There are many subjects of art, but none of them as popular or intriguing as the human body. There is something narcotic about the shapes and curves of the human form. Studying the form is hypnotic, while doing it justice in work a work of art is the lifelong étude of many artists.
As moral lines become less distinct, it is worth considering the difference between artistic expressions of the body and outright pornography.
ARTISTIC APPROACH TO THE BODY
Some students of the body include Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Both of these greats would dissect cadavers to better understand the anatomy under the skin. Some may question their methods, but the art they produced is incredibly lifelike. They must have known what they were doing. Their approach to the body was clearly artistic.
Introductions to nudity in art can be confusing. We have all seen comedic scripts where a new student sits in their first art class. Soon a beautiful man or woman walks to center stage and drops their robe. The reactions can be comical, but quickly things settle down and everyone gets to work.
In comparison, porn has a vastly different effect on the mind because the embarrassment and shock a porn initiate experiences is far more intense. Dr. Judith Reisman, a leading researcher on pornography, said: “Pornographic visual images imprint and alter the brain, triggering an instant, involuntary, but lasting biochemical memory trail [that is] difficult or impossible to delete.” Studies prove that just like Fukushima radioactive fallout, pornographic images linger in the memory for years.
HOW TO IDENTIFY PORNOGRAPHY
Consider public opinion. If you find yourself wearing a disguise to a museum or frantically closing a window on your computer before anyone sees, chances are you are watching porn, not art. Why do most viewers watch it in secret? Clearly there is something within our skulls that considers it taboo. Even in this day and age only a minority are proud to publicly display pornography in a public setting. In fact it is illegal in most countries. A Google search on porn collections shows a link for “The Secret Museum”. See my point?
Consider the intention behind the product. Most kids can taste the love their mom puts into a home-cooked meal. Just like a cook puts emotion into their food, producers of porn or art inevitably do the same. The motive clearly stands out in most products.
So, you can view a creation from two angles. Either you can search the mind of the creator, or you can search yourself. So, how do you feel after contemplating it? Did it stir the animal or the human in you? The lingering emotions you feel from viewing the emotions the creator shared can help you discern fine art from porn. (If you have built up a tolerance for porn, better you ask the unbiased opinion of someone who has not.)
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NUDE AND RUDE
Nudity is not always pornography. With the exception of the sweater-sporting Manhattan poodle, animals roam around butt-naked all the time and think nothing of it. Indigenous tribes probably don’t care about Victoria’s Secret. Frankly, there is as much arousal in viewing Michelangelo’s cupids as there is in the mirror after your bath. Clearly nudity can be studied and presented without getting all worked up. Good news for the freshman class.
Since it is easier to cross the line between nude and rude than to get a visa to North Korea, those involved in pornography simply work to flip the mental switch from ‘boring’ to ‘wildly imagined desires’. When the scenes range from subtly shocking to downright carnal, odds are it’s porn. Conversely, it is not reasonable to label all nudity in art as pornography since most art with this element creates as much inner desire as a lion has for garden salad.
CLEAR DISTINCTION
It is easy to term pornography as art but hard to prove. Even when pornography is presented in artistic form, it is what it is. There are individuals that argue about where the demarcation belongs. Many try to move the borders and challenge the rules. Despite these Herculean efforts, the line has yet to be erased. There is a gap! Porn is porn and art is art.
So it is best to be honest than in denial. Pornographic magazines admit that they are pornographic. Websites do the same. The British Museum features both the theme, ‘Sunga, sex and pleasure in Japanese Art’ as well as the warning ‘Parental Guidance Advised.’ If responsible presenters of such material honestly classify their product, shouldn’t you? Rather than waste energy arguing about it, call a spade a spade.
There are many people who feast on junk food because it’s convenient and the taste is arguably addictive. There are also proven side effects to this diet. If you choose to feast your eyes on porn, be prepared for the side effects. Alternatively, there is a lifetime of great art to discover and enjoy. Choose wisely.
THIS PHOTO
The featured photo in this article is entitled Schizophrenia, the work of a very talented, young, Indonesian-born photographer, Leonardo Dafinsi Engel, who currently specializes in fine art and commercial photography in Europe and Indonesia. Engel’s work over the years has been focused on fine art nude photography, which, according to the artist, is challenging – especially in Indonesia – to present the art form as not to be considered pornography. This year, Engel won second prize in Prix de la Photographie Paris (Px3) for Aphrodite, a set of advertising-style fashion photographs. Check out more of Engel’s work at leonardoengel.com.
