The world is getting more outspoken about sexual needs. It is somehow depicting the openness we need. For me, it is one of the essential needs of the human body. It makes us more receptive to the cliché of society. 

Being an artist, I gained an understanding of these essential aspects of the human mind which is more attracted to sexual chores. Let me introduce myself, I am a painter cum engineer who paints in his leisure time. This is more of a passion for me, as it makes me express myself on canvas. 

From the time when I have attained puberty, I had been more leaned towards sex and the pleasure it provides. Being an artist I like to paint erotic subjects which are more of a cliché for other people. This gives me a level of satisfaction as the true beauty persists in the way we carry ourselves when no one is watching. The physical seclusion makes us introspect about different things.

My aspect of understanding the art

When I started painting I was more of a regular artist who paints anything. After a specific event, I had started painting erotic subjects. This event takes place when I and my girlfriend were spending quality time. She wanted me to paint her nude. I started painting and after that moment, this became an obsession for me. From that time I have painted almost hundreds of pieces that demonstrate the artistic approach towards sex organs. 

This is more of a stress buster for me. After work, I found that it is giving me a unique satisfaction level. Though these works are personal and I am unable to show it to others because of social stigma. Some of the paintings have been shared it mu ex-companions.

After painting for a nominal time, I also gained an understanding which depicts the true sense of this erotic art. In the past, I was concerned about society, but after subsequent studies, I found this normal. The painting of erotic art is a unique art form that is cliché for society. The understanding of other people doesn’t matter to me now, but making them think about the core imagination is necessary. The painting of erotic arts needs immense imagination ad perception. You don’t always get a nude client who deliberately wants to be your mannequin for a long period.

The core definition of erotic art

The definition of erotic art depends upon the context and the understanding of the audience. The perceptions of different people differ in many ways. For example, when a sculpture makes a piece of work which may be considered as a traditional symbol rather than erotic. But some of the people get it wrong as they consider them as pornography.

There is a very thin line in the imagination of erotic arts and pornography. Let’s take another example, the idol makers make a piece of work which is used for worship, but at the time of making these can be perceived as nudity by some people.

The increased social stigma caused a massive restriction on erotic art. In this write-up, we will further discuss the problems for erotic art in the modern period.

Know more about social stigma in this Mental Health article.

Problems for erotic art

1.  According to the Kant’s view of erotic art which gives an elaborate description of our interest towards the beauty which enables us to view even nude female statues without much interest. We laugh at those pieces because of the expense of nuances. The artist has a different view, it is more of an interesting approach for him as he truly expresses his aesthetic feeling.

2. The shadow of modern aesthetics covered the whole art form from 20th and even in the 21st century. The idea of practicality and erotic art form are fundamentally different and incompatible throughout.

3. The modern aesthetics has constructed a veil between aesthetic pleasure and sexual pleasure. It restricted those who want to combine the two. The works of erotic art are meant to stimulate our sexual approach ad inner desires which makes it a subject of aesthetic judgments.

Best erotic artist of all time

There has been some artist who depicted their erotic art form being a rebel to the world. Let’s dive into the world of that artist elaborately.

• Correggio, Leda, and the Swan

This piece of erotic art which is the prolific work if Corregio which entails the story of the seduction of Leda by Zeus as a swan is immensely erotic. This is being attempted by so many from Michelangelo to Cezanne but it still been the most erotic part of the world, but in its time it has been so outrageous and unacceptable by the society that the Regent of Paris son stabbed the painting with a knife. The stabbing is of the extent that the face of Leda had to be repainted.

• Rembrandt, The Monk in the Cornfield 

It is one of the most meditative pieces made by Rembrandt. This is one of the pieces from his art series ‘The monk in the cornfield’. This is a cartoon-like portrait of a monk who is breaking his vows and indulging in sexual intercourse amidst the cornfield. To this date, it has been a relative secret. Also, the frank and an outcast definition of unscheduled sex would find an immense amount of followers.

• Egon Schiele, Two Women

It is the work of an artist who had been to prison for his work. Imagine the effect of an outrageous society and ruler. Schiele’s work was so outcast and bold that it made him serve a brief sentence. This painting was about the two women who are indulged in unashamed lovemaking. These women are the sex workers, according to Schielle. The kinky selection of nudes had influenced a massive chunk of people from society.

• Katsushika Hokusai, The Adonis Plant

This artist is known for his other artwork which is very popular and often reproduced by other artists ‘great wave off Kanagawa’. The piece which makes him an erotic artist represents the Japanese spring pictures which mainly, means the sex in Japanese. These erotic prints of painting are completed in woodblock and describe the copulating couples with massive genitals.

• Robert Mapplethorpe, Self Portrait with Whip

It is one of the most debated pieces of work until this time. This generated the culture wars in 1980. This revoked the government funding of sex-positive artists. This piece depicts the bull-whip inserted in his anus and gazing unpleasantly over his shoulder to the camera.

These are the artists who are equipped with a classy imagination which makes them carry out these works. All of them were considered social outcasts at their specific time. But afterward the people realized the core meaning of their work and now these are overtly popular. The outwardness of this time makes this art form viable and pursued by many.

My view of this art form

Right now I have succumbed between the desirous need of this art form and the social stigma which it brings. Though I know the historical value of this erotic art, but I am very concerned about my pursuance towards this.

Sometimes I think of this as a sole expressive factor I contain, but another time those social barriers prevent me from the outflow. The process of pursuing this is quite exemplary for me and I like it very much, but to carry out a social life with the same desire is making it difficult for me.

Related: Here’s how to break down social barriers

Though I have consulted with some of the erotic artists of the present time. They elaborately mentioned this succumbing as the release of my imagination. They advised me to be on this path without thinking about society or other consequences. 

Some historical references

My works are minimal arts of specific sex organs. The imagination of different postures in sex is the forte. I have several paintings that show the process of lovemaking rather than mentioning it as sex. 

• According to my research, I have found our mythology and historical heritage are also made with this art form. As we have only provided the gospel of sex to the world i.e. ‘Kamasutra’ which depicts the visual and beautiful representation of sex.
• Moreover, one of the painters of ancient India i.e. Raja Ravi Varma has also been criticized for the showy paintings of Hindu deities which depicts that after substantial and massive popularity, there is a section of people who will always troll you for anything they consider as out of their barriers.
• These two references from my culture and historic tradition make me understand the core value of imagination and art form. This gives me inner strength which makes to carry out the beautiful representation of my thoughts on that small piece of paper.

Here I am quoting the words of a prolific outcast from our society i.e. Saadat Hasan Manto, “If you cannot bear these stories then the society is unbearable. Who am I to remove the clothes of society, which itself is naked.”