Is Porn an Art Form?

Some countries have even gone a notch higher to ban citizens from watching blue films, whereas others have ’embraced’ it to the extent of making billions from taxes. Well, opinions aside. Who doesn’t like watching the unusual escalation between a pizza boy and a bored housewife, before the ‘husband’ catches them in the act and decides to join them?

But do you think that porn should be viewed as a form of art?

To answer that query, we need to take a step back and revisit the definition of art. The Oxford’s English Dictionary describes art as “The unique expression of beauty, imagination, and human skill typically in a visual form”. Now, the debate can start or end from there, depending on how you choose to look at it. But we can all agree on one thing- it is mainly expressed visually. At least that’s the form that majority fancy.

According to the raw or literal description given above, porn can qualify for an artistic merit. Why?

For starters, it’s unique. And this is why I think so. We can all admit an erotic art cannot be exactly re-enacted or even duplicated without the aid of electronic means. Once a porn scene has been filmed, for obvious reasons, the actors/ actresses cannot go back and redo it the same precise way as before. Right? This also implies that each of the million and one porn clips on the internet today is uniquely developed in its own right and not in any way “plagiarized”.

Porn is also a product of imagination. Even though this imagination stems from man’s primal instinct, it’s development to something arousing requires insight and creativity. The combination of the camera angles, sound effects, props and the provocative attire is a product a good director’s ingenuity. The same way a talented sculptor enhances his pieces by crafting them in a particular style, producers of blue movies intentionally select actresses and actors with certain physical traits or from certain ethnic backgrounds to satisfy a given porn category. That’s why we have terms such as BBW, fetish, ebony, teen, MILF etc. They all spawned from the fact that different porn consumers have different artistic tastes.

The final ingredient in the definition or artistic creations is the presence human skill. Some may disagree, but shooting and acting erotic movies is not a walk in the park ( even though some are shot in parks! ). Developing the idea of visually arousing a full grown adult to the point of climax requires some form of talent. It’s only that in the case of pornography, the producer’s ability is cloaked under the guise of a natural setting. What do I mean?

Unlike other types of films, have you ever noticed that when watching porn, one tends to subconsciously relate the act to a past occasion? And that’s if you are a porn consumer, you won’t always be turned on by any porn scene.

While some may still dispute this argument, we can all agree that in this day and age, porn is present in our lives in different forms. And yes, sometimes porn is more than just porn. For example, when porn is used as a way of enhancing a broader plot in a movie or series it ceases to be mere porn. Why? Since although you might be averse to conventional porn, there’s a high possibility you will relish watching such a scene, at least to some extent. It’s because by then you have established an emotional and mental connection with the actors/actresses portrayed in the sex scene. And is that not art?

The reason why most people could be reluctant in embracing porn as a form of erotic art is not due what or how it’s acted but simply because they think it’s morally/socially wrong to watch explicit productions. While we won’t delve on whether it’s good or bad to enjoy some little stimulating action, we can safely conclude that porn is mainly used to heighten sexual pleasure. And the form of pleasure obtained when watching pornography tends to circle around a self-centered or egoistic drive. That’s the reason 98% will masturbate or pleasure themselves, during or after experiencing a sex scene.

The above observation also explains why porn is considered immoral. Unlike the usual love making, porn evokes a selfish gut where the main objective is to bring yourself to climax. I bet no one goes around surfing Bravoteens or Pornhub to appreciate the camera man’s skills. But then again we also watch Bill Cosby’s comedies to ‘laugh our ribs out’, but not to appreciate the videography! And almost everyone can agree that comedy is a genus of theatrical arts.

A few opinionated anti-porn activists argue that porn is not an art form since it only serves to promote perverse behavior, sexisms, and indecent/provocative dressing. In short according to them, pornography doesn’t have a positive contribution to the society. But that is simply a myopic evaluation. 75% of the current youth generation had their first sexual encounter through pornography or X-rated literature. Why? While the world is busy sweeping proper sex education under the carpet, pornography producers have taken the ‘liberty’ of teaching these youngsters the ‘appropriate’ way of making love or pleasuring their partners.

On The Subject of Nude Art

The world is a place of double standards. While Picasso’s and Michael Angelo’s nude paintings are famed globally, we tend to quickly dismiss porn as a creation that lacks imagination or spontaneity. OK, some debate that nude art is artistic since through it a frisson of eroticism, power, taste, experience and culture is represented. They also add that pornography only tends to cheaply replicate the same.
At the same time, pornstars have for long been labeled as talentless and lacking any skills. Nonetheless, the models you see in blue movies are artists, only that the portrayal of their talent is intertwined with the viewer’s lustful and self-seeking impulses.

Despite the diverse opinions, we can all come to unified conclusion that porn is still a semblance/ imagery of god-given beauty and the right to procreation. And bear in mind that whether naked or clothed, beauty will still remain a preserve of the beholder.

On that note, a well-executed pornographic performance, that highlights key human concepts such as power, provocation, dominion and God’s given beauty, is a form of art. Even if only to some extent.