Radical Vertical

different animals, and sometimes those
misconceptions prevent people from seeing
past nudity. I think Germans have a healthy
attitude towards nudity because there’s a
long tradition of nudism and naturism. I had
so many great moments at the nudist lakes
and parks in Berlin; it’s a healthy alternative
to the dreadful app dating, which leaves very
little room for romance.
“Everyone has a fetish
for something unless
they lack any fantasy
or imagination”
HH In geographic terms, the Polish
capital Warsaw is where most people hunt
for sneaker-related porn, followed by Berlin.
Is Berlin and its fetish scene where you first
discovered your affection for sneakers?
SM It’s fascinating how some teenagers
from the former Eastern Bloc find sneakers
and sports gear sexually appealing. Coming
from the Soviet Union, I can understand it
because I grew up at the time when you
couldn’t even buy any foreign brand sneakers,
maybe with the exception of Adidas. So you
fetishize and totally fixate on something your
really want but then go a bit further and
end up sniffing someone’s dirty sneakers
in someone’s online chat room. My first
introduction to sneaker fetish was through my
Berlin gay skinhead friends, Andre and Tobias,
whom I photographed for Lost Boys. They
had a crazy sneaker collection and engaged
in fetish roleplay in front of their online
subscribers, who sent them more and more
sneakers. They also introduced me to other
Berlin sneaker skinheads. That was shortly
after I did Skin Flick with Bruce LaBruce, so I
was greeted as a hero at gay skinhead parties.
I do appreciate the Berlin fetish scene. I’ve
been documenting it for many years.
HH Has any sneaker brand ever
approached you in terms of a collaboration
for an advertisement campaign? Would you
consider working with such brands?
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SM Let’s just say there were several
campaigns based on my pictures but I’m still
waiting for my royalties.
HH In your work as a writer and
photographer, you seem to be able to touch
on the darkest subjects with wit and humor—
where is that sense of humor derived from?
SM I guess humor is a part of my survival
mechanism, coming all the way from Siberia
to New York. Sometimes it’s twisted and dark,
but it always helps me to find comfort in chaos
and beauty in the most unexpected places,
the darkest corners of human nature.
HH My last question is in conjunction
with another interview where you claimed
that people don’t need to go to an expensive
art school and get a degree to have a vision.
You also said everyone is born creative but
some forget how. As a creative, can you tell
us about your vision?
SM Ever since I started writing and
taking pictures, I’ve always wanted to express
myself in the most uncompromising and
honest way. Whether it’s a book, a show,
a performance, or a magazine project, all
my work is about queer insurgency and
claiming your own identity. It’s about love in
different shapes and forms. In the end, it’s
about universal humanistic values that we all
so desperately need in order to peacefully
coexist with one another.
SNEAKER PIG & SOCK MONKEY