For more information on suspension visit – http://www.suspension.org/

In 2001 I was lucky enough to document my friend Blair  do his first chest suspension.  At the time I ran a website called spcOnline. You might have read it when you were still in high school, or perhaps not. This photo was part of a gallery on that site; and with Allen’s blessing I’ll be sharing photos from my last twenty years in the community with the readers of Hooklife.

Our techniques and practices have evolved very quickly over the last decade; some of the photographs will seem archaic by our ever changing current standards. Betadine stained skin with rigging that weighs more than the suspendee, blood allowed to run freely… rest assured that through documenting our history we’re able to learn from our mistakes as well as our triumphs.

If there’s one suspension everyone seems to love it’s the spinning beam, but most people don’t know the story behind it.

In 1998 TSD (Traumatic Stress Discipline) was hired by Keith Alexander for the opening party of Dee Snider’s film Strangeland held at Webster Hall in New York City. Night of 1000 Scars, as the event was named, was supposed to showcase a 3 man human mobile. Do to a technical error the beams were rigged too low allowing the three men (Pat, Xeon and Allen) to touch the stage. The outcome was the accidental invention of the spinning beam suspension.

It’s tough to single the most impressive suspension from the 2010 Oslo Suscon, but this beautiful piece was definitely up on the list. Håvve and Christiane did an amazing job rigging this suspension that is reminiscent of Stelarc‘s 1977 Event for Stretched Skin No. 4.

Read more