What's the Opposite of Porn?

Today I was talking to a friend I shoot with frequently, and we got to talking about expressing sensuality in photography. In most commercial media, sexuality is something to be consumed by the viewer. Whether it’s actual pornography, suggestive artwork on an album cover, or an advertisement for deodorant, the message is the same: “Here’s a sex object for you to enjoy.”

The problem is that it erases the agency and personhood of the subject, as well as deadening the experience for the viewer. It’s the equivalent of free junk food— Here’s something salty and sweet, it won’t improve or even satisfy you but it’s easy enough to keep you wanting more.

What’s the alternative? Puritanism isn’t the answer— that just trades one dehumanizing extreme for another. Instead, art that embraces sensuality, in a way that is humanizing and empowering, and expresses the unique personality of the subject with nuance. Rather than putting something on display for consumption, my goal is to offer a window into the side of a person usually reserved for intimate relationships. Other artists I know go even further, using photography to explore their own sensuality, simultaneously creating and revealing this aspect of their personality. The benefit of this for the viewer is that it broadens their experience and empathy, and maybe even resonates with them in ways they do not expect.

Rather than junk food for the eyes, sensual work can be nourishing for the soul.