on the erotic appeal of the torero - an aspect that has probably struck most honest aficiandos at one time or another. Quite apart from beautiful boys in (and out) of their trajes de luces, the collection is interesting for concentrating on very young toreros from South America - notably Colombia and Peru, though Madrid features strongly - and the less well-known names too. Miguel Angel Gomez and the brothers Pardo are especially notable: congratulations and thanks are due to Noel Pardo especially for his bravery in posing for some very fine nude shots. The additional frisson of the eroticism is the extreme danger the boys face, and here also is graphic photographic evidence of beauty marred in the corrida. There is nothing pornographic here, which is good, and the entire book is faultless in production. It should be on the shelves not only of every aficianado of young male beauty - but of every aficianado of the corrida also!

totally beautiful. a rare glimpse into this, almost to non Latin world, a non bloodletting photo essay of the refinements of bullfighters.