Ok, here's the deal. I have, I think, finally decided what to do for the photography component of the final year of my anthropology degree. But I need help - in the form of participants who identify as women, and (preferably) live London-ish.
My idea is to (completely respectfully and 'tastefully' - i.e. we aren't talking porn here, we're talking 'and here's my collection of Beatles memorabilia' style photos) take pictures of participants and their sex toys. I just need one or two shots of each woman with her sex toys (doesn't matter what they are - if you own a single 6 inch vibrator I'd be as interested in taking your picture as if you have a museum-worthy collection of whips and chains). The details would be entirely up to anyone who wanted to participate - you can be photographed with anyone or anything you like - your lover, your mother, your cat, your collection of gardening shears from the 17th century...as long as you get the sex toys in somewhere, no pun intended. Participants get to 'run the show', I just get to take the pictures.
I really want the process of taking these photos to be (to the degree that it is possible - something which I plan to kind of dissect in the accompanying essay, along with various other issues of ethics and representation) a completely collaborative, balanced thing - I have no interest in peering at anyone through the lens of a camera bug-hunter style. This is trying not to be about fetishizing anything, and hoping to be about/for the liberation of female sexuality... I am hoping it could be a liberating thing to do, to some extent, particularly if it is not something you'd normally do (let's face it, it's not something most people often do). But if it just appeals to your exhibitionist tendencies, that's cool too, of course.
I will say straightaway that this will obviously be seen by examiners at some point, and a copy of any photos that go in the final project will pass out of my hands for good at the end of the year, to be lost in the depths of the university, or possibly dragged out at a later date to be shown to the next lot. There is also a presentation of these film/photo projects in March. I am unsure at present about the politics of showing these potential photos there (increased visibility of women's sexuality as a pro vs. titillatory impact in a mixed audience as a con), but that is something I would be happy to talk about with anyone who felt like participating, and could be avoided if necessary. And of course anyone who participates gets a copy of their photos, should they wish.
So...anyone want to participate in my mini-mission? |
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