...and now for something Vertical.......4 Women

who is third from the bottom? enquired The Great Shark

personally I found the title's pun...... extremely offensive to women and sexist. But I guess thats status quo these days?

It is interesting that someone found a pun in my title. (...and now for something Vertical.......4 Women)



I am an ignorant idiot...
but not for whatever reason the person
(or you, dear reader) might think.



I usually show horizontal photos, here on the Sharkforum pages. I was only making a comment on my choices being vertical photos,and that these women are my friends and adored by me.



The phrase "You don't look at art, art looks at you.", is really the only thing I have to comment.



That someone saw any of this as offensive is
THE NEW GUARD. Screw that in and light it up.

It's a pun?

The other thing that occurs to me about this is that, even if it were somehow punny (vertical=erection), I fail to see how that would be sexist.



It's hardly news that straight men get aroused by beautiful women, and I'd love to know how such arousal, or the celebration of the female form, is somehow an objectification of women.



If I'm missing somehting, please clue me.

The title, "now for something vertical" is highly suggestive of either an erection or even slang for the vagina. With that context for viewing these photos, it's no surprise that these images can be read in a sexually offensive manner. The objectification occurs when these women are viewed just for the arousal.

How is your arousal a celebration of the female form?

Let's not encourage the male gaze.

It is not surprising to see that the people
who are commenting
do not see the humanity or the soul of these women.

This world is full of very sick, sick people.
How they are getting offended my honoring of
my artistic and spiritual sisters* is mildly annoying,
and very disheartening.
What lives inside their hearts and minds is the root of many
things wrong with todays' society.

* ( a loving healer,
an honest actress,
a wonderful respected singer,
& a musician and teacher with passion and integrity.)

So sad, that I spell it out for these troubled souls.
I am a very lucky person I cannot see the world
through such pained and infirmed eyes

I was not thinking about the 'erection' connotations but I guess there are plenty of images that could be conjured up when paired
with the source material.

It speaks volumes to me that your adoration of these women is highlighted and punctuated by cleavage and rear accented percussion.
Thats after all your perogative and your muse. I did happen to notice in particular your Matzo series (also containing a pun)
was also vertical, so that was far less obvious than the images that came to mind paired with your portraits.

I, as a viewer, when attempting to extract the intention of said photo or art use all information given to me from the artist. When a title
like "And now something vertical...... 4 women" comes along accompanied by milelong stairs down someone's bra line and a gratituous ass shot, its no wonder the first thing that hits me is that word.

I have nothing against sexuality in work in the slightest when its an intelligent and thought out exploration on the subject matter and not simply titilation. This is after all, sharkforum and not maxim.

A " HEALTHY" REMINDER
============================
When these photos were taken 'Ru, had grabbed my tambourine
and was rocking out to some of our favorite music.
Sav' was just hanging out on a hot day, talking and tying....
Juli' and I were just musing, having fun
(my girlfriend truly made it a threesome,
in some mock violence shots too.
maybe I will post those next week, they are quite amusing.)
Laura is one of the most passionate humans on earth.
So what if i capture their 'beauty'?
Where is the sadness in that.
Have you not seen or
understood my matzoh or Alejandro
or my continuum pictures?

Oh, I am such a horrible person for loving music,
the human heart, sexuality, art history, life...
the fact that women are goddesses is lost on some.

All you can think about is SEX !!!

Sweet Holy Moses!

i DID post

two amazing

MUSICAL
and
art-filled

websites.......

"The title, "now for something vertical" is highly suggestive of either an erection or even slang for the vagina."



slang for a vagina, as in "vertical smile?" you're reaching, I say.



"With that context for viewing these photos, it's no surprise that these images can be read in a sexually offensive manner."



hmmm.



"The objectification occurs when these women are viewed just for the arousal."



Sorry, Steve, but I think viewing others purely for arousal is human nature. I view art purely for arousal, albeit a different form or arousal. Since when is it wrong for a man to get aroused by the image of a woman? I could see the problem with, say, bondage, or other forms of blatent pornography which clearly subjegate women, but these shots? Come on...



"How is your arousal a celebration of the female form?"



Are you serious? In what way is my arousal NOT a celebration of the female form? ......blink...blink.....



"Let's not encourage the male gaze.""



um...why not?

If the idiots are finished, Todd will you please answer my question; who is the woman in the third image?

Le Shark

Veruschka
Savannah
Juliana
Laura

I swear!

These images are so beautiful -- obviously reflecting the subjects' feelings at the time of the photograph, as well as being products of the photographer's art. I wonder if the viewers who are so offended would be that angry if I (or any other woman) had posted the photographs? How would you feel if Todd Wolfson were a gay man -- would it still offend you that these images of women looked vaguely sensual?

I hope we will soon be moving away from the idea that half of society is out to oppress and "objectify" the other half. I am tiring of women taking offense at every single thing men do -- it's just boring.

"I wonder if the viewers who are so offended would be that angry if I (or any other woman) had posted the photographs?"



An excellent point. Since the word "vertical" seems to come too close in reference to the tumescent male member, and the word "horizontal" comes way too close to the long-standing oppressive patriarchy of the missionary position, I hereby insist that Mr. Wolfson, or any straight photographer of the female form, must hereby shoot only in medium or large format, thereby fitting all subjects into a frame which is square.



As a result the worst that he'll be accused of is the brazen suggestion that his subjects are somehow un-hip - Now for something SQUARE - 4 women.



It's pointless arguments such as this one which caused me, several years ago, to tell some "friends" that Madonna was the ultimate feminist. Her book on sex had just been published, and the couple in question (both straight, one of each gender) were utterly scandalized by the suggestion that Madonna was fully in control of her sexuality, and required neither sanction nor permission from a man to do whatever she damn well pleased.



This just in, folks - straight men are aroused by the image of beautiful women, and there's nothing wrong with that provided they don't invade the rights of other folks. In other words - keep your "verticality" to yourself, and nobody gets hurt. Hell, even gay men seem to celebrate the female form. The suggestion that the mere portrayal of female anatomy is somehow objectification or subjegation is just nonsense. If you can't see from these shots that this man respects these women then you just ain't looking all that clearly.



Ain't we got nothin' better to ponder?