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Have you seen some of those old classical paintings of women sort of standing around naked in a garden? (BTW, what went on back then so that half a dozen naked women in a garden would be the object of a painting?) I would say that is art and while I appreciate the beauty of the work itself, I do not attach a sexuality to it. Unless the name of the painting is "Diana." That changes everything.
There is a - usually - clear difference between artistic nudity and nudity that is meant to titillate. Not that it matters, really, as I think it's all acceptable for adult viewing at their personal discretion. However, erotic nudity is likely to emphasize certain evocative poses and/or genital focus.
The difference in perception is usually a social construct.
Can you or anyone you know (male, female or other) separate attractive nudity from sensuality or sexuality? In other words can you or anyone you know look at an attractive nude person and not have any .... feelings other than artistic appreciation?
Yes. Quite easily. Myself any my girlfriends have what we call an "inner circle" of friends. People within this circle are people we feel safe enough around to do things nude (skinny dipping, sleeping, sharing a bed, using the jacussi and the like, changing in front of each other rather than hiding behind things, etc, etc, etc) with.
This has never led to sexual things happening per se - though being male there can always be an autonomic response from proximity to a warm human being - but remember many guys get the same response sitting bored in a maths class or church.
Its sensual, loving, trusting, special, and an expression of trust and friendship which I am glad we share. And yes I am very much able to "artistically" appreciate that some of them are indeed very attractive people.
I minored in art history in college, and after looking at hundreds of images and actual works of art depicting nudes, it is possible to see the artistic composition over a naked body. It's not unlike the debate about public breastfeeding. The lady feeding her baby in the food court at the mall is no more trying to titillate anyone sexually any more than Francesca Woodman was when she took many of her photographs. Arousal is in the eye of the beholder.
I have been debating with another member on this forum concerning nudity and how it is perceived and understood in actual society.
My question to you is.....
Can you or anyone you know (male, female or other) separate attractive nudity from sensuality or sexuality? In other words can you or anyone you know look at an attractive nude person and not have any .... feelings other than artistic appreciation?
Yes. I don't really go gaa gaa that way over visuals in real life or on images.
I used to have that playboy shoot with elle in the hall next to my bathroom when I was younger. I just put them in a frame because I loved the shoot as it reminded me of classic helmut newton shots. (anyone remember that one from the 90s?) Any female that was over would come out talking about how amazing her legs look. Strait guys usually seemed confused why I even had it up and seemed afraid to look at it in front of me. Ha!
While I certainly don't attempt to push my own beliefs on anyone else regarding it of course, I myself am not comfortable with seeing any public form of nudity, whether it is delineated as artistic or otherwise. For me, this includes movies, plays, etc. -- I cannot tell you how disappointed I am, every time I hear that another new female actress has done a nude scene for the first time in a movie, because I actually like and respect them a lot more when they keep their clothes on
I guess I think about it this way: if an average, ordinary person were to disrobe publicly in front of people, in most places in the U.S., s/he would be arrested by the police, for indecent exposure, public lewdness, etc. Why should celebrities be treated any differently, just b/c they happen to be high-profile people? Why is it "art" when it is in a movie or in a painting, but indecent exposure and treated as an obscenity when in public, that warrants a potential arrest? This has always rather confused me, as it has always seemed to me to be very contradictory...
Last edited by Phoenix2017; 07-18-2012 at 09:48 AM..
Reason: Corrected typos
I think that if I were in a sexually active relationship; then I would like to say that I could look at nudity and not be aroused.
From experience, I know that when I have gone a few years without any sexual contact with females; then it is nearly impossible for me to look at a female without being aroused. But really it does not take nudity to do that. A cute lady smiling is plenty.
Drew many nude models for my art degree. Um yeah didn't want to mount any. It was and is a piece of art. There is composition involved and mood. What are they portraying other than a nude body. Happiness, despair, solom, agony, directional points, color scheme, and more.
I think that if I were in a sexually active relationship; then I would like to say that I could look at nudity and not be aroused.
From experience, I know that when I have gone a few years without any sexual contact with females; then it is nearly impossible for me to look at a female without being aroused. But really it does not take nudity to do that. A cute lady smiling is plenty.
Hell yes I can appreciate nude art without it being anything other than that.
Check out Spencer Tunick's art....
Just google his name, then images by him.....he's done some amazing nude art for Greenpeace, & I also like what he did in Amsterdam
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This has always rather confused me, as it has always seemed to me to be very contradictory...
