Et Alors? Magazine 11

EUR9,95€ - UK7,65£ - USA12,25$
et alors?
a f l a m b o y a n t m a g a z i n e

editorial 11
Darlings!
Hopefully you’ve had the most wonderful summer? I imagine
you all have been celebrating love in its purest form with a sultry
wind blowing into your face. But if things were different, there’s
always the prospect of next year so do start dreaming! Pardon
my extremely positive vibe, darlings; We’ve been in an upperrollercoaster
lately ourselves. As some of you know Et Alors? HQ
left Belgium and emigrated to sunnier places so I’m writing this
editorial from the most beautiful part of Spain, Andalucía. To be
honest, creating this issue 11 was quite a challenge. We started
renovating our Spanish house from the moment we arrived. So we
wrote, edited and lay-outed amidst torn down walls, dusty rooms
and surrounded by helpful craftsmen. But we don’t complain,
we also worked at our favorite beach bar by the sea. On IPad and
IPhone, I can tell you one thing: you really have to LOVE your job
to actually be able to write an article on a phone. Yet we made it
and piece by piece, we were able to finalize this issue to another
satisfactory one.
As you may or may not know, Julian and I make Et Alors?
Magazine all by ourselves. But this time we could gratefully
count on some fan based reinforcement while emigrating and
redecorating. Quinn Delvaux wrote a piece on his coming out
as a gender fluid and we were given two Kim Note’s pictures to
go along with the article. Rozalind Williams photographed and
interviewed artist Lauren Marie on gender roles and Martijn Berk
offered us an insight on his new project. Meanwhile, we Skyped
full force. All the way to California, to talk to Marina Rice Bader
about her directory debut, the lesbian movie ‘Anatomy of a love
seen’. Furthermore we spoke with many men and women to get
a radical update on nowadays opinions on the ‘Hat stand, table
and chair’ sculpture by Allen Jones. The work was under attack
for numerous times in the ‘70’s because of its ‘sexist approach’ on
women. We were wondering if modern day feminists would have a
different opinion on the matter and if our zeitgeist really changed
as much as we thought it did. When thinking and talking about the
work of Allen Jones, the word forniphilia automatically comes to
mind. Also we found the rigger of Rihanna’s S&M videoclip, that
offered us a view into the brain of a forniphilia fetishist. Needless
to say we grew a lot wiser while abiding under a palmtree.
I hope you’ll enjoy this September edition of Et Alors? Magazine
that is once more filled with diversity and tons of love as much as
we did making it. Especially for you. And you. And you. (And, yes,
you too)
Keep safe, stay gorgeous!
Fleur & Julian
et alors? 003

et alors? magazine
september 2014
issue 11
editor in chief
fleur pierets
art director & layout
julian p. boom
contributors
allen jones
arsugi oggie aryanto
chrisna sujatmiko
daria @21mm
dirk h. wilms
emily may gunawan
oriana eliçabe
farida de pauw
jack fraser
kim note
loo loo rose
maria kleopatra
marina rice bader
martijn berk
maximo de marco
parisa taghizadeh
quinn delvaux
raynård randynata
renny ruth roren
rozalind williams
sally ann gunawan
shahria sharmin
viviana peretti
table of contents
editorial
table of contents
expo
editors’ readings
allen jones
forniphilia
cheap barbie
disobedient objects
marina rice bader
quinn delvaux
pride photo award
blind date
horst, photographer of style
a kind of absence
objet petit a
lauren marie
maximo de marco
websites
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et alors? magazine 2014
www.etalorsmagazine.com
004 et alors?

et alors? magazine is a quarterly
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fleur & julian say thanks to
wim van cappelen at reporters.be
renate breuer
ingrid van den bossche
for everything else
info@etalorsmagazine.com
et alors?
a f l a m b o y a n t m a g a z i n e
cover model
name wim soete alias sally ractum
location antwerp, belgium
talents baking drag on steriods, member of extravaganza party concept, live
long and prosper and check out my ‘sweety darling’ cakes on facebook.
website www.extravaganza-party.be.com
EUR9,95€ - UK7,65£ - USA12,25$
photography julian p. boom
model wim soete
styling & mua harald ligtvoet
et alors? 005

jeff koons
Jeff Koons is widely regarded as one of the most
important, influential, popular, and controversial
artists of the postwar era. Throughout his career, he
has pioneered new approaches to the readymade,
tested the boundaries between advanced art and
mass culture, challenged the limits of industrial
fabrication, and transformed the relationship
of artists to the cult of celebrity and the global
market. Comprising more than 120 objects dating
from 1978 to the present, this exhibition will be the
most comprehensive ever devoted to the artist’s
groundbreaking oeuvre. By reconstituting all of
his most iconic works and significant series in a
chronological narrative, the retrospective will allow
visitors to understand Koons’s remarkably diverse
output as a multifaceted whole.
virginia woolf
This extensive exhibition of portraits and rare
archival material will explore the life of one of the
most important and celebrated writers of the
twentieth century. Curated by biographer and art
historian Frances Spalding, the exhibition includes
distinctive portraits of Woolf by her Bloomsbury
Group contemporaries Vanessa Bell and Roger Fry
and photographs by Beresford and Man Ray, as well
as intimate images recording her time spent with
friends and family. Woolf’s early life and literary
achievements, alongside lesser known aspects of her
time in London and political views, are brought into
focus through in-depth research and a remarkable
array of personal objects including letters, diaries
and books.
whitney museum, new york
june 27 - october 19, 2014
photo © jeff koons
www.whitney.org
national portrait gallery, london
july 10 - october 26, 2014
oil on panel by vanessa bell © national trust
www.npg.org.uk
006 et alors?

expo
fashion, the musical
More than 150 items are selected by Piet Paris from
the Centraal Museum collection and presented in
a surprising manner: as scenes in a musical. Taking
the visitor from backstage and the red carpet to
– eventually- the stage, he shows more than fifty
looks by designers such as Comme des Garçons,
Maison Martin Margiela, Iris van Herpen, Viktor &
Rolf, but also 17th and 18th century costumes. Paris
wants to show fashion in context, and not isolation.
He combines fashion with objects, which he actually
puts to use: ticking clocks, flower-filled vases and
burning lights. He breaks the anonymity of the
mannequin by giving each one a complete outfit, as
well as a face drawn by the illustrator himself. Piet
Paris literally brings the Centraal Museum collection
to life.
centraal museum, utrecht
june 7 - november 30, 2014
photo © piet paris
www.centraalmuseum.nl
tom, dick and harry: the everyday man series
Many people develop relationships through various
forms of social media, often first ‘knowing’ another
only through a simple profile picture. We make
instant decisions and judgments based on those
pictures, processing attraction, indifference and
at times, rejection. This installation, by Fort Lauderdale
based artist Robert F. Figueroa, uses photographic
portraits of society’s idealized males as
portrayed through action figure dolls. Each portrait
is sized at one-sixth human scale, printed in a classic
Polaroid-like format, giving an immediate temporal
sense to each portrait. In presenting these images,
the artist asks us to examine feelings of attraction
and rejection of others though social media. Can we
feel we know someone based solely on their online
profile photographs? Which one would you start a
conversation with?
leslie-lohman museum, new york
july 18 - september 28, 2014
photo © robert f. figueroa
www.leslielohman.org
et alors? 007

cop town
karin slaughter
Slaughter delivers her first stand-alone novel: an
epic story of a city in the midst of seismic upheaval,
a vicious murder, and a divided police force. Atlanta,
1974: As a brutal killing and a furious manhunt rock
the city’s police department, Kate Murphy wonders
if her first day on the job will also be her last. She’s
determined to defy her privileged background by
making her own way - wearing a badge and carrying
a gun. But for a beautiful young woman, life will be
anything but easy in the macho world of the Atlanta
PD, where even the female cops have little mercy for
rookies.
delacorte press
416 pages
isbn 0345547497
www.karinslaughter.com
the snow queen
michael cunningham
Michael Cunningham’s luminous novel begins with
a vision. It’s November 2004. Barrett Meeks, having
lost love yet again, is walking through Central Park
when he is inspired to look up at the sky; there he
sees a pale, translucent light that seems to regard
him in a distinctly godlike way. Barrett doesn’t
believe in visions - or in God - but he can’t deny what
he’s seen. At the same time, Tyler, Barrett’s older
brother, a struggling musician, is trying - and failing
- to write a wedding song for Beth, his wife-to-be,
who is seriously ill. Tyler is determined to write a
song that will be not merely a sentimental ballad but
an enduring expression of love. Cunningham follows
the Meeks brothers as each travels down a different
path in his search for transcendence.
farrar
272 pages
isbn 0374266328
www.us.macmillan.com
www.michaelcunninghamwriter.com
008 et alors?

editors’ readings
the dudes abide
alex belth
In the autumn of 1996, Joel and Ethan Coen were a
few months from filming their seventh feature film,
The Big Lebowski. Their sixth, Fargo, was released
that March to acclaim; awards would follow. Alex
Belth, a 25-year-old aspiring filmmaker, landed a job
as their personal assistant on Lebowski — and for
the next year, was the fly on the wall as the Coens
created the movie that would become an enduring
movie classic. Belth observed everything from the
pre-production work of location scouting, casting,
and rehearsals, all the way through filming and postproduction.
The Dudes Abide is the first behind-thescenes
account of the making of a Coen Brothers
movie, and offers an intimate, first-hand narrative of
the making of The Big Lebowski and insight into the
inner workings of the Coen Brothers’ genius.
kindl edition
49 pages
sold by amazon digital services, inc.
www.coenbrothers.net
report from the interior
paul auster
Having recalled his life through the story of his
physical self in Winter Journal, internationally
acclaimed novelist Paul Auster now remembers
the experience of his development from within,
through the encounters of his interior self with the
outer world. From his baby’s-eye view of the man
in the moon to his childhood worship of the movie
cowboy Buster Crabbe to the composition of his first
poem at the age of nine to his dawning awareness
of the injustices of American life; his heady days as
a graduate student in Paris, writing letters to the
woman who would become his first wife, Report
from the Interior charts Auster’s moral, political
and intellectual journey as he inches his way toward
adulthood through the post-war fifties and into the
turbulent 1960s.
picador; reprint edition
352 pages
isbn1250052289
www.paulauster.co.uk
et alors? 009

allen
jones
text fleur pierets photos allen jones
et alors? 011

Three women, wearing black leather fetish gear,
produced by the same company that supplied
Diana Rigg’s costumes in The Avengers. One
of them is on all fours and the glass top on her
back awaits your drink. The second one wears
thigh high boots and is ready to collect your hat.
The third one is offering herself as a chair. Allen
Jones’ fetishist sculpture ‘Hat stand, table and
chair’ is probably the piece of art that his name
is likely to bring to mind.
It was 1969 when the British Pop Art artist designed
these fibreglass models of submissive mannequins
offering themselves as furniture. ‘Hat Stand,
Table and Chair’ were an immediate international
sensation and Jones was instantly labeled ‘a cultural
hot potato’ when his work got attacked with stink
bombs and caused a riot when first exhibited in 1970
at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London.
Feminists where furious about the objectification of
women and even The Guardian suggested it should
be forbidden to exhibiting the items.
Jones himself claimed, ‘I was living in Chelsea and I
had an interest in the female figure and the sexual
charge that comes from it. Every Saturday on the
King’s Road you went out and skirts were shorter, the
body was being displayed in some new way. And you
knew that the following week somebody would up
the ante.’ In retrospect, Jones feels, ‘I was reflecting
on and commenting on exactly the same situation
that was the source of the feminist movement. It
was unfortunate for me that I produced the perfect
image for them to show how women were being
objectified.’
zeitgeist
Fast forward to present day. As from November 13,
2014 till January 25, 2015, the Royal Academy of
Arts will exhibit Jones’ work from the late 1960s up
to the present day. The exhibition will be a survey
of his work spanning his entire career, including
prints, paintings and the iconic figurative sculptures.
Over the past forty years his work has remained
true to the depiction of popular culture, with much
of his imagery being drawn from advertising and
performance. But what about ‘Hat stand, table and
chair’? Is the image still causing the same unease
and emotional disturbance as it once did? Not long
ago, in 1986 the sculpture attracted controversy
once again. The Tate acquired ‘Chair’ in 1981 and in
1986, on International Women’s Day, two assailants
012 et alors?

014 et alors?

poured paint stripper over the mannequin’s face.
It’s assumed the action was a feminist protest, but
those responsible were never caught. Are Allen
Jones’ sculptures still sparking controversy after
all these years? Or are we living in such a particular
zeitgeist that we’re not giving in?
gender stereotypes
Modern day feminist and founder of the wayward
Belgian news site ‘De Wereld Morgen’, Bieke
Purnelle, states that art should dare touch, accuse,
expose and challenge: ‘Context is crucial in assessing
images like that and I find it hard to understand
that people tend to denounce provocative art, but
don’t take any offence on the countless gender
stereotypes that surround us on a daily base. Of
course times are different now and you only have to
look at advertisements published in the fifties to see
how women’s role in society has changed. Yet I can’t
help but noticing a return to the old deterministic
stereotypes, for example when it comes to toys
and children’s clothes. The perception of gender
roles has a huge impact on how children and young
people grow up. The properties that are assigned to
the concept of ones gender are too much and too
often emphasized to be comfortable. People get no
room to just be an individual and are forced into a
social straitjacket, while gender stereotypes, and
by extension all stereotypes whether they concern
gender, race or social class, are not only stupid and
shortsighted, but also very dangerous.’
moloko bar
‘A Clockwork Orange’ is brought into the discussion
by Stella Bergsma. Writer and frontwoman of the
band ‘EinsteinBarbie’; ‘there is a similar kind of art
in ‘A Clockwork Orange’, one of my favorite movies
of all times. Female bodies are used as tables in the
Moloko bar. The first time I saw that, I thought it
was kind of cool; the body as an object of desire.’
According to Martin Gayford from The Telegraph,
Allen Jones got a call from Stanley Kubrick around
1970. The film director had seen an exhibition in
which Jones had shown some extraordinary and
disturbing pieces of sculpture. Kubrick thought they
would be just the things for a scene in a new film he
was planning, ‘A Clockwork Orange’. The trouble
was, the director imagined that Jones would design
his sets for no fee, just a credit. When I (Gayford)
talked to Jones in his London studio recently, he
told me that Kubrick had said: ‘I’m a very famous
film director, this will be seen all over the world and
your name will be known. ‘I held the phone away
from my ear, I was just staggered anyone would
say that. It showed an ego that dwarfed that of any
artist I’ve known.’ Jones turned down the offer and a
set designer produced the pieces in question (many
continue to believe they were by Jones).
men versus women
Besides from liking Jones’ objects, Bergsma also
reacts when it comes to gender roles: ‘I am really
not that bothered by the objectification of women
because I think that objectification is a part of our
sexuality, and as long as it is sort of a game it’s a
quite natural phenomenon. But I would like to see
more equality, I would love to see more male objects
and I do dislike the fact that it is almost exclusively
women that are objectified in our society. So it’s
the inequality rather than the objectification that
bothers me. Nevertheless, there is nothing to stop
us from changing that. So as a Christmas present I
would like to see men as Christmas trees. They have
already got balls!’
Whether objectification is a part of our sexuality or
not, the fact remains that it’s quite difficult to stay
‘correct’ in such a matter. Writer and exploiter of the
LGBT bookstore ‘’t Verschil’, Johanna Pas, takes it
personal when she says: ‘Although I love looking at
women as sexual beings, I think it’s important they’re
being portrayed as acting, thinking creatures. Both
in the arts as in advertising, in movies and everyday
image formation. As a voyeur I would love to enjoy
female beauty, yet our society turned that into a
complex delight.’
social inequality
Art holds a mirror to our society. Represents the
social, economic, racial values of the time we live
in and according to Charles Moffat, curator of the
Lilith Gallery in Torronto, Allen Jones’ 1969 works
were deliberately provocative: ‘I would argue
‘feminist’, because the goal behind the works was
to draw attention to social inequality between the
sexes. Photographer-Sculptor Cindy Sherman did
something similar years later when she portrayed
battered and beaten women as centrefolds in
magazines, objectifying women who have been
abused. The concept is simple: the artist is basically
playing devil’s advocate (not quite, but close
et alors? 015

‘Offensiveness
in art is often a
way to satirize
injustice’ -
Allen Jones.
et alors? 017

enough) and portraying women in such a way that
it will provoke a sympathetic response to the plight
of women. If we were to make a similar sculpture
today, but use wax figures of minorities to make the
furniture - it would provoke a similar response and
make people more aware of how poorly minorities
are treated. In 1969 Jones’ sculptures provoked
that response, yet it was misunderstood by the
general public who jumped to the wrong conclusion.
Shown today, the response would be more muted
and people would grasp that the purpose of the
sculptures is to provoke thought about gender
inequality.’
pastiche
Fast forward to 40 years later. Norwegian artist
Bjarne Melgaard creates a series that ‘reinterprets
art historical works from artist Allen Jones as a
commentary on gender and racial politics’. One
of the pieces is a copy of ‘Chair’ but featuring a
black woman instead of the original white one.
The provocative image of socialite and art collector
Dasha Zhukova, sitting on that particular chair
sparked outrage around the world. Artist Sofia
Senna aka Fannie Sosa was outraged by this
image. ‘I’m tired of seeing white man producing
work where they objectify oppressed bodies, mainly
black women, under the banner of Questioning
power and representation. I believe these artists,
Allen Jones, Bjarne Melgaard, or even Brett Bailey,
are so eager to capitalize over the black female body
and its subversive potential because they are lazy. I
think by doing this they avoid interrogating and
dismantling their own whiteness, maleness, and
over all privilege. It’s so easy! A sexually objectified
black woman will create a buzz, especially in the
high art world now. There is such a fascination
with ‘ratchet culture’, blackness, woman-ness and
how her liberation looks. Black female bodies are
both fetishized and demonized, and that creates a
very profitable cul-de-sac where these bodies are
exploited and appropriated, while the audiences are
fooled into believing this is a critique to the powers
that be. None of that. It’s just the same old bull
manure.’
After an online magazine published the photo of
Zhukova, perched on the artwork, the Russian
socialite apologized immediately and said that ‘this
photograph, which has been published completely
out of context, is of an artwork intended specifically
as a commentary on gender and racial politics (…) I
utterly abhor racism and would like to apologize to
anyone who has been offended by this image.’
icons
According to the numerous tweets and blog
comments, the apology came to late. Yet there was
one online article that stood out. Jonathan Jones,
English journalist and art critic wrote an article in
The Guardian headlining ‘Why there’s nothing racist
about The Racist Chair’. ‘Today it (Hat stand, table
and chair) is an accepted part of modern art history
and in fact Jones has had a revival lately. So what
was Melgaard’s point? Surely, in making this woman
black he means to retoxify the art of Allen Jones, to
offend people with an image long since accepted.
The intention is therefore the opposite of racist: it
is to question power and representation. Are you
offended by this black woman’s abuse? Then why is
it OK for white women to be similarly humiliated in a
respected pop art icon in the Tate collection?’
Don’t forget that Jones himself claimed that his
own work was actually a protest against sexism.
Those visions (he saw on King’s Road in Chelsea)
were to fuel his artistic imagination, producing not
only his women as furniture, but striking images of
seemingly endless legs wearing stilettos. ‘Is it too
harsh to say that only a man can be that naive?’
says Johanna Pas. ‘It would have been shocking if he
would have used male mannequins. Yet I guess that
would’ve never been put on display.’
it’s all about context
American conceptual artist Barbara Kruger once
declared that ‘We are never a subject, we are always
an object’. Which triggered Johanna Pas into stating
that it’s all about context. ‘I incline to think that
women in the 1970s thought they’d seen the worst
when it came to sexism. Yet it was just the beginning
of image advertising. Major advertising campaigns
were in their infancy, we were on the threshold
of video clips and never heard about YouTube.
Now there is such a proliferation of sexual female
stereotypes that we no longer bother to blink
anymore. Jones’ work is no longer shocking because
we are so inundated with similar pictures that we find
them either normal, or we are too tired to respond
for the zillionth time. Question is if an artist has a
social responsibility. I think he or she has indeed.’
Julian P. Boom, Art Director of Et Alors? Magazine
018 et alors?

020 et alors?

page 010
allen jones ra
first step, 1966
oil on canvas, 92 x 92 cm
collection allen jones, london
© allen jones
image courtesy of the artist
page 013
allen jones ra
hat stand, 1969
mixed media, 191 x 108 x 40 cm
private collection, london
image courtesy of the artist © allen jones
page 014
allen jones ra
interesting journey, 1962
oil on canvas, 61 x 51 cm
private collection, london
© allen jones
photo private collection
page 016
allen jones ra
stand in, 1991/2
oil on plywood and fibreglass, 185 x 185 x 63 cm
private collection, banbury
image courtesy of the artist
© allen jones
page 019
allen jones
refridgerator, 2002
mixed media
188 x 84 x 37 cm
private collection, london
photo royal academy of arts, london
© allen jones
page 020
allen jones ra
curious woman, 1965
oil, plaster and epoxy resin on wood
121.9 x 1016 x 20 cm approx.
private collection, new york
© allen jones
image courtesy of the artist
agrees that it’s all about context. ‘It’s a piece of art,
and art is one of the few things that should be able
to get away with provocative imagery. ‘Hat stand,
table and chair’ never bothered me and although I’m
an opponent of gender roles, I never came to think
of interpreting the work as such. Why not? Because
it’s art. Nevertheless I do fulminate against the way
women are portrayed in contemporary advertising,
video clips, etc. The creators of those images have
an obligation towards society, towards kids growing
up, struggling with their self-image. Modern day
advertising cheerfully waves all of this into oblivion.
And for me, this is what we should react to. Not
against art, something that ought to be free of
speech.’ Her comment seems backed up by Bieke
Purnelle’s words that you have to give the artists a
little room: ‘Let them be provocative while pushing
a few sore spots. Free and easy.’
sparking controversy
Every discussion needs its conclusion, yet in the
case of ‘Hat stand, table and chair’, there is none.
More than 45 years later, the sculpture still sparks
controversy. Is extremely chocking to some and
necessary to others. We talked to numerous women
and men and even the slightest similarity in opinion
was hard to find. Maybe it leaves us nothing more
to do than remind you that the Pop Art artist who,
motivated by the theories of Jung and Nietzsche,
also made numerous paintings and lithography’s
and one almost forgets that he’s also a printmaker,
working mostly in lithograph and screenprint
and has built up an impressive body of work. The
upcoming exhibition at The Royal Academy will be
a survey of Jones’ work spanning his entire career,
including prints, paintings and the iconic figurative
sculptures from the late 1960s up to the present
day. The exhibition will also seek to demonstrate the
enduring place of drawing in Jones’ creative process.
His talents as a draughtsman are considerable
and although infrequently seen, these drawings
underpin every element of his artistic output. Go
check!
allen jones ra
13 november 2014 – 25 january 2015
royal academy of arts
burlington gardens
burlington house, piccadilly, london w1j 0bd
www.royalacademy.org.uk
et alors? 021

forniphilia
interview fleur pierets photos david blazquez
When thinking and talking about the
work of Allen Jones, the word ‘forniphilia’
automatically comes to mind. Wikipedia
reads: ‘Human furniture or forniphilia
is a form of bondage and sexual
objectification in which a person’s body
is incorporated into a chair, table, cabinet
or other piece of furniture’. The term to
describe this particular fetish category
was originally coined in 1998 by the late
Jeff Gord. Founder of House of Gord and
inventor and creator of bondage gear.
et alors? 023

When it comes to forniphilia, Gord states it’s the
ultimate in artistic expression. ‘Over the centuries,
mere mortal man, artists and sculptures of renown,
have struggled to capture the essence of femininity
in various inanimate and inadequate mediums of
paint, stone, plaster-of-paris, bronze, and a host
of other organic materials. Whilst they came close,
none really managed to portray that indefinable
something that is womanhood; a mystical stateof-the-art
life form that guards its secrets jealously.
In my opinion, they never will. They were using
the wrong materials’…’I chose to use the ultimate
material. A Woman. The most erotic and exciting
material on this planet.’
Don’t start yelling yet, my dear fellow women.
Because while researching I discovered that equally
both men and women are into this form of fetish.
Sensualism or sexism, do allow me to use this huge
cliché and say it’s all in the eye of the beholder. I
was very lucky to come across Ms. Nikki Nefarious.
The rigger who tied up Rihanna for her S&M clip
and award winning bondage artist, award winning
photographer, bondage instructor, professional
dominatrix, performer, model and fetishist for all
seasons. Nikki offered me a glimpse into the head of
a forniphilia lover.
How does one find out he/she likes to be a piece
of furniture or one likes to turn people into pieces
of furniture?
This is all individual, really. Some people come
across a photo or video of someone being used as
furniture and realize that they become aroused.
Some people truly enjoy the idea of absolute service
and utility. Forniphilia allows them to be of use
without them having to worry about speaking or
acting, they just get to simply ‘be’. For some, the love
of objectification is paramount to their enjoyment
of forniphilia and the idea of being seen, or used,
as something other than human, as an object, is
exciting and arousing. From what I hear, the arousal
that happens to someone who is used as furniture
is both blissful and frustrating because they cannot
satisfy their arousal. More often than not there is
no sexual release whatsoever, so they are forced to
stay in their positions, utterly aroused, so absolutely
controlled. And there is nothing they can do about
it. Both the Dominant and the submissive can really
get a lot out of this.
Is it a fulltime lifestyle or is it just a part of your
daily life?
I am a fulltime lifestyle Dominant. This is the way I
live my life and I share this with my partners. I am a
Professional Dominant and Bondage Artist so I get
to share this with my clients as well, which I love.
In many cases the clients I play with, don’t get to
live this as a lifestyle so their sessions are incredibly
intense, often serving as the only outlet they get to
experience in their day-to-day lives.
I’m happy to talk to a woman since forniphilia is
often considered sexistic. What is your opinion on
that?
You know, I can see where it would seem sexist
because the photos and art on the subject matter,
usually features women as being the furniture.
Frankly, I think this might have to do with the
perceived fact that, at least in the public-eye
opinion, women are visually more appealing in
these positions. I have also found that a lot of
public practitioners are dominant hetero-males
who simply prefer to play with females. As a female
Dominant I love rigging both males and females
into human furniture. Honestly I don’t find this to be
sexist at all actually. Sadly many of the submissive
males who wish to be turned into human furniture
must hide their fetish life from public view and their
experience is never captured in photos or video. It
almost seems as if it is a secret. Because of this, we
rarely get to see submissive males in these roles.
Unless they are models.
While researching I found mostly men who like/
love to turn woman into furniture. Is it often the
other way around?
In my personal experience, I find that a lot more
of my male clients are interested in being human
furniture than my female clients. Most of the male
clients I play with have management positions at
work, and have a head-of-household mentality.
For these clients, either male or female, they love
being able to simply be still and quiet yet useful.
They don’t have to worry about making decisions or
being ‘on’ in any way. They can truly let their guard
down and be vulnerable. At that moment they are
not the ‘person with all the answers’, they are a
table, a footstool, a lamp, transformed into a simple
and functional object with no worries in the world.
My experience might not be the norm, but again I
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have found that more men request these types of
sessions than women do.
What do you, personally, get out of it?
I love being able to fully control my plaything
and the trust that goes into it. Turning someone
into human furniture is an art form, at least for
me. Some submissives who enjoy this, like the
vulnerability, or the humiliation, or the loss of
control and while I love all those things, it is also
an expression of art. These submissives become
clay to be molded into a functional object whose
sole purpose is to serve and be useful. There is
a beautiful power exchange involved in human
furniture, or forniphilia as it is called. Even if it’s just
a human table, chair or serving tray, there is a lot
of trust and energy-play going on. I personally love
that the most about BDSM, which is why I also love
rope bondage so much.
What’s the most fun part?
My favorite thing is to turn someone into a human
chandelier or candelabra. I even teach classes
on how to do this. I do this for parties or just for
myself. To read a book with my feet up on a
human footstool. This is a predicament forniphilia
scenario, because as the candles on the human
chandelier burn down, it also drips wax onto the
submissive, who isn’t allowed to flinch or scream.
Because furniture doesn’t talk. How awesome is
that. I love how every human furniture position
is also an endurance exercise. For example, when
I have someone turned into a human coffee tray
they will hold the coffee cup in a special mouth gag
fitted with a small tray. If the cup is full, it’s harder
for them to hold it upright but as I sip the coffee,
the weight actually decreases. Yet it still feels heavy
to the human coffee tray because these objects
seem to become heaver the longer they sit holding
them. It’s a wonderful ‘mindfuck’ experience. I also
love turning people into tables or chairs and then
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‘messing’ with them with tickling with vibrators or
dildos, knowing that they can’t move or make any
noise. It is a fun and interactive game.
‘My favorite
thing is to turn
someone into a
human chandelier
or candelabra.’
Who are your heroes?
The House of Gord is my personal forniphilia hero!
His art is inspiring! Not only does he transform
gorgeous models into functional furniture, he also
incorporates them into vehicle art. For instance
he created a double-submissive horse and buggy
vehicle in which a bound submissive plays the
pony who carries a cart that is fitted with a dildo
which goes up and down from a hole in the seat
as the contraption moves. A second submissive is
strapped in position onto this seat. Brilliant!
What do you think of ‘hatstand, chair and table’,
the artwork by Allen Jones?
I think they are great and those are very popular
forniphilia positions. I love the idea of permanent
forniphilia, as I have found that most human’s
endurance gives out too soon for my taste. I could
keep them in those positions forever if I had my
way. I also love the fact that an artist with so much
talent has chosen to feature this gorgeous subject
in his amazing work. It lends credence to my belief
that forniphilia is truly an art form and not just
another BDSM act.
‘Fetish’ has become quite fashionable. How do
you feel about that?
I think it is great! I work with so many people, both
males and females, who have to hide their fetish
from their family and friends because of the stigma
attached to it. It would be nice for them if fetish
became more socially accepted. Hopefully the fact
that fetish is indeed fashionable now, will help to
spark that progress. There are so many people out
there who are afraid to admit their fetish desires,
even to themselves. Because of this, they are truly
missing out on so many experiences and they
are also missing out from learning more about
themselves at the same time. How wonderful
would it be if the stigma-veil were lifted from fetish
and we could all be open and honest about our
personal desires. To be able to truly share more
of ourselves with our partners while exploring our
personal needs. Now that would be a world in
which I’d love to live!
www.msnikkinefarious.com
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cheap
barbie
photos loo loo rose
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photography & concept loo loo rose
art direction loo loo rose
assistant jack fraser
location g-a-y soho, london
model cheap barbie
036 et alors?

disobedient objects
From a Suffragette tea service to protest robots, this exhibition will be the first to examine
the powerful role of objects in movements for social change. It will demonstrate how
political activism drives a wealth of design ingenuity and collective creativity that defy
standard definitions of art and design. Disobedient Objects will focus on the period from
the late 1970s to now, a time that has brought new technologies and political challenges.
On display will be arts of rebellion from around the world that illuminate the role of making
in grassroots movements for social change: finely woven banners; defaced currency;
changing designs for barricades and blockades; political video games; an inflatable
general assembly to facilitate consensus decision-making; experimental activist-bicycles;
and textiles bearing witness to political murders.
26 july 2014 - 1 february 2015
victoria & albert museum
cromwell road, london sw7 2rl
www.vam.ac.uk
‘inflatable cobblestone’; action of eclectic electric collective in cooperation with enmedio
collective during the general strike in barcelona 2012. © oriana eliçabe

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marina
rice
bader
interview fleur pierets photos marina rice bader
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Executive Producer of the lesbian themed
movies ‘Elena Undone’ and ‘A Perfect Ending’,
Marina Rice Bader, is releasing her feature
length directorial debut ‘Anatomy of a Love
Seen’ as a streaming rental, breaking outside
of and bypassing the traditional Hollywood
distribution channels. Bader was set on the
idea of exploring alternative distribution options
in order to engage and connect directly with
her fans, and get the film out to as many people
as possible. A conversation about lesbian films,
about running her independent film company
‘Soul Kiss Films’ and about love & passion.
When did you start to make movies? Lesbian
movies, to be correct.
I’m in the movies since 2009. It hasn’t been really
long, but I can say it’s been fantastic. That year
I fell in love with a woman for the first time. She
happens to be Nicole Conn (film director, producer
and screenwriter. The lesbian love story, ‘Claire of
the moon’, was her debut feature. Red.) I had never
fell in love with a woman before, never even kissed
a woman. So, when you are walking into an entirely
new world, you do your research by watching movies.
I rented so many lesbian movies that I noticed there
were some really good ones but also some terrible
ones because of the lack of chemistry between the
actors. Movies have been my non-human loves my
entire life and after we were together for almost a
year I said to Nicole; let’s make a movie, just for fun!
Since the only story she wanted to tell was ours, we
made ‘Elena Undone’, which was literally my story.
On the set I did about 20 different things. From
executive production to preparing food and shuttle
driving, just to name some. I had my hands in all
the different departments and fell in love with the
process. After that I produced ‘The Perfect Ending’
and when Nicole and I split up a couple of years ago,
my love of film didn’t die with the relationship. I just
continued on my own with ‘Anatomy of a Love Seen’
and the upcoming ‘Raven’s Touch’.
‘Anatomy of a love seen’ is your directors’ debut.
There’s quite a difference between being an
executive producer and a director. How does one
take such a big step?
I don’t like to call myself a control freak, but I do
like to have my hands on everything. And I love
storytelling. As a professional photographer I spend
18 years telling stories through still images before
I got into this rollercoaster business. Directing this
film came as a natural progression and besides that
I chose the wardrobe, I did the make-up, chose the
location and coached the actors into getting the real
emotions. I can actually say it was an easy transition
because I have already been doing it for so long on
a smaller level.
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Why did you make another lesbian themed movie?
Well, I love women. I just do. My female friends
have been the most important people in my life,
up until my kids. I want to tell women’s stories and
since almost all my friends are lesbians and we have
so many beautiful, committed fans from ‘Elena
Undone’ and from ‘The Perfect Ending’, it just makes
so much sense for me to continue telling their story.
And also; a good story is a good story. It doesn’t
matter who’s making love to whom because they
are two human beings. They are not anything other
than that. I’m trying to tell universal stories because
the one thing that every single person on the planet
struggles with and what every single person wants,
is the ever-illusive true love.
What do you think about lesbian movies in
general?
Some of the most beautiful films I’ve seen are
lesbian films but whatever niche you name, there
are both good and bad films. Of course we all hope
that our film goes beyond the niche, that it tells a
good enough story that other people want to watch
it. But we are forced to make films on a very small
budget. When you’ve got a small percentage of the
planet that are going to be organically interested in
your film, you can’t spend a lot of money because
you don’t know how much you are going to get
back. And when you have a low budget it’s easy to
reach for the moon when you’re for example doing
your casting. You continually have to ask, ask, ask
for what you feel you deserve for your film and at
a fraction of the price. But once again, that’s just
not only in lesbian film. It’s niches across the board.
It just happened to be what I’m talking about right
now.
What is the one thing you would never settle on?
For me, one of the number one things I was missing
in a lot of the films was chemistry between the two
leads. When Nicole and I worked together we worked
really hard to make sure that we did chemistry
reads. Nicole was very adamant about that because
it’s critical, it really is. When I cast Charon and Jill
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in ‘Anatomy of a Love Seen’, I did it because their
chemistry was phenomenal. They where incredibly
comfortable and they adored each other. When you
are tossing two actresses in bed, naked, the very
first day of filming, those are important attributes.
You shot the movie in only 5 days. That’s quite a
challenge.
The reason for that was that I wanted to maintain
the production value that I had on the other films
that we’ve done…with about one third of the budget
to work with. I had one investor who really is an ally
in the world of lesbian cinema, and when I decided
I wanted to make this film I called her and asked if
she wanted to be involved. When she said she had
75000 dollars to invest, I didn’t want to spend one
more minute trying to find other investors. I just
wanted to make the movie right away in order to get
it submitted for the summer festivals. The only way
to keep the production value high was to limit the
amount of days we where shooting, which is what I
did. I can tell you that every shot that I took to make
‘Anatomy of a love seen’ was very carefully thought
about.
And then, well, there was no script.
Indeed. Everything was just an idea in my head.
I started working on an outline and did not finish
until I casted the actresses. There was something
in my brain that was not letting me move forward
without knowing who was going to inhabit these
roles, which, in a fully improvised film, I think you
can probably understand that. So much comes from
who is stepping into those roles and when I did the
audition process, I didn’t even audition the first time
around. I just brought these women in to meet them.
You can’t cast someone to far outside the character
when it’s improvisation.
So you said: we have five days to shoot, we don’t
have a script. And everybody followed?
More than that; they where incredible. Everyone
who came on this ride with me was so brave and non
afraid. It was just the right group of people because
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they loved the story, loved the idea. The thing that
sold them all was that we were going to do this in
5 days, but on only one location. After being on
numerous sets, I know how much time is wasted
when you’re moving your company to another place
where you have to reset the lights and everything
else. We, on the other hand, had a soundstage and
didn’t have to stop for plains nor trains. I made it
as doable as possible. Everyone agreed and of we
went. All of us. Into this great adventure.
When ‘Anatomy of a love seen’ was finished, you
chose not to go via traditional distribution.
The thing that bothers me about traditional
distribution is that it’s exclusionary. Inherently I find
that to be upsetting. With the last two films we went
via traditional distribution and the US was able to
watch the film months before many of the European
countries, because of the way they have it divided
in the territories. That doesn’t only feel bad, but it
also leads to piracy. I don’t blame people who have
to wait for months and trying to find it illegally. But
they shouldn’t have to wait. And that’s why I wanted
to do it this way. I wanted a worldwide release and
I’m happy to say that the movie has been viewed
in 90 countries. It was available on the same day to
everyone who had access to Internet and at a very
reasonable price for a brand-new film. I released
it after our world premier at Outfest here in Los
Angeles. I just wanted to try something new and
it’s been extremely successful. It really makes me
happy that everyone has had the same opportunity
as everyone else.
Right now the movie is available on only one
platform, which is Vimeo.
There are many platforms I could have gotten the
film on myself, but I wanted to start with Vimeo
because they are so filmmaker friendly and it’s so
easy to figure it all out. They offer high quality and
are very responsive to questions. It was a great place
for me to start and it turned out being tremendously
successful. Our statistics within that one platform
are phenomenal. Each person who rented it watched
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it on an average of three times. A full 10% of people
who viewed the trailer had actually gone on to rent
the movie. We’ve got a lot of interaction. We’ve
got comments, we’ve got 4,5 out of 5 stars after a
month of being up, so we’re doing very well. The
exiting thing however is that I’ve been approached
by Gravitas films, a distributor with tremendous
projects in their library and they approached me on
taking the film to the next level. I’m really excited
about that because my one platform is going to be
extended to many, many platforms.
Is that kind of distribution a completely new way
of communicating?
I really do think this is the way of the future. In 5
years no one is ever going to buy dvd’s anymore. I
don’t even think you’re going to find them. The days
of having to worry about not going to be able to
have a dvd distribution is over and I think, especially
for young filmmakers or people who are just getting
started, it’s a beautiful thing to have the opportunity
to know that they can follow their passion, make
their film and having a platform for people to see
it. You don’t have to wait anymore for someone to
come along and handle your movie.
When hearing about all those people who’ve
watched ‘Anatomy of a love seen’, can I assume
you’re much appreciated within the lesbian
community?
I think I am. But distributing my movie in such a
matter was a bit of a risk. I’m not a Josh Whedon,
I’m not worldwide news. If I release my film the day
after the world premiere, I have to work my butt
of to make sure that every single person knows
that it’s out there. At the moment I’m doing a little
experiment because I’m curious to see how much
the lesbian community supports someone who
creates projects just for them. I sometimes think it’s
something that is taken for granted in a certain way.
We all go to the movies, buy dvd’s. But do people
think beyond that? Are they conscious about the
fact that they are supporting the artist who created
this, allowing him or her to go on and create more?
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Just for them! For 5 dollars any lesbian out there
can contribute, in order for me to be able to go on
and make the next film. If I were going to be able to
send a message to the lesbian community it would
be, please please please support the artists who
are creating just for you. Weather it’s by renting
my movie, or buying a subscription to an LGBT
magazine, it doesn’t matter. Just as long as you
know that the reason that these entities exist, is for
you. They can’t exist without you. So rent the movie!
What would you like to accomplish with your
movies?
We’re doing final editing on ‘Raven’s Touch’ as we
speak and my desire is to make another film starting
the end of the year. My dream is for ‘Soul Kiss Films’
to be synonymous with quality lesbian cinema. I
really dedicated the last 3d of my life to bringing
women’s stories to the screen and that would make
me very happy. I actually would like to create a film
a year, would like to be able to bring a new film into
the lesbian library every year.
That’s very ambitious since you are running ‘Soul
Kiss Films’ all by yourself.
It is, but it’s doable. I try to get out of thinking in
terms of small. I’m trying to live the rest of my life big.
‘Soul Kiss Films’ is just me. I don’t have an assistant
or secretary, it’s literally just me. It would be easy to
think I’m not going to be able to accomplish much
this way, but I would rather think in terms of being
able to operate in a way that a larger production
company would. In terms of what I want my
output to be. A company like ‘Focus features’ is not
sitting around working on one project at the time.
They’re in postproduction on one, pre production
on another. They have multiple things going on. So
that is the way I’m running my business. At some
point I will have some support but right now it’s not
in the budget so I’m just trying to make sure that I
stay big. Think big. I think that’s the only way to be
successful.
www.soulkissfilms.com
www.anatomyofaloveseen.com
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quinn
delvaux
text quinn delvaux photos kim note
My name is Quinn, I’m a 21 year old student finishing
a bachelor’s degree in applied economic sciences
who paints a bit in her sparetime. When I show some
of my work to fellow students, they sometimes
ask why I chose to study economics instead of just
going to art school. There are multiple answers
and multiple motivations. Being 21 and having
recently started a transition from boy to girl, I’m
quite glad following these studies. They offer a form
of stability. I still didn’t completely came out and
these studies are a form of compensation for the
uncertainty that goes along with transitioning, more
generally: not conforming. At the same time I see
people developing themselves, in ways that clash
with the by gender-binary dominated society we still
live in, while they’re also following their professional
dream to make a living of their passion. Sometimes I
do regret not daring to take that extra risk.
What are the implications of having a perspective?
It’s generally assumed that a fullfillment of basic
needs leads a human being to long for deeper
realisations. But this applies in different ways on
us. There are different interpretations for these
deeper needs of fullfilment. In my class, there are
lots of people with a lot of talent, some of them
are practicing and maintaining those talents while
studying. Some of them would be quite capable of
making a decent living of it, given they work very
hard for it. But what is their motivation to still choose
for economics? In some cases it’s honest interest.
Some others and I started these studies because
we wanted to know how the financial world works.
Quite idealistic, but besides that, certainty plays a
role. In how many cases did people with a dream of
following their passion, eventually chose for more
business-oriented courses just for the certainty of
it? How many people will choose for a path that’s
certain, but lacks passion? And how many people
will regret these decisions later in life? Since time is
a thing we’ll never be able to buy back, we should
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decide very carefull about how we want to spend
it. A negative, pessimistic perspective could be the
reason why people choose for more certain choices
in their lives. What follows now might be a crude
shift in point of view, but could there be a relation
between the coming out of a person and his/her
perspective of the world?
I live in a coastal town where it can be quite busy
and full of tourists during the summer. Pop-up
stores and art galleries mark the mundane shopping
districts. Still, in the winter and fall, it can be quite
a sad place. Unemployment and child poverty are
higher than the national average, and somehow
building a satisfying career and life here didn’t look
very possible. It was that point of view that really
dominated my way of thinking when I was 14/15
years old. I knew for a long time I was different,
but feared to stand out. In primary school, this
resulted in always trying to be the best, having
the best grades, wanting to know everything. But
in highschool, everything suddenly became more
complicated. Gender dysphoria resulted in lower
motivation, resulting in lower grades, resulting in
feeling even more like a mistake made by God. At
a certain moment, I never thought there would be a
future for people like me. Although Belgium is one of
the most progressive countries concerning gender
issues, that small world in which hanging around
with your buds and mooching was daily routine and
was the only world I knew. That small world was
the one in which I saw no perspective. It was in that
small world, not in Belgium, that standing out was
lethal. We never commited any crime, but there was
this grey zone in which we walked around, in which
we were stuck in a way. In that time I experienced
the consequences of having a lack of perspective,
not only as a transgender person but also as a
youngster. Having a complete lack of perspective
can lead to dramatic outcomes. In my case it
resulted in a suicide attempt. In other cases it can
lead to addiction, a future in criminal environments,
a shallow life without any form of satisfaction...
At that time, I never imagined myself going to college
and actually passing each year although that came
at a certain price. While the perspective of having a
quite comfortable life was opening, the perspective
of being a free person remained closed. After the
suicide attempt, I went with my parents to the
‘It was the
realisation that
the world was
more than this
suburban life,
that there are
people who dare
to go for it, that
there is support,
that gender
binarity slowly is
fading.’
psychologists in Ghent, I tried to explain everything
while my parents asked themselves what they did
wrong. They asked themselves if I experienced
abuse, thought there was another cause for the
gender dysphoria, hoped this was just a puberty
phase. At a certain point, I had to make the choice
to take puberty blockers. After months of seeing my
parents still having lots of problems concerning my
identity, I said no and my file was closed. I couldn’t
take the pressure of being the object they worry the
most about, the object that disturbed the picture
of a perfect, happy family. It was one of the same
motives behind my suicide attempt. I still thought
the world was full of perfect suburban people, and
I couldn’t bear the idea of being their child that
was ‘different’, ‘not perfect’. It was in those years
that I chose for even more certainty and made the
decision to go to college to study economics.
In order to persevere in these studies, I had this
perspective of the world as this harsh, competitive
place, in which failing for my studies and not
conforming ment the end. This perspective allowed
me to function more or less without worrying to
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much about how I felt, since this form of survival
and achieving good results in a crude sense was
crucial. I didn’t want to go back to that point
when I was 15 and tried to kill myself. So, I just
studied. I complained a lot about politics, almost
obsessive. Because I did realise that just having a
basic perspective is so important to youngsters. I
learned how important it is to create a framework
for children and youngsters that leaves room for
development, a framework in which fear doesn’t
dominate their room for expression. In this way I
applied the way of thinking in which I really believed
on other people and society as a whole, but not on
myself. If there still was a part of me that longed for
freedom, it was a part that wanted to be a full-time
artist. It’s remarkable how one perspective allows
one dream but blocks the other.
Still, at university there were lots of people
developing, coming out, flourishing... Finally I sent
a mail to the psychologist that oversaw my file when
I was 15, leading to the transition I’m undergoing
as I write this article. I just couldn’t live anymore
with how my body further developed. I just couldn’t
continue blocking every thought, action or person
that made me long for freedom and the path I’m
taking now. With months passing by, a perspective
of having a life as a girl, or at least a person that
wouldn’t be bound anymore by gender, came to
life. Coming out is now a process I’m carefully
undergoing. What gave me the motivation to go for
it? Another perspective. It was the realisation that
the world was more than this suburban life, that
there are people who dare to go for it, that there is
support, that gender binarity slowly is fading. The
realisation that there is a future. A disbelieve in the
absoluteness of roles defined by society. A believe
in the fact that the world is about more than brutal
competition, conforming and survival of the fittest.
Or at least having the realisation, that even if the
world is this place in which survival of the fittest in
the end counts, you don’t want to be a part of it. I’m
sure I will experience some rough times, since I’m
making the shift from a person who conforms (and
also reaps the benefits of conforming) to a person
that will be different. There will be some moments
I will lose this positive, rational perspective I now
have. These moments are quite heavy: panic
attacks, sadness, a risk of doing things I might
regret later. But they’re also a reason why we should
realise the importance of having a stable base of
relatives, friends & colleagues you can rely on, they
form a role in maintaining our perspective, just like
job opportunities, family, and so on... Cause this
applies to every time we take a certain risk in our
lives, it’s in these times the people who are part of
the perspectieve we have are very important, and
will help us bear through it.
How does this apply in a bigger context? A
perspective influences more than just the choice to
come out as yourself or not. In general, a perspective
can influence people to make choices that hold less
or more risk. As said before, having a perspective can
drastically change the life and actions of a youngster.
For example in Brussels: there is a concerning
amount of violence towards the LGBTQ-community
and other minorities caused by young men, mostly in
group. These agressors are often stuck themselves,
stuck in an environment that leaves little room for
development. Everytime I hear this, that small world
in which we were stuck as youngsters is back in my
mind. Then, I realise the need to give youngsters
a positive perspective if we ever want to reduce
violence and discrimination. The need to make room
for understanding, to stop the de-humanization of a
generation of young people and communities that
don’t conform with roles defined by society. There
are so many wonderfull initiatives to make people
aware of minorities and the LGBTQ-community, but
this will all be in vain if structural measures aren’t
taken. Furthermore, this does not only apply to
people who commit ‘hard’ forms of discrimination
and agression. There are also a lot of educated,
more privileged people who experience frustration
and thus are often cynical about minorities and their
fights for equal rights. Maybe these forms of ‘soft’
discrimination are partly caused by their choice for
a life full of certainty. Maybe offering people more
room for expressing themselves, by reducing workand
society related pressure, will lead to a more
tolerant and open society. While economists and
sociologists forecast a future in which we will have
to work less and patterns will change drastically,
we should really start thinking about how we can
re-balance society in a way so there will be more
understanding, acceptance and room for freedom
of expression. A society in which there is a positive,
long-term perspective for as many people as
possible.
052 et alors?

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pride
photo
award
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British photographer Parisa Taghizadeh is the
winner of the Pride Photo Award 2014. Out
of nearly 3.600 entries the international jury
awarded the prize to a photo from her series
‘Boy’. Boy is the story of a young boy and the
world he has created for himself. He finds
beauty in things mainly associated with girls
but that’s not why he likes them. He likes them
because ‘they are beautiful’.
The series contains portraits of Taghizadeh’s 5 year
old son reveling in colorful, pretty ‘girl things’ such as
necklaces, nail polish and feathery masks, and taken
over a 6 month period. They are about his interior
world and the things that manifest from it; what
he believes in when society tells him otherwise.
What started as a documentation of his daily life
and observations, of his theatrical little world has
turned into an inquiry into what little boys are
allowed to be before the world changes them and
molds them into some notion of what it means to
be a man in our society. Parisa Taghizadeh was one
of 375 participating photographers from 62 different
nationalities.
The jury on the winning photo: The winning image
can be read on multiple levels. We see a young
child wearing an exuberantly decorated carnival
mask. We cannot tell the child’s age and gender,
but the mask does not hide them. This is not a
mask that hides, but one that expresses joy in
the child’s freedom of expression, regardless of
gender conventions. The image conveys a playful
happiness and self-confidence made possible by
the love and affirmation of the mother, who is also
the photographer. Boy’s mask becomes a universal
positive thing, a chance to experience the fluidity of
an as yet unfixed gender identification, touched by
light and full of hope for the future.
‘We are just over the moon!’, Parisa Taghizadeh’s
husband said when they heard she had won the
Award. The winner, who currently resides in New
Zealand: ‘I told (my son) tonight, while he was
playing a game on an iPad that my photo of him
won an important award. He turned around, looked
at me and replied: wow! And then he went straight
back to his game’ (laughs).
‘My husband and I talked quite a bit about (showing
056 et alors?

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the photo in the context of Pride Photo Award). I had
never thought of ‘Boy’ in the context of pride at all.
I didn’t want to label or define my son. But we both
decided it is organizations like Pride Photo Award
that make a real difference to the lives of the LGBT
community. I think it is important for us to teach
our children the relevance of such organizations.
Whether my son grows up gay or straight doesn’t
matter. It felt like contributing to a good cause.’
Pride Photo Award is an annual international contest for
photos about sexual (LGBT) and gender diversity. The
organization is looking for top quality photography
on the following topics: non-stereotypical images of
gender, masculinity and femininity the diversity of
the LGBT community. This year’s thought-provoking
theme ‘Get Closer’ was inspired by a quote from
legendary photographer and founder of Magnum
Robert Capa: ‘If your photos aren’t good enough,
you aren’t close enough.’
On the 2014 entries, the jury said: ‘The entries this
year reflected the unrest we have seen in the world,
the increasing oppression and violence against
the LGBT communities in some regions, such as
Russia, Uganda, South Africa. Many photographers
compassionately captured the struggles and the
bravery of the LGBT communities in these regions,
as well as in Southern Asia and the USA. We see new
challenges that call for new strategies beyond the
conventional ways in which the LGBT communities
have used visibility as both a means and an end. We
were struck by the fact that so many submissions
communicated such positive stories, such as the
winning photograph from Parisa Taghizadeh’s quiet
and eloquently uplifting series, Boy.’
photo 1 2nd prize 2014 theme category ‘getting
closer. call me heena © shahria sharmin
photo 2 winner 2014. boy © parisa taghizadeh
photo 3 special mention. colombia’s next drag
superstar © viviana peretti
photo 4 3rd prize 2014 theme category ‘gender’.
transgender youth © farida de pauw
The Pride Photo Award 2014 ‘Getting Closer’
exhibition is open to visitors from Saturday, 30
August until Sunday, 26 October 2014 at Old
Church, Oudekerksplein 23, Amsterdam, The
Netherlands.
Pride Photo Award is initiated and supported by:
COC Amsterdam, IHLIA (International Gay and
Lesbian Information center and Archive) and the
Homomonument Foundation.
www.pridephotoaward.org
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lind
date
photos sally ann & emily may gunawan
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photography & concept sally ann & emily may gunawan
styling raynård randynata
hair & make up chrisna sujatmiko
models daria @21mm & arsugi oggie aryanto
assistant stylist renny ruth roren
spread page 068-069 argyle oxford top
070 et alors?

horst, photographer of style
september 6,2014 – january 4, 2015
victoria & albert museum
cromwell road, london sw7 2rl
www.vam.ac.uk
mainbocher corset (pink satin corset by detolle), paris, 1939.
© condé nast / horst estate
072 et alors?

a
kind
of
absence
text & photos dirk h. wilms
074 et alors?

German photographer and visual artist Dirk H.
Wilms focuses on self-portraits since 2001, the
year he received his HIV diagnosis. After the
diagnosis he barely left his house for almost
four years. He thought everyone would know
immediately he carried the virus in him. Fear of
being forgotten got him to document his life; his
awes and physical decline.
page 074 - curtain # 1
This image shows a certain kind of self-imposed
isolation. I like to be alone. And I like to work alone
in my studio. In this solitude I have the feeling of
absolute control. During these moments, I realize
that this is my place in the world.
page 076 - bent xx, the diver
To take such pictures give me simple joy. I don’t
analyze while working, don’t think about it, don’t
have any message.
076 et alors?

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078 et alors?

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page 078 - flower
I decided to start documenting my life as an art form
in 2001, when the first traces of HIV became visible.
The reason why I almost always cover my face in the
photographs.
page 079 - the leaf
This is one of my most personal pictures. Anything I
could say about it would distort it.
page 081 - the rubber balloon
My own body is always the starting point of my
productions. Yet in this case, it was the beautiful
white Amaryllis from a friend of mine. I love flowers,
and I love balloons.
www.dirkwilms.com
080 et alors?

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objet
petit a
text & photos martijn berk
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As a child just beginning primary school, I
played a game on the school playground: I was
a police officer, and the other kids had to show
me their driver’s licenses or passports. So far,
there is nothing special; children play similar
games on playgrounds everywhere. The catch
is that this game existed exclusively in my
mind. In reality, I did not ask the kids for their
papers; it was only a mental game.
Most grown-ups no longer play in the literal sense of
the word – as a physical activity. The late psychoanalyst
Donald Meltzer said that most ‘normal’ people only
play in their dreams. Artists, on the contrary, have not
been wiped out by the process of growing up. They
still play with their desires, anxieties, and ardors by
sublimating them into works of art.
According to psychoanalytical theory, dreaming is
– just as playing – an effort to solve the problems of
living. By moving around different variables in your
dreams, you can find creative solutions to (or insights
into) the conflicts of life. A perfect illustration of
resolving tensions by artists is the “blue period” of the
painter Pablo Picasso. In this period, blue hues began
to dominate Picasso’s paintings as he struggled with
severe depression brought on by the suicide of his
friend Carlos Casagemas. The passport game I played
as a child was an attempt to relieve my pain and
distress about being in a new environment and feeling
excluded – like an outsider. By stepping back and
assigning myself an imaginary position of authority –
one in which I was in charge, in which I decided who had
to show their ticket and who would be granted access
– I (unconsciously) tried to resolve these tensions.
But play is not exclusively reserved for children, artists,
and dreams. Although you might not associate play
directly with psychoanalysis, playing in order to
alleviate one’s pain is essentially what happens during
psychoanalysis. Just as in a dream – or potentially using
an interpretation of a patient’s dream – the therapist
and the patient experiment and try, playfully, to form
a new picture of the possibilities of the patient’s life
devoid of such blockages. It is this experimental and
playful process that makes psychoanalysis, above
all, an art instead of a science. A work of art must be
highly individual, unique and its oeuvres unrepeatable.
Training, experience, and talent will improve the
quality of both art and psychoanalysis, but just as
084 et alors?

there is no recipe for how to create good art, there is
no recipe for how to give good analysis. Neither can
you control the course of your dreams. As the British
psychoanalyst Adam Phillips once said, ‘You haunt your
subjects, you approach them from different angles,
you surprise them, you try to encircle them — and you
can’t quite get to them, you release them, and, with
other quotations or the same quotations.’ The way
Phillips puts it, his way of giving therapy is similar to
a game of hide-and-seek. But, according to Phillips, it
should be a game played together: ‘In order to find out
what you’re wanting you have to have a conversation
with somebody, you can’t sit in a room by yourself like
Rodin’s thinker.’Traditionally, psychoanalysis has had
quite an interest in the arts, but excursions into the
field of art have mainly focused on narrative forms
(i.e., film and literature), while seeming to exclude
photography. Psychoanalysis focuses on language and
privileges verbal over visual communication – ‘the ear
over the eye.’ According to Freud, the ‘ear’ represents
the superego or conscience, which comes from having
listened to parental moral injunctions, whereas the
‘eye’ is much more of a direct sexualized organ, which
represents a kind of taking in, a possession, and
sometimes even a sadistic weapon.
Possibly the photographic view (the eye) is too
much of a registration of reality, which may be why
psychoanalysis is uncomfortable with the medium. As
the Manhattan-based psychoanalyst Douglas Van der
Heide explained to me, psychoanalysts are essentially
trying to look below the surface (the presented reality).
Therefore, they could be worried that too great a focus
on surface details could blind us to the pathways inside.
Despite the hesitance of psychoanalysts toward
photography, I think that there are more similarities
between (art) photography and psychoanalysis than
one might suspect. Apart from the aforementioned
playfulness, the first association that springs to mind is
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the link between the sub- or unconsciousness and the
mental processes that are not fully under control of the
mind. This is a crucial concept both in psychoanalysis
and in the creation of art. To cite the painter Francis
Bacon: ‘I don’t, in fact, know very often what the
paint will do, and it does many things which are very
much better than I could make it do.’ This is also what
happens in a good analysis session; just as in art, what
emerges can be unexpectedly surprising and it cannot
be controlled.
Along with the subliminal, the mechanism of
‘projection’ also exists in these two worlds, albeit in a
slightly different sense. Projection occurs in both the
therapist’s room and the photographer’s studio. In the
therapist’s room, it is the patient who projects his or her
fantasies and beliefs onto the analyst. In the studio, it
is the photographer who uses the model(s) as a blank
canvas to project his or her ideas onto.
More importantly, both the photographer and the
psychoanalyst are observers; not only that, they are
voyeurs and intruders. They intrude – deliberately,
but not malignantly – into the lives of their patients
and models, and leave a permanent impression. In
psychoanalysis, the relationship between the analyst
and the patient is often used as working material;
the projections from the patient onto the analyst are
scrutinized. In doing so, and by making interventions,
the analyst can make profound changes in the life of
the patient. The level of intrusion and the influence
of the photographer are probably less notable, and
depend upon the duration of the working relation
between the photographer and the model. But in some
cases, take my project ‘falling from a height’ wherein I
immersed myself in an obsession, the degree of impact
could be akin to psychoanalysis. Some artists consider
the creation of art to be a therapeutic process. But
the artist Louise Bourgeois says that there is no cure
for the artist, and any therapeutic aspect of making
art is overridden by the repetition of the traumatic
experience it entails. If one considers the neurosis of
the artist as the primary source of his or her artwork,
the question arises as to what it would look like – and if
it would be a good thing – if an artist were to be ‘cured’
of that neurosis (assuming it to be possible). The fear of
losing ones creative source after psychoanalysis is best
illustrated by a quote from the poet Rilke. He respected
psychoanalysis but worried that analysis would ‘correct
him like red ink in a schoolboy’s exercise book.’ In other
‘I considered – and
still consider – the
treatment rooms
of analytics to be
sacred spaces. When
you enter them, you
can instantly sense
this atmosphere, but
it is not so easily
explained.’
words, in order to ‘drive out the devils, it would drive
out some of the angels too.’
As with most interests that captivate us, my curiosity
about psychoanalysis evolved from an attempt to
make sense of my own personal experiences. One of
the privileges of being a photographer is that you can
enter other worlds that you find fascinating. You might
find it disappointing to learn that I myself have never
undergone classical psychoanalytic treatment, but I
have had psychoanalytic psychotherapy treatment. In
this type of treatment, the most important principles
from classical psychoanalysis are preserved, but there
are a few notable differences: the patient does not lie
on a couch, the frequency of treatment is limited to
one or two sessions per week, and the duration of the
treatment is shorter. Frequently, during my therapy,
my eyes would stray to my therapist’s blue couch to
my left. I often wondered what it would feel like to
lay there. On one occasion, just after I had finished
shooting her treatment room, an analyst asked me if
I wanted to try out her couch. Unfortunately, I felt too
surprised and too embarrassed to accept her invitation.
I considered – and still consider – the treatment rooms
of analytics to be sacred spaces. When you enter them,
you can instantly sense this atmosphere, but it is not
so easily explained. It is as if you are gaining access to
a secret place – a safe and quiet place where patients
relive their experiences in order to loosen the grip that
the past holds on them. It is a place of contemplation
086 et alors?

where confessions are made and secrets are revealed
without any moral judgment being made. The analytic
office can be considered a place of perfection, of safety
and peace – in psychoanalytical terms: the mother’s
interior.
Many patients see in ‘their’ room similarities with a
church, not only because of the confessional aspect,
but also because of the rituals that take place and the
lack of direct eye contact in such an intimate setting.
After photographing a few rooms, I discovered that,
even though the rooms vary from classic to modern,
some elements are always present. Obviously, there is
a couch for the patient to lie down on and a chair for
the analyst (sometimes with a foot-rest). But there is
also artwork for the patient to focus on and always –
albeit sometimes a subtle one – a reference to Sigmund
Freud. My photography project on psychoanalysis
consists of two types of photos; besides photographing
the rooms of analytics, I have tried to interpret the
psychoanalytical process. As a result, contrary to the
serene rooms, these photos have a hint of sex and
aggressiveness. These two subjects are often (hidden)
themes of artwork; not coincidentally, they are also
often themes in the psychoanalytic process. The calm
and safe realm of the analyst’s office offers space
to reveal the patients’ frustrations – sometimes at
the edges of madness, aggression, sexuality, and
obsession.
Finding the meaning of things is at the core of
psychoanalysis, and it might make you wonder why I
started with this project – intruding in the sacred world of
psychoanalysis – or even why I became a photographer
in the first place. What is the significance of ‘the eye’ and
images in my life? Is it an ingenious maneuver to keep
reality at a distance? Is this me inventing another game
in which I put myself in a position of power – this time
not asking for passports, but telling models what to do?
And coolly observing the ‘violent others’ and the ‘violent
self’ and trying to understand them. Certainly, neurosis
et alors? 087

and achievement are tied, and psychic pain creates a
mind. But you need an absence before a mental image
is born. Freud said that if all our needs were met, his
mother would be perfect, and if the world offered no
frustrations, there would be no mind at all. According
to Freud, the creative mainspring has everything
to do with the desire to regain the ‘lost object’. The
French psychoanalyst Lacan, calls the ‘objet petit a’
the emptiness – the gap – that causes this desire. It is
an emptiness that cannot be entirely fulfilled – at best
only partially through experiences, relationships, and
objects. Gaining a better understanding of the ‘objet
petit a’ is one of the aims of psychoanalysis.
I would argue that it is an understanding, rather than
a complete fulfillment, of their ‘objet petit a’ that
artists are after. It seems to me that both artistic and
psychoanalytic endeavors bear a strong resemblance
to one another, grounded in the primary drive of man
to understand the core truth about oneself. My dusty
and dark images represent my attempt to explore, and
if possible to reveal, my fantômes esthétiques.
Whether this project reveals the core truth and a part of
my ‘objet petit a’ – to me and potentially to the viewer –
and whether that is a worthy goal in itself are questions
that remain. But, from my experience I know that the
true needs of a person – unless your name is Pygmalion
– can never fully be satisfied through an image.
Now, show me your ID please.
I owe great thanks to Douglas Van der Heide who
reviewed my initial version of my text thoroughly. With
his intelligent feedback and our subsequent discussion
he gave me a much better understanding and insight in
the relationship between psychoanalysis, dreams and art
and how psychoanalyst work and think.
www.martijnberk.com
088 et alors?

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lauren
marie
interview & photos rozalind williams
et alors? 091

Photographer Rozalind Williams, in conversation
with Lauren Marie. Androgynous, genderbending
performance artist and poet from Nottinghamshire,
England.
How would you define yourself? As an artist? As a
writer or all round creative?
I’m not a fan of labels. You tend to be all consumed by
that one label until it becomes a self fulfilling prophesy.
It’s nice to fluctuate between all kinds of labels, if that’s
what we’re going to call it. I would like to see myself as
a creative individual.
Is your use of androgyny a kind of escapism for your
femininity?
Brilliant question, it’s definitely escapism. I feel like I am
a gay man trapped inside a woman’s body so the whole
androgyny idea is to bring out that side of me which is
rather confusing. Mind you, I’m not escaping something
negative, it’s fun to play with different characters and
aspects of your personality that you might not always
be able to show.
Is your choice to use androgyny in your work a
celebration or a dismissal of your femininity?
Does your femininity matter when you’re wearing a
man’s suit? When I’m dressing as a male figure, I’m not
seeing myself as a man. Indeed I will pull very strong
poses, but that isn’t necessarily masculine because
women can be very strong too. Let’s say the whole idea
of androgyny is ambiguous. There’s so much room to
play!
When did you realize that this was the right form of
expression for yourself?
I’ve felt like a boy all my life yet not in the matter that
made me want to have a sex change. I don’t feel the
need to change my name or my genitals. Although that
would have cleared the air at, for example, high school.
You did not feel accepted as a female?
No, I felt like there was sexism everywhere and I wanted
people to see me differently. I didn’t want them to see
me as a girl but I didn’t want them to see me as a boy
either. I want people to see that there is more to it than
just objectification, if that makes sense.
Define objectification.
Let me give you an example; a lot of people think that
women who work in strip joints are objectifying
themselves. I disagree with that. It’s their choice, as
women, to flaunt their beautiful bodies if they feel like
it. Yet if a woman is walking down the street and gets
grabbed, she’s not asking for it. It’s un-consensual. If I
walk down the street in short skirts it’s because I feel
good and I definitely don’t need to be objectified.
Nevertheless, objectification is a weird word. I think
women should also be allowed to take off their clothes
because men are doing it all the time. It’s not because
we have mammary glands and sometimes look soft
and fragile, that we are possessable. It’s a mentality
that ought to be changed and for me that starts with
schooling. People have to be thought to see women
and men as people, as individuals. They ought to see
that gender doesn’t matter.
Do you feel the internet has made everything more
acceptable?
In general, yes. I’ve found people saying, ‘God, that’s
exactly how I feel!’ So if I can send my message to some
15 year old kid who thinks he’s a complete freak because
he wants to wear a dress, then that’s really cool.
And you feel obliged to bring that to attention?
I’d like to educate people by saying that there are other
ways look and other ways to be. For example I haven’t
shaved for about 3 months and I like to go swimming.
We’re told that this is dirty and wrong yet guys have
hairy legs and no-one is heard. There is no difference,
really.
So you want to bring a sense of androgyny to the
world?
Yes, this and ambiguity.
How does your writing fit into your performances?
My writing is very sexually aggressive. It’s about sexual
preferences, - experiences and comments on the sexual
experiences with other women. I’m trying to say, ‘down
with sexism!’, yet not in a feminist way since I consider
myself more of an equal rights activist. The writing is
just another expression, another side of me. The very
sexual being side.
Where can we find your work?
On my Tumblr you can find lots of poems and photo
shoots I’ve done. Ranging from being nude or dressing
like a bloke.
www.mariechann.tumblr.com
www.rozalindwilliamsphotography.co.uk
092 et alors?

maximo
de marco
interview fleur pierets photos maximo de marco

Italian pop star, art director of Boy George’s World
Tour and gay icon Maximo De Marco dedicated
his new song ‘Francis you called Amen’ to Pope
Francis. The song came out in 240 countries
around the world and the video clip exceeded over
1 million views in the first 24 hours. I can hear
you thinking: The pope? Gay icon? Well, so did we
and in a blink of an eye, we hang on the telephone
to ask for some clarification. Buckle up.
‘Francis you called Amen’ is dedicated to Pope
Francis. Why?
Cause for me this Pope revolutionizes the church.
Brings back balance in this world. This Pope struck
me from the first moment he was elected and
stood on the balcony in St. Peter’s. I wanted to
mean something to him.
The video clip exceeded over 1 million views.
Why do you think it’s such a success?
Because Papa Francesco is very much loved and
I think a lot of people can identify with the song.
I used simple words that came straight from the
heart and the music is based on the Argentinian
tango. Which itself refers to the origin of the Pope.
Homosexuality and the catholic church are
not often a very good combination. Can you
elaborate?
The church and the LGBT world must learn to talk
to each other and learn to find a point of interest.
We are all children of God and he loves us above
all.
And that’s the message you want to spread?
The song is my message and it says that all gays
must love and approach the institute of the
church without fear of being rejected. That the
church must welcome his gay sons and ought to
love them without judgment. Just like Jesus does.
Has the pope himself expressed his opinion?
Not yet. But he knows about the project and
that I’m the driving force behind the ‘Francisco
Ensemble’ and the ‘Francisco Ensemble
Channel’, a television station that will feature
096 et alors?

the most important Italian singers. However, this
September I have a private audience with the
Pope himself. I will be able to personally donate
my record and video clip.
You studied ballet and modern dance, became
Artistic Director and Producer of for the Italian
television and did the choreography and art
direction of Boy George’s World Tour. Why all
these different kinds of interests?
I’m a creative person and believe that an artist
has to be versatile and able to express himself
in different genres. Art has no limits and since
God has given me different talents, I’m obliged
to use them all. I started very young to work in
the entertainment industry, worked as a dancer,
choreographer, director and art director. I was the
youngest television producer in Italy!
When I moved to Madrid I was asked to do the
choreography and artistic direction of the World
Tour debut of Boy George. It was a wonderful
experience.
Future dreams?
I always wanted to combine fashion and
spirituality so I’m designing a clothing line called
‘Amen Angels’. To support all those young people
around the world in their coming out. To let
everybody know: Do not be afraid to open your
hearts and give it to Jesus!
www.maximodemarco.it
www.franciscoensemble.com

www
www.anatomyofaloveseen.com
www.centraalmuseum.nl
www.coenbrothers.net
www.dirkwilms.com
www.enmedio.info
www.franciscoensemble.com
www.karinslaughter.com
www.leslielohman.org
www.mariechann.tumblr.com
www.martijnberk.com
www.maximodemarco.it
www.michaelcunninhamwriter.com
www.msnikkinefarious.com
www.npg.org.uk
www.paulauster.co.uk
www.pridephotoaward.org
www.royalacademy.org.uk
www.rozalindwilliamsphotography.co.uk
www.sallyemily.com
www.soulkissfilms.com
www.us.macmillan.com
www.vam.ac.uk
www.whitney.org
www.wit-konijn.be
098 et alors?