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There is an aestheticisation of pornographic imagery that permeates practically all aspects of contemporary culture which suggests pornography may be treated as having some aesthetic interest and validity in itself. Companies such as American Apparel use actual pornography actresses in their advertisements including Lauren Phoenix (2005), Sasha Grey (2009) and Faye Reagan, also known as Faye Valentine (2009). This portrays a clear intentionality to the ideological underpinnings of the representation of the partially nude female form in positions that are connotative of porn. The postmodernization of the ‘pornosphere’, including porno-chic (in advertising), arguably confuses the distinction between ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture, further problematizing definitions of pornography, the meaning of sex and the boundaries of sexual expression. Sex and nudity cannot be carefully categorized into the clear binary codes of ‘low’ and ‘high’ culture, ‘pornography’ and ‘erotica’, ‘passive feminism’ and ‘active masculine’; and the I Shot Myself project challenges these divides through allowing the object of desire (those in the pictures) to also take an active, agent-like role as they are also the photographer: both the voyeur and the object of voyeurism.
It is a common argument put forth by anti-pornography feminists that the wanton depiction of the female form in pornography and popular media alike is indicative of a practically inescapable sexist, patriarchal discourse; compounded by the popular feminist dictum “porn is the theory, rape is the practice”. This places severe constrictions on female agency, pleasure and desire through the assumption that women do not partake in (let alone enjoy) voyeuristic practices themselves. I appreciate ISM's use of ‘pornographic’ iconography, but because it sheds light on repressed female sexual consciousness, left relatively untouched thus far.
In my set of I Shot Myself photos, I attempted to reveal aspects of my own mildly fetishistic sexual identity through what I personally find sexually attractive in myself and others. I explore sexuality, sex and fetishism pictorially in my blog (intox.tumblr.com).
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