From The Art of Franz von Bayros:

His work is decadent from the surface to the core. The style is beautifully ornate, all rococo fantasy with elaborate wigs and voluminous skirts and meticulously crafted furnishings. But these details act as decoration to fundamentally debauched activity. Women play with women, young and mature, nude and half-clothed. Dogs lap at bare pussies. Men ejaculate. Women lie back and spread their legs, on pedestals decorated with thick-headed cocks. In one, a woman is reclined on a sundial, her body caught in the billowing folds of an extravagant dress, the clean edge of the dial a few inches from her open sex. In another, a woman strokes herself with the ear of a bull.

Snuff box containing the pubic hair of King George IV’s mistress.

Delicious article in Slate: Hellfire Holidays, on one of my all-time favorite topics, the Hellfire Club.

A flood of wealth from the budding empire allowed the leisured classes to fulfill their carnal fantasies without restraint. And perhaps the most striking feature of the age was the explosion of British sex clubs, where a colorful array of rakes, libertines, courtesans, and aristocratic adventuresses dressed up in outrageous outfits for kinky ceremonies.

See also: The Pervert’s Grand Tour.

Man Ray, Autumn (1929)

While I was working on my article for Man Ray’s 1929, I noticed that I couldn’t find his four scandalous photos anywhere on the internet. Man Ray’s known as an important innovator in the history of photography; he’s not so well-known for this stash of erotic mementos. Perhaps he should be.  (All four can be found in the article.)

Thomas Rowlandson, The Hairy Prospect, or the Devil in a Fright (c.1800)

This week I looked at a lot of exposed vagina in the work of Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827). My favorite anecdote regarding the spontaneous vag-flash, is this, from the Irish Times (1977):

In a townland near where I lived, a deadly feud had continued for generations between the families of two small farmers.  One day, before the First World War, when the men of one of the families, armed with pitchforks and heavy blackthorn sticks, attacked the home of their enemy, the woman of the house came to the door of her cottage, and in full sight of all (including my father and myself, who happened to be passing by) lifted her skirt and underclothes high above her head, displaying her naked genitals.  The enemy of her and her family fled in terror.

For the Euphoria issue, Aeric Meredith-Goujon contributed a fabulous, thought-provoking series of women experiencing erotic asphyxiation. He’s also written the accompaniment.

Every issue, there’s at least one series of photographs that I keep returning to, that I can’t stop thinking about.  For this issue, it’s Aeric’s.

Barry X Ball, Purity (2008-2009) – Salon 94

Material and Dimensions: Iranian Onyx, stainless steel pedestal; Macedonian Marble, stainless steel, wood, acrylic lacquer, steel, nylon, plastic sculpture.

When I saw this piece, it immediately reminded me of a bust by Antonio Corradini.  Sculpture doesn’t usually stick to my memory the way prints or paintings do, but I found this one hypnotic.

Antonio Corradini, Puritas (1717-25)
Material: Marble
Ca’ Rezzonico, Venice (Italy)

Cover photo by Reka Nyari

filthygorgeousthings.com

We’re working on wrapping up the sixth issue of F/lthyGorgeousTh/ngs – the theme: Euphoria.  There’s a bit about music, Cagnacci and Bernini, breathing and not breathing, orgasms (naturally).  Chelsea Summers, Mistress Matisse, Lars Porsena, Reka Nyari, Aeric Meredith-Goujon, Aaron Hawks, Tony Ward, Martin Siebenbrunner.

After Euphoria, our theme is Restraint.  If you have something in mind you’d like to contribute (pictures, words, moving pictures, music, miscellanea), slip me a note.