About the most wonderful Pastime in the World - What is Erotic Art?
It is generally said that eroticism is the supreme discipline in art and poetry. Sex serves as a moving spirit for many artists who transform their erotic fantasies into perceptible inspiration. We introduce you to a broad range of erotic art.
Already in February 2017 the traditional auction house "Sotheby`s" opened a wide-ranging event for selling erotic art for the first time. The famous burlesque dancer Dita von Teese campaigned for it. The exhibition was called "Erotic: Passion and Desire" and offered the interested parties 107 paintings, sculptures and design objects. For example, Helmut Newton's photographs, playful paintings by Paul Marc Joseph Chenavard, or melancholy portraits by Lucien Freud.
Of course, there are erotic sculptures in addition to erotic paintings portraying relentlessly erotic themes such as oral sex or penetration. A very famous example for this field is the controversial series "Made in Heaven" by Jeff Koons. He himself served as a model with his former wife Ilona Staller. With this series, Koons wanted to put an end to the shame associated with sex.
The originator of the erotic sculpture, Auguste Rodin, approached this topic in a rather cautious way. His sculptural work "The Kiss" (1886) is the epitome of an erotic sculpture.
While Rodin was a pioneer of cubism, Picasso is the master of this art style. One often identifies an erotic tendency in Picasso's early artworks. The author of the biography "A Life of Pablo Picasso" imputed an "uncontrollable sex drive" to him. His painting "Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" is an example. It shows his lover Marie-Thérèse, who is tied up in bondage.
Beyond all the erotic paintings and sculptures, erotic photography needs to be mentioned. Nude photography is one of the most challenging and interesting styles of photography. In addition to the posing of the model, the professional handling of light and shadow plays an important role. Current popular nude photographers are Tony Kelly, Christopher von Steinbach or Emanuele Ferrari.
In case you prefer it a little bit fancier, you can think about the great art on small eggs. Just around Easter, erotic painting on eggs is highly topical. This trend comes from Indonesia. There, the artistic painting of Easter eggs is very common and has a long tradition. The origin and the beginning of life are to be symbolized with the painted eggs.
