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French artist Raymond Carrance, Carrance was a photographer and book illustrator who, working mostly in the 1950's and 60's, created a private body of homoerotic dreamscape's under the pseudonym ‘Czanara’. One of the last great unknown erotic artists of the 20th century, his work is somewhat reminiscent of the magic realism style of the painters Paul Cadmus and Jared French, yet done in a photographic medium. Using overlays of abstract graphics over dreamy images of languid young men at play, his work is a meditative pondering of the artist's psyche. The work is reverential, distinctly European, yet never exploitative.  Carrance, who lived from 1921 - 1998, was also responsible for illustrating with elaborate etchings and lithographs the works of Jules Renard and Cyrano de Bergerac. (See also here).

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He is one of the last great unknown male photographers of the last century, French artist Raymond Carrance was a photographer, costume designer and book illustrator ( Edmond Rostand, Henry de Monterlant, Louis Pergaud, Jules Renard, Jean Giono) who, working mostly in the 1950′s and 60′s, created a private unique body of homoerotic dreamscapes under the pseudonym Czanara. His work is somewhat reminiscent of painters Paul Cadmus and Jared French and photographer Wilhelm Von Gloeden; using overlays of abstract graphics over dreamy images of languid young men, it was absolutely new and innovative for its time, distinctly European and profoundly different from the still reigning but ending beefcake style. Raymond Carrance (1921-1998) died in obscurity having no heirs, his work was sold at auction by the French state, but luckily fell into the hands of an intelligent bookseller; the monograph 'Czanara: drawings and photographs', 192 pages, 11.5x10.5 inches, was published by Antinous Press, New York, in June 2008. (Thanks to Wessel + Connor Gallery).
http://www.antinouspress.com/
http://wesseloconnor.com/