Jan Saudek was born in the legendary city of Prague in 1935. He lived a controversial life for his time; his biographical notes on his site are a strange read, with reminiscences like, “1950 – I penetrate a woman. But only for a moment. I have to wait a good three years for any more,” and “1966 – A girl with the strange name of Bojmira turns her bare ass invitingly towards me. At the time I did not know what to make of it, later I looked for it unceasingly.” Such experiences and sexual fascinations (those are only two of them; his biography page is full of these kind of memories) seemed to have informed his work, his massive collection of images he captured that explore sex and sexuality in a beautiful and intriguing way. His photographs are hand-colored black and whites, giving them an antique look that almost clashes with their modern subjects, who are all dressed in clothing reminiscent of the early 1900s. I’m reminded of late Victorian erotica, but the women are much more empowered and there’s a sense of an exchange of power and control between the sexes. These photos are fun to look through, whether you just want to enjoy the image or delve more deeply into their meanings…
Spotted on Cultura Inquieta
