Comments Page Association of Erotic Artists

Advice, Guidance, Comments, Essays, Tutorials and Opinions by AEA Members and Guests. You will also find Historical Articles of Note, links to Debates and articles collated from the World's Press. These are updated on a regular basis so there will always be something new and interesting each time you visit.

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GUIDANCE FOR MODELS This 10 page information pack has been produced to offer guidance to those considering a career in modeling. Topics include: Do's & Don'ts, Getting Started, Promotion, Explanation of terms e.g. TFP/CD, Safety Tips, Model Releases and more.

Articles by AEA Members

Three New Poems - I offer to members and visitors alike three poems of mine that explore the darkest forms of love...China Hamilton.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE OTHER - “ONCE YOU LABEL ME, YOU NEGATE ME” Much has been written by philosophers, such as Aristotle, Immanuel Kant and Wittgenstein, about the nature of beauty, aesthetics and the ever shifting values that we place upon what we see and observe; but what does it mean to be ‘seen’ by another and how does that impact upon us as individuals and how we perceive ourselves and our own appearance/beauty?
THE FINISHED ARTICLE The production of our subject only exists and even considering our now digital world, with the finial, actual print. I say this as even though we can look upon our work on a computer screen, see it in the camera, digitally project it onto a wall, [that also used to be done with things called slides] send it wirelessly to an ever-changing picture frame, it isn’t a photograph until it becomes a print that we can hold in our hands. All other forms are ephemeral and victims so often of the vagaries of the device by which we view the picture. On this I am most dogmatic, a photograph is only that, when it is a print or reproduced [printed] in a book etc. Just as a film is not a film when it is broken down in to individual frames but is a film when it is run at usually 26 frames per. second. We live today in a world that misappropriates the truth to a point where it sadly becomes accepted by the majority - writes Association member China Hamilton.
INTERACTING WITH MODELS (DURING EROTIC ART PHOTO-SHOOTS) The key to working with models during an erotic art photo-shoot is having respect and consideration for them, understanding who they are and what they want to achieve, and for this being able to ‘read’ and empathise with people is a very helpful skill - writes Association member Robert Babylon.
ALL CATS ARE GREY: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO CONVERTING COLOUR DIGITAL IMAGES TO BLACK AND WHITE. There is something about the black and white nude. Unlike painting, where a full range of subtle colours have brought centuries of nude subjects to life, the majority of art nude photographers have stripped the original colours from their nudes. Early in the history of photography there was no choice, and even when colour processes did emerge, I suspect the quality of colour available was unlikely to flatter the nude subject. However, excellent colour films, fine tuned for capturing naturalistic skin tones, have been available for decades, and in the digital age photographers have unprecedented control over hue and saturation - writes Association member James Reynard.
EROTIC OR PORNOGRAPHIC - DEFINING EROTICA. Many photographers have been drawn to the temptations of this complex subject and, because of the realism of photography, pictures can confront law and morality quite uniquely. It is this difficulty that provokes the challenge and, if you have tried, you will be aware just how hard it is. The subject contains all the problems a photographer faces when taking a head and shoulder portrait - plus the added concentration of our own sexuality - writes Association member China Hamilton.
LAB – THE UNDISCOVERED COLOUR SPACE Everyone who uses photo-editing software to produce colour imagery is probably familiar with one of the many flavours of the RGB colour space. Even those who prefer monochrome imagery probably work digitally in RGB. Those who print their own work may also be accustomed to CMYK. In this article I would like to promote the use of a third colour space - LAB colour – arguably the most powerful space for processing colour images - writes Association member James Reynard.
HOMOSEXUALITY, EROTIC ARTISTS AND THE BIBLE - I initially indented to write an essay exploring the similarities between practising homosexuals and artists of erotica – whatever their sexual orientation. To show how we have a common bond in that we have all been condemned and persecuted, by both secular and religious society, and to illustrate how we have engaged on a similar crusade aimed at promoting understanding, tolerance and acceptance - writes Association co-founder Paul Woods..
THE NEWPORT NUDE I can't help it, I love this painting. It has a painterly quality I like. Her skin is painted in delicious pinky flesh tones reminiscent of the alluring sweets of childhood and, like a craved for candy, I want a taste. Her illuminated body is pleasingly naked and exudes a tangible sexiness that I want to enjoy as a voyeuristic delight that time dims and surrenders to tactile pleasures - writes Association Co-founder Paul Woods

THE TORMENT OF ARIAS : THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF JEAN JACQUES ANDRÉ If one were to attempt to describe the photographs that Jean creates it would be in terms of a fusion of the images produced by Angus McBean (his theatrical photomontages), Ralph Gibson (particularly his ‘The Somnambulist’ 1970 era) and the Symbolist artists such as Gustave Moreau, Rodolphe Bresdin and Fernand Khnopff - writes Association Co-founder Christopher John Ball
THE TWO GIRLFRIENDS - AN ANALYSIS OF THE PAINTING BY TOULOUSE LAUTREC This is not a painting with a goal to elicit a sexual response or to initiate a sexual desire from the viewer. It does very little to sexually stimulate the senses. So why am I writing about this as a piece of erotic art? Asks Association Co-founder Paul Woods.
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ECSTASY: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF DANIEL MURTAGH Just as he enjoys using female models to create much of his still imagery - Daniel predominantly casts women in the film roles because “there is an ideal balance to be found by expressing emotion and sensuality with woman as protagonist.” Asked to expand further he explains that he believes that women have “a face that looks out from some aspect of human experience I can never really know” - writes Association Co-founder Christopher John Ball.
WORKING FROM PHOTOGRAPHS As a professional painter I am always keen to see new painters applying for membership. I approach new work with an expectant pleasure and a hope of seeing works that may excite me and become worthy new additions to the Association. But sadly I am all too often disappointed when I am yet again confronted with poor drawings and paintings so obviously copied from photographs culled from porn magazines and used with no discernible skills or imagination. There seems to be this misconception that if one copies a pornographic image it will somehow transform itself into a quality, imaginative and creative work of art. Don't be deluded, it won’t! - writes Association co-founder Paul Woods.
PRACTICAL DREAMER - THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF NICOLAS TUCKER Nic is on record as stating that he doesn’t see his work as an… “abstract, a symbol or a statement…I’m trying to make a decent picture, nothing more serious than that” but there is far too much going on within his imagery, too many references, quotations, symbolism and delightful constructs, for this to be anything more than just a playful conceit and further example of his self deprecating humour and, in truth, could possibly be a disservice to his work. The viewer is drawn into his images and encouraged to ask questions – to enter into a dialogue. His photographs are inherently about the sensuality and eroticism of looking and they refuse to be ignored - writes Association Co-founder Christopher John Ball.
A STUDY OF TWO WORKS BY BALTHUS 1908-2001 Balthus is a painter of some of the most erotic images created, images that have subtle, ambiguous and powerful sexual tensions. Images of pubescent girls abound in the work of Balthus but the sexual exploration these images force are more of a mirror to our own thoughts, revulsion and desires rather than that of Balthus himself - writes Association Co-founder Paul Woods.
THE MAKING OF HANNAH A fascinating, step by step, insight into the many varied and complicated processes involved with producing a life-size sculpture by Association member Len Gifford.
ISLAMAPHOBIA OR MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR EROTICA? Throughout this commentary I have made the assumption that the majority of the creators of erotic art or merchandise are neither Muslim or Christian. Whether this is accurate or not I stand by the argument that sexual liberty and erotica are intrinsically incompatible with the teachings of the Bible and the Koran. Hence I make no apologies for being partisan - writes Charles Sayer.
FROZEN MOMENTS Now I’m one of those dying breed of photographers who once used film in a camera. I think that I have actually been doing it for about fifty years. I don’t do it any more as I have joined the digital club but it started me thinking a while back. It was a long time, about ten years, before I gave up my Kodak Brownie 127. Now that had a fixed shutter speed, quite slow. Then I got a 35mm camera which had a choice of speeds up to about 1000th of a second. Wow. So what has that got to do with erotic photography? Asks China Hamilton.
THE ESSENCE OF THE EROTIC I was obsessed by things sexual long before I was even aware of the meaning of such primal feelings. Now I’m going to be rather hard on people, you can’t be an artist who’s creative direction is into the erotic subjects unless you are extremely sexually powered and aware yourself - writes China Hamilton.
PHOTO THERAPY Photo Therapy is not a recent innovation having been practiced in the United States for some years, photographer Ellen Fischer Turk being the most well known practitioner. Like Fischer Turk, I also use Photo Therapy to help people suffering from negative body image issues, although the methodology I prefer does differ from that of Fischer Turk, even though the objective and outcome are similar - writes Jennifer Gilmour.
ART or PORN ? The question “What is art?” has been raised for decades. In Europe, art was once seen as skillfully crafted realistic paintings or sculpture that accurately depicted the scene or human form - writes Frederick Potter.
THE ORIGIN OF THE WORLD (L’Origine du Monde) Association co-founder Paul Woods discusses this ground breaking painting by Gustave Courbet that shocked the art world in 1866.
TAKING 'HARDER' EROTIC PHOTOGRAPHS Let’s get something very clear; the word ‘harder’ does not mean and should not mean gratuitous. It should also never mean work that is non-consensual. That means working with a subject that, due to their age, cannot consent. When you work with another to produce erotic work all parties should, above all, be very comfortable with what is planned - writes China Hamilton.
BURLESQUE AND THE EROTICISM OF EMPOWERMENT One of the distinctions between pornography and erotic art is that the former presents actors on a stage, whilst the latter gives us a true vision of the passions and fantasies of the artist and the subject of the work - writes James Reynard
DODGING THE BULLET AT CHICHEN ITZA Chichen Itza is now a federally controlled site and the Mexicans are REAL sticky about anyone photographing the site for commercial purposes. Our agent, Christine, from Airtransat told us that if we wanted to shoot anything commercial, it would be an expensive and long process to get a permit and we would have to travel to another city which was five hours away to apply. I said “no” I just wanted to shoot my wife. “So then, what’s the problem? She asked looking Oleanna up and down.“We want to shoot nudes” I replied with a deadpan look on my face. Frederick Potter writes a travelogue with a difference about what is possibly a photographic first.
A BRIEF NOTE ON LIGHTING EROTIC SUBJECTS I am well aware that I have a distinctive, signature style of photography, which beyond its content is also identified by the way I light and present an image - writes China Hamilton
THE MAKING OF ONNA : A Life Size Piece of Sculpture. When I first started thinking of the exhibition “Strength and Power,” I decided that I wanted to create a piece of sculpture especially for the exhibition and to document its making - writes Len Gifford. Please note - this will open up in a new window as a PDF.

THE CONCEPT OF SEXUAL CENSORSHIP. As an artist, I have always been some what bemused with the concept of sexual censorship. There are two roads to censorship - one is religious and the other is political. The concept of religious censorship is though relatively recent in human history - writes China Hamilton.
AN INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHIC FILTERS AND THEIR APPLICATION Filters are used within photography to modify the light falling on the subject or passing through the camera lens. Even though we are now in the digital age and see the widespread use of photoshop, filters still have their uses and it doesn't hurt to have an understanding of how they work or can be used. - writes Association co-founder Christopher John Ball
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EROTICA & PORNOGRAPHY? Sex, of course, is the seed of our existence. Without it no living thing would survive. In the world today there are two main industries of this natural act: Erotica and Pornography - writes Carrie White
CYANOTYPES AND DIGITAL NEGATIVES I favour making negatives via an inkjet printer and printing out to the desired size onto Overhead Projection Film. Inkjet negatives give the photographer greater control over the finished image - writes Christopher John Ball
INTRODUCTION TO THE VAN DYKE PROCESS by Christopher John Ball
WORKING WITH MODELS It’s always a pivotal moment in any artist's career when they chose to work with a model, professional, amateur, friend or partner, paid or unpaid, it can be a daunting experience so let’s look at the options - suggests Paul Churchman
EROTIC ART AS EXIT COUNSELLING : the perfect remedy for the world's problems? By Charles Sayer
BASIC PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING EXPLAINED Whether you are using flash or tungsten the basics of good photographic lighting are the same - writes Christopher John Ball
IS WRITING OR WORKING WITHIN THE GENRE OF EROTICA DISCRIMINATED AGAINST? To be quite honest, I never thought I would ever say this, but, yes, I think it is. Up until now, maybe I’ve been naïve but I’ve never had a serious problem with what genre I write in. But, now, unfortunately, I do - states Carrie White
HOW TO USE EXPOSURE METERS Though almost all of today's cameras come with a 'built-in' light meter this doesn't mean that the good old fashioned 'hand-held' meter should be thrown away as useless - writes Christopher John Ball
THE ROAD TO DARKNESS The strange world of my art is really rather beautiful to me but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder - writes China Hamilton.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GUM BICHROMATE PROCESS by Christopher John Ball
A TASTE FOR BUSINESS Entrepreneur, ~ born or evolved out of experience? Well, actually a little bit of both - states Paul Churchman
A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE ZONE SYSTEM The Zone System is a method of exposing, developing, and printing monochrome images and is based upon pre-visualising the subject matter - writes Christopher John Ball
THE ART OF SELLING IS AN ART IN ITSELF I guess it goes without saying that selling is not something that comes natural to most of us. We love to create and have a passion for our art but conveying that to a potential customer can often lead to confusion or worse rejection - writes Paul Churchman.
THE PIN-HOLE CAMERA In this day of digital perfection and software correction the 'Pin-hole' camera is a breath of fresh air and a superb tool to consider using on your next photographic assignment - suggests Christopher John Ball
THE REDEMPTION OF THE ANUS. For several years I’ve specialised in painting and sculpting the vulva but I’ve become equally fascinated by the female anus. I exhibited my ‘anal starbursts’ at the erotic festival at Olympia several times without a problem but this was largely because most of the images were semi-abstract - writes Charles Sayer
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ALBUMEN PROCESS by Christopher John Ball
OF MICE AND MEN AND TITS AND BUMS We all take the visual depiction of nudity for granted. It exists and has always existed since cave paintings. Different times and different societies have both welcomed it and rejoiced in it or they have condemned it and censored it. Whatever the point of view of the current world we have always been ok with trees and birds, hunting scenes and mountains with clouds but not with nudity and the dangly bits - writes China Hamilton
HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES RELATING TO PHOTOGRAPHY by Christopher John Ball
BE PREPARED - ADVICE FOR MEDIA INTERVIEWS So, you’ve been lucky enough to be invited to be interviewed by a journalist about your work, but before you dive in for the free publicity or to make your stand against censorship it’s worthwhile taking a moment to make sure you make the best use of this opportunity - suggests Robert Babylon
A GLOSSARY OF PHOTOGRAPHIC TERMS by Christopher John Ball
INTRODUCTION TO MAKING A SUCCESSFUL PHOTOGRAPHIC TEST STRIP/PRINT Though it is possible to purchase an 'exposure meter' for calculating print exposure times these can be expensive and, for fine art/exhibition printing, not always accurate. By far the best way to ascertain the correct exposure for any given negative/paper type is to produce a test strip - writes Christopher John Ball

Guest Articles: If you are not a member of the AEA but wish to have an article considered for publication on the Association Guest Articles section please email

THE EROTIC EYE AND ITS NUDE Judging from the massive production of erotic imagery in photo magazines, films, television, video and internet - not to mention the universal practice of 'girl-watching' - voyeurism and exhibitionism must occupy man's mind, if possible, far more than sexual commerce in the strict sense of the word - writes Stefan Beyst in this compelling thesis.
EROTICA VERSUS PORNOGRAPHY We see this term online, in magazines, on the cover of books: erotica. Erotica novels, erotica stories, poems and so on. But what is erotica? - asks Chris Donovan.
THE SURGE OF BLACK EROTICA It is no surprise that for centuries the issue of Black erotica has been controversial. These days, black erotica has become popularised by authors who are taking it to mainstream - writes Maryann Reid
MAPPLETHORPE AND THE NEW OBSCENITY Robert Mapplethorpe is now widely known as one of a pair of artists, along with Andres Serrano, who catapulted the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) into the crisis that is widely referred to as the "culture wars of the arts" - writes Dustin Kidd

Historical Articles of Note and Influence

THE CRITIQUE OF JUDGEMENT by Immanuel Kant This important text laid down the foundations and frameworks for modern aesthetics and gave birth to Romanticism
AN ESSAY IN AESTHETICS by Roger Eliot Fry Fry, a member of the Bloomsbury Group, was a British artist and critic who coined the term Post-Impressionism and championed said art movement. He was amongst the first to raise public awareness of modern art in Britain and was described by the art historian Kenneth Clark as "incomparably the greatest influence on taste since Ruskin "
THE WORLD AS WILL AND IDEA. Volume one. Book Three. THE OBJECT OF ART by Arthur Schopenhauer. The aim of Schopenhauer's doctrine of aesthetics was to place artistic work at the forefront of society, elevating art and artists above mere artisanry, craft or decoration, and his theories remain influential today.
MODERN PAINTERS Chapter VI. OF IDEAS OF BEAUTY by John Ruskin Ruskin is best known for his work as an art critic and as a champion of Turner.
ON DREAMS by Sigmund Freud Extract from the essay published in 'Grundfragen des Nerven- und Seelenlebens'. Freud is often referred to as "the father of psychoanalysis" and, though his theories cause controversy and are disputed, his writings on dreams and the subconscious have had a huge influence on artists e.g. surrealist.
MANIFESTO OF SURREALISM by André Breton. This hugely influential first Surrealist manifesto was written by the French writer André Breton in 1924 and defined the Surrealist movement.

Links to Articles of Interest and Press Reports: These links take you to website's outside of the Association and will open in a new window. If you wish to respond to any article and have it considered for publication on the Association website please email

WHAT TURNS WOMEN ON? It’s the most hotly debated issue of the postfeminist age. Who and what do women desire? Female scientists are discovering some controversial answers writes Daniel Bergne in The Times.
GIRL POWER: IS THIS WHAT A FEMINIST LOOKS LIKE THESE DAYS? - An exposed bra. Skimpy hotpants. Does dressing like a soft porn star actually empower a woman, or is she simply exploiting herself, asks Katharine Whitehorn on the BBC News site.
EXTREME PORN LAW GOES LIVE - ARE YOU READY? Unless you happen to have been living on Mars for the last year or so, you probably know that this week (January 26 to be precise) it will become a criminal offence (in England and Wales) to possess pictures that the government deems to be "extreme porn". You might also be aware of two diametrically opposed views on this legislation - writes John Ozimek in 'The Register.'
SO WHAT CAN YOU PHOTOGRAPH? It may surprise readers to learn that with a few very specific exceptions, there is no law in the UK against taking photographs. That said, there are a range of quite specific exceptions to this rule says John Ozimek in 'The Register.
UK PHOTOGRAPHERS RIGHTS Direct link to a free downloadable PDF guide. The guide was written by Linda Macpherson LL.B, Dip.L.P., LL.M, who is a lecturer in law at Heriot Watt University, with particular experience in Information Technology Law, Intellectual Property Law and Media Law. Details of authors and disclaimers here
THE WAR ON PHOTOGRAPHERS. When you hear the phrase "helping police with their inquiries", does an image of dedicated selfless citizenry instantly spring to mind? Or do you wonder whether the reality is not slightly more sinister? Asks John Ozimek in 'The Register.'
WHAT IS OBSCENE THESE DAYS ? It's 2008 and sex seems to be everywhere. So who holds the line between permissiveness and obscenity? What is obscene these days? And how do those people entrusted to make these calls cope with the harrowing work? Asks the BBC's Chris Summers.
GUSTAV KLIMT: A LIFE DEVOTED TO WOMEN. Gustav Klimt's golden visions of the female form are about to go on show in Britain. Martin Gayford reports in The Daily Telegraph.
VICTORIAN EROTICA: THE ORIGINAL CHEEKY GIRLS. Ever wondered what our great grandparents got up to behind closed doors? A new collection of erotica leaves little doubt, says Guy Kennaway in The Sunday Telegraph Magazine.
VISUAL ARTISTS AND EVEN POP STARS COULD FACE PROSECUTION UBDER NEW BRITISH LEGISLATION writes John Ozimek in 'Index on Censorship.' Contains opinions by the Association of Erotic Artists.
WHEN DOES KINKY PORN BECOME ILLEGAL? A bill outlawing the possession of "extreme pornography" is set to become law next week. But many fear it has been rushed through and will criminalise innocent people with a harmless taste for unconventional sex - writes Chris Summers on BBC News.
VICTORIAN EROTICA: THE ORIGINAL CHEEKY GIRLS. Ever wondered what our great grandparents got up to behind closed doors? A new collection of erotica leaves little doubt, says Guy Kennaway in The Daily Telegraph.
JOHN CURRIN: THE FILTH AND THE FURY. His portraits of balloon-breasted women are notorious. Now John Currin is about to arrive in Britain with canvases of an even more sexually explicit nature. The artist talks to David Usborne in 'The Independent' about flesh tones, critical outrage – and why hardcore porn is part of the 'war against Islam'
'I AM NOT DOING ANYTHING WRONG?' A bill outlawing the possession of "extreme pornography" is about to be passed. But thousands of law-abiding citizens say they will be criminalised by the law. One of them is 'Helen', from the Midlands, who explains why she enjoys watching such porn. BBC News Magazine.
ARTISTS TOO FRIGHTENED TO TACKLE RADICAL ISLAM. Essay in The Times by Ben Hoyle, Times Arts Reporter. "Across Europe there is growing evidence that freedom of expression has been curtailed by fear of religious fundamentalism."
INNOCENT PHOTOGRAPHER OR TERRORIST? Misplaced fears about terror, privacy and child protection are preventing amateur photographers from enjoying their hobby, say campaigners - writes Tom Geoghegan in BBC News Magazine.
POLICE PLEDGE TO ACT ON PHOTOGRAPHY FEARS. Police have vowed to act on concerns expressed by photographers who fear officers will unfairly target them when taking pictures in public following recent anti-terrorism publicity - writes Chris Cheesman in Amateur Photographer March 2008.
POLICE SEIZE PHOTOGRAPHER'S FILM. An amateur photographer has told how police seized his film as he was out taking snaps in a Hull shopping centre - BBC Report January 2008.
POLICE DEFEND ANTI-TERROR PHOTO CAMPAIGN. Chris Cheesman responds in Amateur Photographer March 2008.
LIVE FLESH by Arthur C Danto Essay on the artist Egon Schiele from the USA publication The Nation.
THE ART OF SEDUCTION: SEX THROUGH THE AGES, FROM EVERY POSSIBLE ANGLE. Comment on the Barbican exhibition by Charlotte Higgins in The Guardian
SEDUCED - IS IT ART OR IS IT PORN The Barbican's new exhibition which traces the history of sex in art raises difficult questions, says Frances Wilson in The Daily Telegraph.
BEYOND LUST The brilliant new exhibition Art and Sex raises the question: has art ever been about anything else? asks Jonathan Jones in The Guardian
SHOCKING? PULL THE OTHER ONE Rowan Pelling, The former editor of the Erotic Review, takes a peep at an exhibition at The Barbican exploring sex in art in The Observer.
EROTIC ART TRACES HISTORY OF SEX Emily Buchanan reviews the Barbican exhibition 'Seduced - Art and Sex from Antiquity' for the BBC
HAVEN'T THE POLICE GOT BETTER THINGS TO DO THAN CENSOR ART WORKS THAT OFFEND RELIGIOUS GROUPS? by Charlotte Higgins in The Guardian
SEX IN THE CITY RAISES HOT TOPICS Where does art stop and pornography begin? Should we impose an age limit for a sexually explicit show? Asks Martin Kemp in the Guardian Unlimited: Arts blog
SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE Joan Smith comments in The New Statesman on the "Seduced: Art and Sex From Antiquity to Now" exhibition at the Barbican Art Gallery

All articles are for educational and research purposes only. Please respect the copyright of each author.

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