The vivid world of the popular Spanish illustrator Pachu M Torres (440k+ Instagram followers) characterized by bold lines and neon palettes was the subject of an earlier post in June 2023., and since then we have closely followed his artistic activities via Twitter. Every now and then there was contact and the idea arose to ask him more about things in his art that struck us.
Fig.1. Pachu M Torres during an interview in 2020 with Sandra Torralba (pachutorresart.com)
Various Bans
In our conversation, Pachu delves deeply into the aesthetics in his art, influences, the impact of films (with special attention to Eyes Wide Shut), his vision on shunga art, his first work for Playboy, various bans from Instagram, and more...
Fig.2. Lingerie Dream (2023)
1) What can you tell about your background (youth, education, parents…etc.)?
I grew in a happy, matriarchal and artistic family (my great-grandmother and my grandfather were artists too); they supported me constantly giving me drawing tools and taught me techniques of illustration (in the nineties we didn't have Youtube tutorials haha). My parents supported me, but they only asked me to study a University career, so I chose Spanish Philology (I adore languages and literature, especially the one from my country). At the same time, mixed with this love for arts and drawing, I started having sex experiences so early (with 14 years old), so it was inevitable to reflect my pleasures with ink strokes. This is how my erotic art was born.
Fig.3. Fire & Ice (2023)
2) How would you describe the aesthetics of your art (Like your choice of color and line work...etc.) ?
It's a comic book style, sometimes more or less realistic, with clear and defined lines and neon colors. There are two things so important in my art: the color and the hands. I use the colors to generate a synesthesia in the viewer mind, a shocking contrast with the topics I draw and the choice of colors, with a predominance of pink and purple tones. Now you can see a lot of erotic artists who use this colors, but when I professionally started in 2012, this was not usual and only few artists from graphic design used similar colors (Tomer Hanuka from example). About the hands, I find them the best way to share the erotic intention better than explicit sexual organs. I prefer to suggest, not show (not always, of course); that's why I usually focus my designs on the hands.
Fig.4.
3) What/ who are your influences?
There are lot of influences in all kind of arts, from illustration to cinema and literature or music. David Lynch, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Samuel Beckett or Stanley Kubrick are influences… but in the strictly artistic sense my influences are Milo Manara, Jordi Bernet, Serpieri, Bastien Vivès or Tomer Hanuka.
Fig.5. Tamed Succubus (2023)
4) Where do you get your inspiration from?
Most of my inspiration came from my own experiences, my own life. A exhibitionist kind of artistic diary. Sometimes the inspiration came from other places, like movies, music, books or pictures. Even conversations with people can make my mind fly and my hands draw.
Fig.6 Eyes Wide Shut (2019)
5) I read you're an avid movie fan and there are TV and movie references in some of your works. A recurring one is Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut (1999). What's your fascination with this movie?
Everything with this movie is amazing. Kubrick is a real genius and this last film he did is awesome in many levels: from the classy aesthetic to the narrative, the hypnotic composition, the music or the actors (the best Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman works for sure). It's a delicious film with a dreamlike representation of the human relationships, the darkness of society and the sexual pulsations of people.
Fig. 7. Eyes Wide Shut (2019)
6) What is your favorite movie and why?
It could be anyone of David Lynch (my fav director so far), but in fact it is PARIS-TEXAS (Wim Wenders, 1984). This movie has an unusual emotionality and elegance that reaches the perfection with the peep-show telephone scene (the best monologue in cinema). It's a film that is neither form nor content, but the emotion itself. Natassja Kinsky is an icon in this movie; Harry Dean Stanton creates a perfect character, the music of Wim Wenders with the guitar is pure beauty and the color of the photography by Robby Müller… no words. Wenders did a masterwork in all senses.
Fig.8. Nastassja Kinski in Paris ,Texas (1984) (Pinterest.com)
Fig.9. Ready or Not (2023)
7) Are you familiar with shunga? If so, what's your view on this art form?
Yes, I adore it. Is amazing how Japanese artists in the 16 century were able to create and share this kind of illustrations (besides some regulations and prohibitions) while in Europe we suffered the oppressive fascism of the censorship (due to religious reasons). They represented all kind of amazing perversions and desires with delicate compositions and brush strokes. I know that the most popular are the octopus ones, but there are lot of amazing topics and amazing works done by those Japanese artists.
Fig.10.
Fig.10a
8) What can you tell about your popular bondage piece (Fig.10) in Playboy?
It was the first work Playboy asked me to do. It's so cool to collaborate with the magazine because they have nice people working hard in the artistic department. They sent me the article to draw and gave me some ideas to start working on my sketches. I sent them 4-5 different sketches with my proposals and, after discussing how it could look better, I drew it. The artistic process of this illustration took around 7 days.
After they release it, it was one of the most viewed in the online magazine and most liked on Instagram, but also due to the topic, it generated some controversy: you know, not everyone understands the BDSM, so you can see 428 comments in this IG publication with lot of love but also hate. The funny thing is that many people reported my Instagram account after the release of this art and I lose my account hahaha.
Fig.11.
9) What appeals to you in BDSM?
The freedom, the respect and the trust in the other. This kind of practice s are amazing but also needs a real complicity with your partner. Is not an abusive relationship, but a way to find pleasure with kinky fantasies where limits must be respected. Also the aesthetic and the role play are amazing!
Fig.12.
10) If I'm correct you have been banned 12 times on Instagram. How is the current situation? Is promotion on social media crucial for your existence as an artist?
You are correct, and this is going worst day by day at least on META social medias. Actually I lost my backup account because people now know new methods to scam, but about censorship… Instagram actually uses some kind of AI or a new algorithm that automatically flag content as sexual, so it's hard to share content there without being reported. It's crazy because they are daily turning down art in my account in which, for example, there are not nudes… terrible.
Fig.13.
11) What are your current and future projects?
This year I'm focused on my first artbook; a compilation of years and years of illustrations. Soon I'll share info about it.
Fig.14.
12) Is there a specific goal you want to achieve with your art?
No specific goals, but I just want to be able to share it without problems on the media. Adult content for adult viewers without the need of self-censor my art. Maybe that's an utopia today and it could be more easy to be exhibited at the MoMa or the Louvre haha.
Fig.15. Lelo
Fig.16.
You can follow Pachu on Twitter, Instagram and/or check out his site.
Click HERE for our earlier article on Pachu M Torres including much more pics of his tasteful erotica.
In our Premium section you can find even more (rare) artwork by Pachu M Torres
Sources: twitter.com, pachutorresart.com,