meat THE BOOK is here

After a decade of photographing 600 extra(ordinary) men over 46 issues of his cult, self-published pin-up zine Meat, London photographer Adrian Lourie has collected the best images from his archive, which he hopes to publish in a book.

Meat, the UK’s most successful gay pin-up zine, was published quarterly between 2010-2020 by Lourie. His goal was to emphasis body-positivity amongst queer men. Show-casing different representations of masculinity, Meat set out to prove that, in Lourie’s words. “We’re all sexy in our own right and worthy of pin-up status.

Over ten years, Lourie took the meat project to San Francisco, Paris, and Berlin. The zine also spawned a hugely successful London LGBTQ club night, which will return post-lockdown to Dalston Superstore.

Of the book, Lourie says, ‘It was exciting for me to look back over ten years of work with some distance and fresh eyes. I think the whole project is a little snapshot of our lives as queer men over the decade.”

A pledge campaign has now launched to fund the hefty tome, the meat retrospective book. Offering exclusive rewards through the online store at meatzine.com, Lourie hopes to raise enough funds to self-publish the book early this Summer.

The 260-page book will include many previously unpublished photographs and new work alongside some of his favourite men from 46 issues of Meat Zine.

Dev, who works in PR and will feature, was inspired to pose for Meat to celebrate his own body; “I’d always loved Meat, the curation and concept of real people always inspired me. It was something I’d loved seeing, never thinking I could be part of it. When I saw the call for men of all shapes and sizes, I plucked up the courage. It was a real opportunity to show how comfortable I am with my own body.”

Dev was encouraged by the diversity of Meat. He says, “I felt really comfortable posing and found it empowering. I’d always aspired to be in a sexy and fun publication like Meat. The reality was all that and more.

Ali a Public Engagement Manager from Scotland, who also features in the book, was nervous and excited about the prospect of posing, confiding, “It was the first time I’d been photographed naked by anyone other than me. I’d heard how much fun it was from other guys, and it really was.”

Nick from South London was featured in the Meat naked calendar and will find himself published in the book. He thinks that Meat is still relevant; “There isn’t enough celebrating of body-positivity in the broadest sense amongst queer men. Our bodies are all different and all sexy. I think what Adrian does, which is so fantastic, is to bring out the incredible beauty and sexiness in the men he photographs.”