Erotic art is not a new concept. Some may argue that early art and its relationship to fertility could have been the cause of art itself. In a modern world dominated by suggestive advertising and uncensored pornography, does erotic art still have a place?
Evidence suggests that it does, and from painting to literature, erotic art is undergoing a transformation. We spoke to some of the creators and asked them: what’s going on with erotic art?
Roots of Erotic Art
The oldest known depiction of two people making love is known as the “Ain Sakhri Lovers” and was a stone sculpture. It dates from around 11,000 years ago, just as people were starting to develop agriculture.
At first, it was assumed that this item was used in ritual or worship, a fertility symbol of sorts. However, its discovery in the dwelling of an ancient civilization suggests something different. It suggests that it was there to serve no purpose other than to be admired. It was art.
This documentation of erotic art has continued throughout human history. However, no period in time has utilized the power of eroticism as much as the age of capitalism.
The adage “sex sells” has entered into modern parlance. With it has came a stream of advertising, music videos and movies that peddle sex like it is as available for consumption as any other commodity. And it is.
But is that eroticism? And is erotic art a way of claiming back something that was once personal to us from the jaws of mass consumerism? We asked our guests why they made the change.
Come Back Anton
Come Back Anton is a former journalist and writer. She has been publishing micro-fiction since 2018. This year, Hawkins made the switch to erotic literature. We spoke to her about why she turned to the erotic side and why so many others are following suit.
CP: What was the catalyst for change that sent you down the erotic rabbit hole?
CBA: I started this account as a whimsical project where I would distribute love letters around different locations to see if Anton would write back. In the end, a couple of different followers started writing back as Anton and that’s how I started writing in this style.
CP: So who is Anton? What is so erotic about them?
CBA: Anton is a random name I had picked out for a mythical long-lost boyfriend. The plague just gave me more time to write about him in lockdown.
CP: In a world where sexuality has become an everyday commodity, why is erotic literature so popular?
CBA: I did not know erotic literature was popular but if it is, that’s great. It’s been around forever. It’s even in the bible. Our brains are wired for sex, so I actually think that reading erotic words is far more titillating than watching porn. There could also be a pandemic aspect because lovers are separated, and people have more time to read and write.
CP: There are a few literary awards for bad sex in fiction, and some very good writers fall into the trap of writing bad sex. How do you police the line between erotic and absurd?
CBA: I don’t police anything I write. I remember this quote from a character in Biloxi Blues: “The moment you censor yourself, you become a candidate for mediocrity.” People say that it’s difficult to write sex. For me, it’s not. I think if you’re authentic, dirty and plain-speaking, it’s good. You need to have fun with it and not be too arty.
Robyn Lightwalker
Robyn Lightwalker is a multi-discipline artist, who uses paint, sculpture, and graphic novels as her mediums. She has hosted smash success exhibitions about butts and even featured in a show about boobies and wieners in her exploration of the erotic.
CP: What made you switch to erotic art?
RL: I wouldn’t call it a switch. But what got me interested in it was visiting the sex museum in Amsterdam. I had never seen such beautiful, erotic art before. I was missing out on a huge part of what art was, is, and could be.
I started with the butt series as a lead-up to ease my fans and followers into it. After the Butt Show (which was a huge success in terms of attendance and sales), we visited Vancouver and were part of a show called Boobies and Wieners. The lineup was around the block. So, I realized there was a huge market for erotic art.
CP: So why butts? What was it about them that made them such a gateway drug?
RL: Butts are like the one thing you can get away with on social media without risking a ban. My friend had also just put out a song called “Bootay Bootay” and we helped draw a diagram for a music video with various butts. I drunkenly joked that I could draw 100 butts. And I have a habit of turning ridiculous jokes into reality.
Butts and backs are my favorite part of the human body. Plus, everyone has a butt so it was easy to find models. Most of my friends were fairly happy to model for the butt. A butt is fairly anonymous by nature.
CP: In a world of commodified sex and porn on tap, why do we still need erotic art?
RL: The same reason we make art at all instead of just taking photos. Photos and videos are great at capturing what’s actually there, even bringing out the best in what we see. But painting, drawing and sculpture can be a whole other dimension by filtering what the artist sees through their eyes, then their hands. It’s that disconnect from the real world that I love about art. It’s why I don’t tend to do photorealism often.
I could draw your wildest fantasy using the skills I’ve learned from real life as a guide to make it more believable, to take you out of yourself and into your own head, and that’s a pretty intimate experience. Better than your cookie-cutter porno.
Also, mainstream porn is just a means to an end. The people that create it usually just have money in mind. I don’t fault them for it, what they do has value to a lot of people. But that’s not my audience.
CP: Your recent work seems to have come full circle and became less erotic. Is there a reason for that?
RL: I planned to set up a booth at an erotic art convention in the US and start hiring models to take photos of them while they were intimate and do another show like the butt show. Then COVID hit. I couldn’t get models, can’t do a show, can’t travel, then came financial stress and depression which does not make me feel sensual or confident.
I tried doing erotica from photos instead but without the goal of a show I had nothing to kick my ass into gear. I was so stressed out I just didn’t have it in me.
Creativity and emotions come in waves. Sometimes there’s a drought. It’s the same with my own feelings toward sexuality in general, sometimes it excited me, other times I just can’t be bothered.
So hopefully this is the last lockdown, I can get back to exploring this and helping remind people that it’s possible to let yourself feel good sometimes. I have a feeling after this we might see an influx of orgies, burlesque shows, and other such events from people being starved of human contact. I suppose people could go the opposite and be afraid to touch a stranger ever again.
I don’t know if I can live in a world without hugs though, so I hope not.
The Future of Erotic Art
How will this renaissance shape the future of art? NFT marketplace Rarible recently had an NSFW search function, allowing you to browse the risqué NFT works created on the site. While it may have vanished from their explore quick links, the marketplace is still awash with erotic art.
One artist making some extremely interesting art is Crabs. While their art ranges from photography to waifus, their recent surreal NSFW collage blended pop art aesthetics with a healthy dose of retro glamor. It was extremely refreshing in its old-fashioned approach, making it really stand out against the other NSFW art on the platform.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on other artists that move into this stimulating space in the art world.
