Visual seduction: Eroticism in surrealistic art photography and postmodern fashion photography

Surrealistic art photography reveals eroticism and nudity as something that both fascinates and agitates, compelling the audience to pay attention, willingly or reluctantly. Undoubtedly, for surrealistic artists the sphere of fantasy and sexual sensation emerge as a source of pleasure and aesthetic sensation. Surrealistic fantasies, dreams and human sexuality have merged with elements of art and porn culture to create hybrid visual forms and postmodern fashion photography is certainly among them. Unlike surrealistic art photography that serves as an emancipatory tactic or as a transgressive act of provoking the public, postmodern fashion photography utilizes eroticism as an expression or vestige of perverse enjoyment. Perversion in the eroticized postmodern context holds somewhat particular meaning. Desire is operationalized without restrictions, appears everywhere while losing its imaginary. Hence, visual seduction is a never-ending game between seducers and the seduced. In light of a growing interest in understanding photography, and visual culture, this article examines how eroticism is constructed through surrealistic photographed content, and it explores the implication of this for further study of postmodern fashion photography. Conceptually, and methodologically, this article draws on semiotics (Roland Barthes), and discursive analysis, including psychoanalytic (Sigmund Freud), and representational theory and practice (Laura Mulvey, Stuart Hall and Jean Baudrillard).