potential approaches in its treatment of subject
matter. An iconic approach places the substance
of an image’s erotic content on the figure itself.
Typically ‘‘straight’’ in its formalism and unaltered
surface, this approach embodies and signifies the
erotic in itself. In photography of this mode, the
subject carries the meaning of the photo. The other
approach is narrative, which is an extension of
nineteenth century pictorialism. Erotic photogra-
phy that is staged, or relies on props or composi-
tion to convey its erotic content and meaning is
narrative. All erotic art, however, is emotional,
meaning that it connects to the viewer in an expres-
sive way. An erotic image can disturb or delight. A
photograph by its nature distances the viewer in
space and time, but it also draws in the viewer to a
space that is real and personal, mentally and phy-
sically. Erotic photography may shock, dismay,
arouse, or amuse but it will not fail to be noticed.
In this way, it can be argued that an erotic photo-
graph can never be purely formal, but must always
be considered expressive.
Erotic imagery in photography typically is sub-
jugated by the traditional male-dominated gaze;
that is, a gaze preferring to see women as the object
of erotic poses. The male nude in art in general and
in erotic art in particular poses a variety of pro-
blems for artists, mainly socially and in extreme
cases, legally. Though the subject matter of these
photos is what is ultimately cited as the spark of
controversy, many critics agree that the real cause
of social uproar lies more in what erotic photo-
graphs of men communicate about the artist or
perhaps even the viewer. This is to say that negative
public reaction is based on a feeling of discomfort
with viewing art produced outside conventional
norms of communication. The male nude in pho-
tographic art has been dealt with successfully,
though often still controversially, by artists such
as Robert Mapplethorpe and George Dureau
(1930–). Equally controversial, for many of the
same reasons, is erotic art produced by women
artists. Whether photographing women or men,
female photographers find themselves under a
great deal of scrutiny due to their denial of the
traditionally male-defined sense of sexuality. Many
of these images are undeniably erotic, while still
ascribing to high-art standards of formalist ex-
cellence. In this way artists such as Mapplethorpe
can claim artistic validity by virtue of their techni-
cal and formal artistic standards, notwithstanding
the controversy of the subject matter.
Controversy breeds censorship, and nowhere is
this more true than with sexually themed photo-
graphy. Governments across the world have tried
to differentiate what is erotic, and presumably
acceptable from what is pornography, and by ex-
tension unacceptable. Lawmakers are not always
successful in making distinctions clear or guidelines
easy to follow. Typically laws define what is erotic
as being any sexual art that is not pornographic
under legal definition. This kind of definition is
problematic because it attempts to define a thing
by defining what it is not. Many government-spon-
sored commissions such as the United States’ At-
torney General’s Commission on Pornography in
1986, usually sweep anything sexual into the same
category and attempt to make broad-based judg-
ments founded on prevailing moral and political
attitudes as opposed to an attempt to make aes-
thetic judgments on the works at hand.
The subjective nature of erotic art as discussed
above makes any kind of censorship or regulation
intrinsically difficult for the reason that censoring
agencies typically make the assumption that all
representation has equal value to all viewers.
Most decency laws also do not allow works to be
considered in their proper context.
Whether humorous or disturbing, erotic photo-
graphy will always have sexuality at the core of its
subject. Erotic does not necessarily mean photos of
nude people. An erotic photograph can be one of a
subject fully or partially clothed. The gaze of the
subject can be directed within the picture plane or
outward, in direct engagement with the viewer (a
typical motif in pin-up photography). An erotic
photograph need not show an entire person’s
body or even a person at all. Eroticism is defined
by attitude and context; because of this, erotic pho-
tography will always be subjective and reliant upon
the very personal reactions of the viewer. The fact
that eroticism in photography is as popular and
ubiquitous as it is, testifies to the success of artists’
universal communication of intimate truths as des-
cribed by Foucault. The incorporation of erotic
photography into commercial, mass culture is indi-
cative of just how universal these truths are, con-
troversial or not.
ERINSchwartz
Seealso:Brandt, Bill; Mapplethorpe, Robert; Nude
Photography; Pin-Up PhotographyFurther Reading
Ashford, Rod. ‘‘Prurience and Perfection,’’The British
Journal of Photography: The Body Issue, no. 715 (1998).
Barry, Peter.The Art of Erotic Photography. New York:
Crescent Books, 1983.
Brandt, Bill.Perspective of Nudes. New York: Amphoto,
1961.EROTIC PHOTOGRAPHY