Love Lust Desire: Masterpieces of Erotic Photography for Couples
Edited by Michelle Olley
Thunder's Mouth Press/$29.95
Anyone who's ever eaten paste knows it's hard work making art.
Imagine how hard (so to speak) erotic photographers have it, working with people and all: "OK, push your boobs together. No, your boobs. Push them together. That's it. Push them together more. Mooore. Hold it! — I mean, hold them!"
Far easier than composing erotic art is reviewing a book compiling erotic art photography. First, there's hardly a thing to read. Love Lust Desire does have a four-page introduction, but while skimming it I saw the word "Yoko" followed by "Ono," and decided I'd had enough foreplay. There are photographers' bios to read, too, but — and I mean this sincerely — who cares? Maybe during your refractory period, after you've seen, for instance, the two girls kissing in the shower (pg. 170), you'll read the prose. Otherwise, after you've thumbed through all that callipygian bootie, it's back under the couch with Love Lust Desire.
The male and female models are, by some standards, sexy. By other standards, however, they are motley, Abe Vigoda-ish facsimiles of sexy people. Frankly, some of these photos only Black & Decker could retouch. It comes down to taste in the end.
Speaking of taste, many of these models are pierced anywhere from their tongues to their necks. Does having more than the usual two to three holes make one more erotic?
The sickest adornment here can't be pinned on the new guy at Piercing Pagoda, however. It's an image of two women, one of them holding a green bottle to symbolize partying — as if the silver Christmas garland dangling betwixt their pubic hairs isn't a dead giveaway. No matter how fond your holiday memories, this offensive image is … is … Ah. AHH. Ahh! Uuuuhhhnnk! Uhnk! Ahh …
Zzzzzzz.
—David Jasper
This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2001.