The Story of O, an erotic novel that shocked and aroused millions, was published in 1954 under the pseudonym Pauline Réage. Many suspected the book, with its frank descriptions of bondage and desire, must have secretly been written by a man. The French intellectual Dominique Aury (born Anne Desclos, 1907-1998) came forward to reveal her identity in 1994 in an interview at the age of 86. She was the first women to write openly and explicitly about domination, submission, and sex. Artist Natalie Frank has been drawing and painting images that celebrate and explore the female erotic imagination for a decade. She was drawn to O because of its groundbreaking portrayal of complex female sexuality, an exploration which continues to provoke in art as in life. Prescient to our current moment, as women and others speak out about sexual violence and agency - this book champions individual choice and sex positive feminism. Written as a parody of pornography, one whose heroine undergoes physical and emotional transformation, O explores the boundaries of her own will, desire and self-possession. In a suite of fifteen drawings, in gouache and chalk pastel, and mixed media painting, Frank captures the psychological and sexual narratives of the book's key scenes.
New York City, NY; NYC