Let's Talk About Sex



 

‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ is a psychological experiment. This art is inspired by the work of Alfred Kinsey’s famous research on human sexual behaviour. His books ‘Sexual Behaviour of the Human Male’ and ‘Sexual Behaviour of the Human Female’ is the core of the project.

In addition to research by other academics in the field of the Human Sexuality. The literature and the data they disseminate provides a unique insight into how people behave sexually, which is determined by factors including gender, age, sexual orientation, background, and religion.

 

Engaging in psychological role-play

The volunteers were firstly interviewed and then photographed. The photo-shoot involved participants engaging in the psychology of role-play. They were allowed to portray any character they wished. Their choice of character did not necessarily portray their own sexuality, but did however reflect a subconscious alter ego.

The impulses for creating these personas were based on a whole range of experiences, from desire, fear or a curiosity to a reaction against a particular idea. Most sexual preferences or fantasies are hidden in our subconscious; very often we don’t allow ourselves to access and express these emotions or desires.

This suppression is heavily influenced by personal assumptions in regards to what is morally acceptable and what is considered deviant. Social conventions, cultural & religious prescripts, social environments and the law further add to the list of taboos.

 

 

talking about sex is a taboo throughout most cultures.

They desired to express their thoughts, feelings, traumas, joys, etc. They were all prepared for the challenges they set themselves. This was a means to liberate their bodies, to leave the trap they’ve been forced into by morality. When it comes to sex in mainstream culture there is a big generalisation towards this topic, namely ‘PIV’.

Penis in vagina, although there are appearances in media on how disabled people, fat people or trans people have sex, they are still treated as the margins, and not integrated as normal.  I am speaking out for all to be seen as equals.

 

 

"We need to change the definition of what sex is."

All of us need to remember: Every person is different; everybody looks different, works differently, feels different, and responds differently. “We need to change the definition of what sex is, and what it means to different people.” The art project ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’, allowed for openness from the participants, highlighting a long list of sexual

deviations, most of which the general public are completely unaware of. This also corroborates with Kinsey’s experiments. The candidness of the artworks humbles the audience with its honesty. They are challenged to rethink their views on other peoples sexuality as well as their own. This will seek to break open our abilities to hear out difficult and uncomfortable 

content, to shed a light on the tangible roots of sexual diversity as investigated initially by Alfred Kinsey. The variety of stories portrayed will attempt to open one’s opinion to a broader context, where just one story might lead to a biased judgment. Viewers will understand sexuality beyond the frame of their own subjective experiences.

 

 

Initially the expectation of the project was only to take photographs.

The interview material prior to the photo sessions became just as important and relevant to the project. The dialogues between the artist and model were mostly about the choice of alter ego the model wanted to be portrayed as. In all cases, the interview elaborated to anecdotes, life stories and much deeper insights into the volunteer.

The project has transformed into something larger after photographing over 300 volunteers. There is a continuation in the relationship between the artist and the models that pushes the subject matter further. The photographs act as both a final work exploring the aesthetics of sexuality, and as documentation of the process of delving into the participant’s inner lives. The project is thus extending beyond photography into a performative audio-visual installation piece.

Here, the model has a larger role in which their audio and video recordings become the raw material for an interactive exhibition. My goal is to create a social revolution through art to bring back our bodies, to balance the scales with an honest look at physicality. My self-portraits are included in both editions of the project.



"My goal is to create a social revolution through art"

 
 
 





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