What's the difference between erotic photography/art and porn?

[mau_lovers]

Hello!

I am going to do a research project for academic purposes on Eroticism and Pornography in Art: Is the line fine, defined or irrelevant? Just wanting to get some opinions - since photography is an art.

1) Define 'erotic' (in the artistic/photographic sense).
2) Define pornography (in the photographic sense).
3) Erotic nude and pornographic nude - the difference?
4) What EXACTLY constitutes the 'private parts' / the 'dirty bits' / the 'naughty bits'?
5) Can a SENSUAL mood be conveyed without eroticism? or SENSUALITY NEED not be erotic but eroticism ALMOST ALWAYS have to be sensual?
6) Why are images from the Kama Sutra not considered pornographic (granted to some people they are)?

Sorry for all these cheem (deep) questions - but they are meant to be guiding questions - to set people thinking so that I can get some opinions - THANKS VERY MUCH.

 

[Sion]

I don't know and I can see the difference (not that I see a lot of these type of photos).

All I know is that technically nude study is one of difficult and challenging areas of photography.

Please publish your findings here so that you could educate blur photographers like me (I think there are a few around ).

 

[Deadpoet]

I don't know and I can see the difference (not that I see a lot of these type of photos).

All I know is that technically nude study is one of difficult and challenging areas of photography.

Please publish your findings here so that you could educate blur photographers like me (I think there are a few around ).

As you had said, you don't know the difference, you have not seen mush of this type of photos, but you have been leaving commments on the subject elsewhere in the forum. So, are you expereinced or not?

 

[Deadpoet]

Hello!

I am going to do a research project for academic purposes on Eroticism and Pornography in Art: Is the line fine, defined or irrelevant? Just wanting to get some opinions - since photography is an art.

1) Define 'erotic' (in the artistic/photographic sense).
2) Define pornography (in the photographic sense).
3) Erotic nude and pornographic nude - the difference?
4) What EXACTLY constitutes the 'private parts' / the 'dirty bits' / the 'naughty bits'?
5) Can a SENSUAL mood be conveyed without eroticism? or SENSUALITY NEED not be erotic but eroticism ALMOST ALWAYS have to be sensual?
6) Why are images from the Kama Sutra not considered pornographic (granted to some people they are)?

Sorry for all these cheem (deep) questions - but they are meant to be guiding questions - to set people thinking so that I can get some opinions - THANKS VERY MUCH.

This is lame. This topic is about one of the most discussed, over hyped, over analysed, most argued, and cause many heated disagreement amoung photographers over time and all over the world.

I doubt you will present any original findings, this not a criticism on your part, but stating a fact about the topic you are embarking to research.

Really, let me kick start this. Art is hard to define, in it consists of many many different schools, genre, style and on a very poersonal level, preferences.

Porn, and I will limit porn in photography, is one kind of photographic art!

 

[Witness]

actually...from my academic point of view...erotism and porn...perhaps u wanna check up some good dictionaries on tt.... then ask yaself...do they concur with ya belief system? if it does/does not... y is tt so.... from there u delve deeper and deeper and challenge ya assumption till u are sure that it is rock steady....

oh well...some may disagree with my methods...buten again, i'm a philosopher....

imho, instead of asking other people this question...y not take some time off to look thru works tt are deemed as such...and experience it for yaself.... then as yaself these questions...

like deadpoet said...it may be nuttin original wat u find...buten the process of self discovery is exhiliarating.....

cheers..x

 

[student]

You have chosen to undertake a very difficult and contentious piece of study - something that have been debated to death, withour clear conclusions, yet undoubtedly terribly important!

I have no immediate clear answers, although there are some vague ideas floating around in the piece of senile matter within my skull called the brain.

I suppose for myself, I do want to clarify my thinking. It is important to me.

Just to illustrate. I saw an image of an abstract of a woman lower torso, clearly showing some "structures". Some may say "pornographic". A photographer took this image, put it into PS, and after 5 minutes, Nobody would call it pornographic anymore, although still very erotic.

 

[Pro Image]

Hello!

I am going to do a research project for academic purposes on Eroticism and Pornography in Art: Is the line fine, defined or irrelevant? Just wanting to get some opinions - since photography is an art.

1) Define 'erotic' (in the artistic/photographic sense).
2) Define pornography (in the photographic sense).
3) Erotic nude and pornographic nude - the difference?
4) What EXACTLY constitutes the 'private parts' / the 'dirty bits' / the 'naughty bits'?
5) Can a SENSUAL mood be conveyed without eroticism? or SENSUALITY NEED not be erotic but eroticism ALMOST ALWAYS have to be sensual?
6) Why are images from the Kama Sutra not considered pornographic (granted to some people they are)?

Sorry for all these cheem (deep) questions - but they are meant to be guiding questions - to set people thinking so that I can get some opinions - THANKS VERY MUCH.

If there was a forum that you want to get any of the above opinions or answers, it is definately NOT from Club Snap forum. This is Singapore. Get it? Duh......

 

[Pro Image]

You have chosen to undertake a very difficult and contentious piece of study - something that have been debated to death, withour clear conclusions, yet undoubtedly terribly important!

I have no immediate clear answers, although there are some vague ideas floating around in the piece of senile matter within my skull called the brain.

I suppose for myself, I do want to clarify my thinking. It is important to me.

Just to illustrate. I saw an image of an abstract of a woman lower torso, clearly showing some "structures". Some may say "pornographic". A photographer took this image, put it into PS, and after 5 minutes, Nobody would call it pornographic anymore, although still very erotic.

Now this is the most erotic answer to date......:bsmilie:

Get it?:sticktong

 

[Pro Image]

I don't know and I can see the difference (not that I see a lot of these type of photos).

All I know is that technically nude study is one of difficult and challenging areas of photography.

Please publish your findings here so that you could educate blur photographers like me (I think there are a few around ).

Blur photographers like you? Care to name some of those members who is blur like you? Maybe you are the only blur sotong around about nudity.:sticktong

 

[Quiksilvers]

This is lame. This topic is about one of the most discussed, over hyped, over analysed, most argued, and cause many heated disagreement amoung photographers over time and all over the world.

I doubt you will present any original findings, this not a criticism on your part, but stating a fact about the topic you are embarking to research.

Really, let me kick start this. Art is hard to define, in it consists of many many different schools, genre, style and on a very poersonal level, preferences.

Porn, and I will limit porn in photography, is one kind of photographic art!

U say lame still reply .... Seem like u are just another lame person

 

[Deadpoet]

U say lame still reply .... Seem like u are just another lame person

Quicksilver, the original premise of the post was lame because this topic has been rehased, sliced and diced so many different ways, it's getting boring, and still getitng nowhere. Hence, I think it is lame.

And you, Quicksilver, who is hiding behind a new nick, is not lame, but pathetic! You know have any original thought about the topic, to comment, to criticise, or opine, but feel you have to utter some words! Slam me all you want, but since you are not making any sense, it only shows waht you are made of!

 

[Darren]

It is predictable that this thread will sooner or later degenerate into mindless flaming due to interpretation or mis-interpretation of what one has to say and what someone else would prefer to hear, unless members have some thought into what they want to say (post) before actually saying (posting) it.

The question is
a) Do we (Mods/Admin) close off this thread and thus potentially stifle what could have been a legitimate thread (and hence perpetuate the notion that it is not suitable fodder for discussion in ClubSNAP when the reality is that discussion about eroticism, nudity or even pornography is not really a taboo subject provided that it is a legitimate discussion)?; or
b) Allow the thread to go on and cause friction among members?

I would rather see a thoughtful discussion and I do believe that most of us have frank opinions about this subject, but please be mindful of what you write before you click that Submit Reply button.

For now, discussion is allowed, but should personal attacks or flaming occur, we will close this thread without notice.

 

[Deadpoet]

It is predictable that this thread will sooner or later degenerate into mindless flaming due to interpretation or mis-interpretation of what one has to say and what someone else would prefer to hear, unless members have some thought into what they want to say (post) before actually saying (posting) it.

The question is
a) Do we (Mods/Admin) close off this thread and thus potentially stifle what could have been a legitimate thread (and hence perpetuate the notion that it is not suitable fodder for discussion in ClubSNAP when the reality is that discussion about eroticism, nudity or even pornography is not really a taboo subject provided that it is a legitimate discussion)?; or
b) Allow the thread to go on and cause friction among members?

I would rather see a thoughtful discussion and I do believe that most of us have frank opinions about this subject, but please be mindful of what you write before you click that Submit Reply button.

For now, discussion is allowed, but should personal attacks or flaming occur, we will close this thread without notice.

Darren,

Thanks for keeping this thread alive.

 

[Verywierd]

A problem with this subject is that very often it is not the content of the image but the intention for which it was taken or used. For instance, one might say that a photo that explicity shows the female genitals is obviously porn. But what if the picture was taken for the purpose of illustrating a medical text book? Of course this is an extreme example, but it serves to highlights the difficulty.

On the other hand, what about a picture of a fully dressed woman with her hand down the front of her jeans and an orgasmic expression on her face? No "naughty bits" are showing, but the intention of the photographer to provide sexual titillation is clear. Is this pornography?

Another factor is cultural and social context. In many places bare breasts are commonplace. And what about nude beaches? If a person takes a picture of a friend on a nude beach with all her "naughty bits" showing, is this porn? No? What if the same picture is copied and sold to a schoolboy by a "businessman". Has the picture magically become pornographic?

I once came across a thick, expensive book in a Singapore bookshop that had the title of "Masters of Erotic Art" or something like that. In it were drawings and paintings that were explicit illustrations of male and female genitals and various sexual acts of every imaginable kind. Yet the names of the artists were those that you would see in any great art museum and the book was being sold legally and in the open. So if the creator of an image is famous the image is (erotic) art, but if you or I did it then it is porn?

So, if you are looking for the difference between art and porn, first look into the mind of the creator and the viewer, before concerning yourself with the content of the image.

Verywierd

Hello!

I am going to do a research project for academic purposes on Eroticism and Pornography in Art: Is the line fine, defined or irrelevant? Just wanting to get some opinions - since photography is an art.

1) Define 'erotic' (in the artistic/photographic sense).
2) Define pornography (in the photographic sense).
3) Erotic nude and pornographic nude - the difference?
4) What EXACTLY constitutes the 'private parts' / the 'dirty bits' / the 'naughty bits'?
5) Can a SENSUAL mood be conveyed without eroticism? or SENSUALITY NEED not be erotic but eroticism ALMOST ALWAYS have to be sensual?
6) Why are images from the Kama Sutra not considered pornographic (granted to some people they are)?

Sorry for all these cheem (deep) questions - but they are meant to be guiding questions - to set people thinking so that I can get some opinions - THANKS VERY MUCH.

 

[Quiksilvers]

Darren,

Thanks for keeping this thread alive.

I tot u feel it is a lame thread ?

lame still wan it to alive ? wan it to alive still say lame?

hmmmm...

anyway thanks darren for giving deadpoet a chance to show he is lame too

 

[righton]

I tot u feel it is a lame thread ?

lame still wan it to alive ? wan it to alive still say lame?

hmmmm...

anyway thanks darren for giving deadpoet a chance to show he is lame too

hey Quickie, shaddap n stick to the discussion topic,,,, shheeeezzzzz!

 

[Deadpoet]

I tot u feel it is a lame thread ?

lame still wan it to alive ? wan it to alive still say lame?

hmmmm...

anyway thanks darren for giving deadpoet a chance to show he is lame too

I feel the topic is lame. I stated my take on the topic, what my interpretation and opinion? Do you have any?

By the way, lame or not, this is an open forum, and I chanpion free speech all over this forum. Being lame is not a reason to close the thread. However, when you started this unprovoked attack, hiding behind your newly created nick, will cause this tread to be closed.

Whether I am lame of not, since you are not a man with any opinion, it is therefore not for you to judge.

do you have anything else meaningful to say? If not, best to keep your total post to 4.

 

[Quiksilvers]

Total post 5

 

[xiaobai]

ok lah... let stop all this....:nono:

 

[zaren]

Hello!

I am going to do a research project for academic purposes on Eroticism and Pornography in Art: Is the line fine, defined or irrelevant? Just wanting to get some opinions - since photography is an art.

1) Define 'erotic' (in the artistic/photographic sense).

art piece or photograph that causes the viewer to be sexually aroused.

2) Define pornography (in the photographic sense).

photograph that causes the viewer to be very sexually aroused and stimulated

3) Erotic nude and pornographic nude - the difference?

erotic nude and soft porn - little difference in terms of degree of nudity. soft porn often tends to portray the subject as being sexually receptive or in a state of sexual arousal. hard porn will go into sexual acts and macro shots of genitalia.

4) What EXACTLY constitutes the 'private parts' / the 'dirty bits' / the 'naughty bits'?

private parts = genitalia. naughty bits can also include breasts and butt (T&A).

5) Can a SENSUAL mood be conveyed without eroticism? or SENSUALITY NEED not be erotic but eroticism ALMOST ALWAYS have to be sensual?

eroticism almost always has to be sensual. as it pertains to the sense of being sexually aroused.

6) Why are images from the Kama Sutra not considered pornographic (granted to some people they are)?

they are pornographic. it's just that photographs are often more titillating than drawings.

Sorry for all these cheem (deep) questions - but they are meant to be guiding questions - to set people thinking so that I can get some opinions - THANKS VERY MUCH.

ur welcome.