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BDSM/ Sexuality in Art - 10/8/2009 11:53:29 AM

AnimusRex

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I was about to post on sodsta's thread about Disney, but rather than hijack that one, I decided to start a new one.

It isn't really surprising how often the subtext of sex and force makes its way into art.
Entire thesis books have been written with the thesis that since people are uncomfortable with their own sexuality, allusion and metaphor are used as a way of dealing with it- so the undertones of pubescence and desire are hidden, but just barely, in Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and others.

Likewise, scores of Hollywood movies have as their centerpiece the forced capture and threatened ravishment of nubile young women- a not very subtle reference to the erotic fantasies many women have.
The best screenwriters are not kinky- just canny and perceptive of our desires.

For something even more intense, either transgressive or wonderfully touching, consider Bernini's sculpture of "The Ecstacy of St. Teresa" descirbing the rapture of St. Teresa of Avila, in a vision she describes thusly:

"I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron's point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is satisfied now with nothing less than God. The pain is not bodily, but spiritual; though the body has its share in it. It is a caressing of love so sweet which now takes place between the soul and God, that I pray God of His goodness to make him experience it who may think that I am lying."
The picture is here:
http://www.artchive.com/artchive/B/bernini/teresa.jpg.html

There is some controversy, that an interpretation of the "ecstacy" is a reference to orgasm; Notice where the "flaming tip" of the arrow is pointing.

Some see this as theory as transgressive, but I would argue that the mingling of pain and sexuality is in fact a holy thing, a deeply primal act, outside of intellect, and by being so fierce, so uncontrolled, is in fact touching the thing beyond human hands.
The best art explains things we can't express any other way- sex and pain are also ways to tap into things that can't be covered or expressed by the intellect. I am thinking of Leonard Choen's song "Halleluja" with the line "and when I moved in you, the Holy dove was moving too".

I would love to see other examples that people have experienced that explore that boundary of pain, sex, and ecstacy.

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RE: BDSM/ Sexuality in Art - 10/8/2009 7:25:22 PM

IronBear

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Personally when I build a new house I am thinking of having, for formal occasions, several naked females tied in suspension (shibari style) rope and chain bondage acting as art nouveau and doubling as candelabras. Ergo: Sexuality, BDSM and Art in one move.

Before the onset of FDS, I'd walk from the shower with a wet towel trapped over my tallywacker and people weren't sute if I had a sawn off shotgun or my Smith & Western 9" barrelled magnum .44 revolver under the towel. That was a form of performing arts, sexuality (I was ready to jump a female if needs be and it had strains of BDSM with the towel being disciplined.

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RE: BDSM/ Sexuality in Art - 10/8/2009 8:21:59 PM

AnnaOfAramis

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quote:

so the undertones of pubescence and desire are hidden, but just barely, in Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and others.

Likewise, scores of Hollywood movies have as their centerpiece the forced capture and threatened ravishment of nubile young women

As a post script to this Sir, part of this girl's Master's Thesis was on Sleeping Beauty. The original Perrault version was based in part on a tale from the Arabian nights (Sun Moon and Talia) in which the girl is raped while asleep and actually gives birth to two children while asleep. Naturally this was a little too graphic for Perrault (who didn't even include the infamous kiss), so he cut that out of his version:) More on the history of Sleeping Beauty here.

It is also hypothesized that the pricking of the finger and drawing of blood represents the pricking of her virginity. Don't you love fairy tales, lol?

Well wishes,
anna

Edited to add: As far as art that has "as their centerpiece the forced capture and threatened ravishment of nubile young women" a favourite site is: orientalist-art.co.uk

< Message edited by AnnaOfAramis -- 10/8/2009 8:26:52 PM >

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RE: BDSM/ Sexuality in Art - 10/9/2009 6:08:47 AM

looking4princess

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quote:

ORIGINAL: AnimusRex

For something even more intense, either transgressive or wonderfully touching, consider Bernini's sculpture of "The Ecstacy of St. Teresa" descirbing the rapture of St. Teresa of Avila, in a vision she describes thusly:

There is some controversy, that an interpretation of the "ecstacy" is a reference to orgasm; Notice where the "flaming tip" of the arrow is pointing.

Some see this as theory as transgressive, but I would argue that the mingling of pain and sexuality is in fact a holy thing, a deeply primal act, outside of intellect, and by being so fierce, so uncontrolled, is in fact touching the thing beyond human hands.
The best art explains things we can't express any other way- sex and pain are also ways to tap into things that can't be covered or expressed by the intellect. I am thinking of Leonard Choen's song "Halleluja" with the line "and when I moved in you, the Holy dove was moving too".

I would love to see other examples that people have experienced that explore that boundary of pain, sex, and ecstacy.

Bernini's sculptures are all lovely, don't you think?

I would posit that while Christians may think the ecstacy of Teresa was a "holy thing," it may be only a variation of the Pagan stories of incubi and succubi visiting and consorting with humans. Passionate and artful nevertherless. *smiles*

Great topic, btw!

< Message edited by looking4princess -- 10/9/2009 6:12:01 AM >

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