As an art photographer deeply engaged in exploring artistic nudes, I have often pondered a controversial subject: whether or not to hide the female sex in my work. Using poses, shadows, or blur, my natural tendency has always been to avoid showing it, respecting the modesty of the models and avoiding pornographic representations of women. For years, I censored this subject myself, finding it normal.
One day, during a conversation with a friend about my artistic work and listing the different facets of femininity I explore, she asked me about the erotic side of women. I naturally replied that "it's not really my thing," defending myself with a sense of morality and modesty. My friend replied ironically, "so in your vision of women, they don't have the right to be erotic too?" This conversation struck me. I had of course addressed sensuality in my photos, but eroticism? What does erotic mean anyway? Is it the sight of intimate parts that defines eroticism? And if it were more natural than that? Is the vulva so taboo in art?
Moreover, friends who participated in tantric workshops for women told me that many of them were unable to "meet" their vulva by looking at it in a mirror during proposed exercises. This reaction intrigued me because, as a man, I have always found women's sex beautiful, but for women? I have no idea!
I then had a somewhat naïve creative impulse: what if I created an artistic project to highlight the diversity and beauty of the female sex? When I proposed this theme to some models and friends, they burst out laughing, saying they could never do it, that they would feel like they were at the gynecologist or in porn photos, or even in an illustrated human anatomy manual. I then realized I had touched on a deeply ingrained taboo, making it all the more interesting to explore.
A few days later, while attending Florence Foresti's latest show, I was struck by the synchronicity with this subject. Sometimes, when the taboo is too strong, humor is welcome! You should listen to this part if you have 3 minutes:
I then did some research to understand if there were representations of the female sex in art history. Here are some findings.
What I first understood is that the representation of the female sex in art is a complex and multidimensional subject that spans the history of humanity, from the earliest prehistoric sculptures to provocative contemporary works. This subject highlights the power dynamics, gender, and cultural perceptions that shape our understanding of the female body. While the male sex is over-represented, both directly with pride and in very phallic architecture glorifying male power, the female sex is a whole different story!
History and evolution
1 Antiquity: The first representations of the female sex, like the "Venus of Willendorf," date back to prehistory and are often associated with fertility and the mother goddess. These figurines celebrate fertility, motherhood, and life. In Greco-Roman antiquity, the vulva was also revered, especially in fertility cults and beyond in religious symbols like the yoni in Hinduism.
The Venus of Willendorf
The yoni (Sanskrit योनि / yoni ("origin")), in Hinduism, refers to the female genital organ (womb or vulva); it is the symbol of the female energy known as shakti.
2. Renaissance: The Renaissance saw a rediscovery of anatomy and a renewed fascination with the human body, influenced by classical ideals of beauty and proportion. Artists of this era, like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, explored the human form with anatomical precision and deep symbolism. The female sex was often represented in an idealized manner, linked to themes of purity and temptation. However, there are very symbolic representations like in Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus, with a quite explicit drape near Venus's face that hides her pubis and breasts, similar to the antique Venus pudica.
3. Modern and Contemporary Era: Modern art challenged traditional conventions with provocative and realistic works. Gustave Courbet's "The Origin of the World," created in 1866, caused a scandal by explicitly representing the female sex realistically. It's obviously the first work that comes to mind when this subject is mentioned, noting its influence even today. Throughout art history, sensuality seemed acceptable when treated in a dreamy or mythological manner, but what courage it took to address this subject realistically! This, in my view, connects with photographic work, which by its very nature is realistic.
Contemporary Challenges and Controversies
The 20th century saw the emergence of feminist art, where artists like Judy Chicago used representations of the vulva to challenge stereotypes and celebrate femininity.
Contemporary works continue to provoke debates and controversies. Artists often use explicit representations of female genitalia to criticize social norms and explore themes of power and sexuality. For example, Japanese artist Megumi Igarashi was arrested and convicted for creating works based on 3D models of her own vulva, highlighting the tensions between artistic expression and legal and social norms, with the intention of attacking the hypocrisy on the subject in Japan.
Impacts and reflections
Education and Awareness: Artistic projects like Jamie McCartney's "The Great Wall of Vagina" aim to educate the public about the diversity of female bodies and combat taboos and stereotypes. These works provide a platform to openly discuss female sexuality and encourage broader and more inclusive acceptance.
I found this excerpt in a very good article on the subject, which I find very interesting:
"In these representations, the vulva has been displaced from the figure to a nearby object: in the first case, Helen's flying sleeve, in the second, the drape ready to envelop Venus. Such a process is reminiscent of recent initiatives to value female sexes: while the Museum of Vagina gathers varied vulvar images, English artist Jamie McCartney molded 400 sculptures of women's sexes aged 18 to 76 for his Great Wall of Vagina! Thus, from contemporary times to the Middle Ages, isolating the sex both polishes the licentious object while exhibiting it more. By extracting the vagina from the woman, the artist pushes the viewer to seek it, look at it, discover it. And a not negligible point, the vulva is represented larger and therefore more detailed!"
Normalization and Acceptance: In my view, by representing the diversity of bodies and female experiences, contemporary artists contribute to normalizing previously taboo discussions. They also encourage society to rethink its beauty and morality standards. This is what art should really serve for human society.
Self-Reflection: I am well aware that I look at this subject as a man and may have an unconscious objectification bias. Laura Mulvey's theory of the "male gaze" criticizes how artistic representations are often constructed from a male perspective, objectifying women. This perspective highlights the need to rethink how women are represented in art to avoid reducing them to mere objects of desire. However, representing women only through female art would be just as reductive.
Conclusion
The representation of the female sex in art is a rich and complex field, revealing the tensions between artistic freedom, social norms, and cultural perceptions. By exploring these representations throughout history, we can better understand the power and gender dynamics that influence our society. Art has the power to celebrate, educate, provoke, and transform, and how we represent the female sex speaks volumes about our collective vision of femininity and sexuality. We still have a long way to go! In antiquity, women were seen as mothers, then as pure women or objects of temptation, and even today, laws condemn the use of vulvar representation in art, it's crazy! And even in recent feminist works, and even in my own photos, there is a form of struggle or exaggeration of representation as if to impose it, we are very far from Nature simply.
I have tried, through my erotic gallery, to address this subject. It may still be clumsy, even in its title "erotic," but my intention is truly to seek this boundary between artistic representation and sensuality and to find a form of realism in representing the female body naturally. The question ultimately is not to judge whether the image provokes desire or not, as the Japanese sanction would do, but to question what real harm there is in feeling desire?
To conclude, I share some beautiful photos realized on the metaphor of the "jewel," the trend would be to write "For mature audiences" - Thanks to @lift_the_bimblue_up for participating in this magnificent exploration.
This is it for this article, a subject that fascinates me. Feel free to share your comments; as the name suggests, it's a controversial article to spark exciting debates.
See you soon,
Yohann
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