MONROELAND

AFTER HE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, ALEX MINSKY ASKED HIMSELF THE QUESTION MANY YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN ASK. WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF HIS LIFE. ALEX WASN’T READY TO SETTLE DOWN. HE WAS IN SEARCH FOR ADVENTURE. AND SO HE SIGNED UP WITH THE US MARINE CORPS. A CHOICE THAT WOULD ALTER HIS LIFE PERMANENTLY.

Alex Minsky wanted adventure and he sure got it. After he joined the Marines he was sent to combat in Afghanistan. While on a midnight patrol there, Alex Minsky’s truck was hit by a homemade bomb. Alex was severely injured and soon realized that this was the beginning of his biggest adventure so far. Alex lost his leg and was told he would never be able to rejoin his men on the battlefield. Crushed by what happened to him Alex searched for comfort, which he found in alcohol. It went from bad to worse until events made him realize that he was on a self destructive path, and that wasn’t the adventure he had set out for. And so Alex fought and found the strength to come back.

Now, 24 yeas old, Alex Minsky is one of today’s most sought after male models. Martin Ryter, Michael Stokes, Eric Schwabel, Tom Cullis. They are some of the renowned photographers who already worked with the young veteran. And many are still lining up. Alex has learned to be positive and has come to realize his adventures have not ended yet. And that is how he arrived recently in the studio of Justin Monroe.

“This soldier is no joke,” Justin Monroe comments on his collaboration with Alex Minsky. “There are so many hot things about him. Studying his tattoos is like going to an amusement park. You want to follow everything line, color, and word until you have taken it all in. Just when you think your eyes have had enough, you are slapped in the face with his stacked body. Tattoos cover his entire body and he told me he was not going to stop until there was no skin left. I said “Alex, please do not tattoo your beautiful ass or face!” He just looked at me and laughed.” Villainy and Virtue is a song by Dead to Fall in which they pass judgment on fake people. “You pretend to be part of the flock and somehow you convinced us all that you are something you are not” is one of the phrases from the song. Alex Minsky is certainly not part of the flock. “He is one of the most unique individuals that I had the pleasure to have in front of my camera. There are so many things about Alex worth taking note of. He is a walking piece of art and a gay man’s wet dream. This 24 year old is a survivor. After surviving a terrible bombing incident in Iraq, where he lost his leg, he was in coma for 58 days and almost lost his life. He rebuilt his mind body and spirit from the ground up. Photographers everywhere are seeking him out and he is becoming the muse for many.”

Justin continues: “When he came to the shoot, he seemed a little shy but very eager. He was excited to see what madness I had in store for him. I told him that I was going to photograph him in a rhinestone skirt and jewels. He laughed and said, “Lets do it!” I get a sense that this boy likes to be crazy. I did not want to shoot him in the typical jock/athletic manner, which seems to be the current trend when it comes to Alex. He is much more than that and enjoys the creative process. The afternoon was very fun. His enthusiasm made time fly by. Not only was he extremely easy on the eyes, I feel like I made a new friend.”Alex Minsky went through hell and back and came out stronger. He learned to embrace life once again and that there are other adventures waiting for him. Not only is Alex a war hero. He is also a hero of life. –BM-