lustful life: Will Santillo’s La Petite Mort

The world, at least this world and its so-called reality in my sick and twisted opinion it’s nothing but a matter of perception and many – or all – of our opinions are results of definitions which are – by definition – absolutely relative. We know white is white only because we accept a generally accepted concept and definition of white, but actually nothing is “white” while white is actually only a perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.
The concept of pornography as understood today did not exist until the Victorian era, although depictions of a sexual nature are existing since prehistoric times. Delimitation of “pornography” from “eroticism” is once again, only a matter of perception and any attempt to define it will fail because our subjectivity.
Feminist critics of pornography, generally consider it demeaning to women. They believe that most pornography eroticizes the domination, humiliation, and coercion of women. I still believe sex – generally speaking – it’s over-rated. We’re still captives by many misconceptions and we’re guided by too many unjustified taboos. Some pornography labeled products may have much more artistic expression and accuracy than some questionable quality so-called art products.
Regarding to “La Petite Mort”, Santillo states that the picture must, evoke deeper resonance within the viewer, and that was a personal challenge to me with this series. You look at them one day and they give you a sexual charge. You look at them another day and notice the play of shapes in light is interesting. Then you stop seeing them as sexual images altogether and experience the images as emotions.
“La Petite Mort” means “the little death,” an euphemism for orgasm. Orgasm – from Greek word orgasmos, from organ to mature, swell, also sexual climax – is the peak of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, characterized by an intense sensation of pleasure.
Discussions of female orgasm are complicated by the fact that, perhaps artificially, orgasm in women has sometimes been labeled as two different things: the clitoral orgasm and the vaginal (G-Spot) orgasm. Women’s orgasms have been estimated to last, on average, approximately 20 seconds, and to consist of a series of muscular contractions in the pelvic area that includes the vagina, the uterus and the anus. For some women, on some occasions, these contractions begin soon after the woman reports that the orgasm has started and continue at intervals of about one second with initially increasing, and then reducing, intensity. In some instances, the series of regular contractions is followed by a few additional contractions or shudders at irregular intervals. In other cases, the woman reports having an orgasm, but no pelvic contractions are measured at all.
Studies have found that masturbation is frequent in humans of both sexes and all ages, although there is variation. Various medical and psychological benefits have been attributed to a healthy attitude to sex in general and to masturbation in particular, and no causal relationship is known between masturbation and any form of mental or physical disorder. Acts of masturbation have been celebrated in art worldwide since prehistory. While there was a period not quite so far – spanning between the late 18th and early 20th centuries – when it was subject to medical censure and social conservatism, it is considered a normal part of healthy life today. There have been masturbation marathons and health service slogans such as “an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away”. It is commonly mentioned in popular music as well as on television, in films and in literature.
It appears that females are less likely to masturbate while in an active heterosexual relationship than men. Popular belief asserts that individuals of either sex who are not in sexually active relationships tend to masturbate more frequently than those who are; however, much of the time this is not true as masturbation alone or with a partner is often a feature of a relationship. Contrary to conventional wisdom, several studies actually reveal a positive correlation between the frequency of masturbation and the frequency of intercourse.
Different studies have found that masturbation is frequent in humans. Alfred Kinsey’s 1950s studies on US population have shown that 92% of men and 62% of women have masturbated during their lifespan.Similar results have been found in a 2007 British national probability survey. It was found that, between individuals aged 16 to 44, 95% of men and 71% of women masturbated at some point in their lives. 73% of men and 37% of women reported masturbating in the four weeks before their interview, while 53% of men and 18% of women reported masturbating in the previous seven days.
In 2009, the UK Government joined the Netherlands and other European nations in encouraging teens to masturbate at least daily. An orgasm was defined as a right in its health pamphlet. This was done in response to data and experience from the other EU member states to reduce teen pregnancy and STIs (STDs), and to promote healthy habits.
Women can sexually stimulate themselves by crossing their legs tightly and clenching the muscles in their legs, creating pressure on the genitals. This can potentially be done in public without observers noticing. Thoughts, fantasies, and memories of previous instances of arousal and orgasm can produce sexual excitation. Some women can orgasm spontaneously by force of will alone, although this may not strictly qualify as masturbation as no physical stimulus is involved.
Sex therapists will sometimes recommend that female patients take time to masturbate to orgasm, especially if they have not done so before.
Both, masturbation and orgasm are probably the two most intimate sexual acts possible. While generally speaking masturbation refers to self-masturbation and it’s almost a “dirty secret” kept buried deeply, on the other hand many women could not achieve orgasm while for women take on average 20 minutes of stimulation and arousal to have an orgasm and men sometimes – or mainly – act quite selfish and obviously take quite a bit less. And just like in real life, most of the pornographic products focus exclusively on satisfying the men fantasies and demands and rarely focusing on women.
Will Santillo inviting us in the most intimate moments of the women and reveals some of they secrets.
“Santillo conceived the project eight years ago to include a thorough cross section of women: young to old, slim to thick, perfect beauties to those not considered beautiful until seen through his lens. The one constant would be that each would decide and direct how she masturbated to climax while he captured the moment. From previous projects with amateur subjects Santillo had come to believe that masturbation is a far more personal act than most sex play because it is conducted almost exclusively in private. He set out to reveal the diversity and creativity with which women approach self-stimulation, and to portray the beauty of ordinary women in the throes of orgasm a beauty far richer than the male oriented depictions seen in pornography. Santillo says he seeks to uncover the hidden face of his subjects, and indeed, it's the faces that best show the intensity of response in these artfully explicit photos.” (Dian Hanson, Tashen)
Santillo studied photography at M.I.T. under Minor White and has worked in the fields of fashion, corporate, architectural, and intimate photography. His photos appear in the Mammoth Book of Erotic Photography, TASCHEN™s New Erotic Photography, and in the monograph Flagrante Delicto.
The much anticipated “La Petite Mort” by internationally renowned photographer Will Santillo has recently been released by TASCHEN and is now available for purchase through many booksellers. The photographs within this series are also available as larger than life art prints directly through the artist. In exhibition and shows, art prints from this series are printed larger that life size (5 to 6 feetin size) in order to transpose even further the intimate nature of the subject matter to a more painterly quality while at the same time forcing the viewer to engage in the sharing of a most private moment.