At the Toilet gallery in Kingston (opened, wouldn’t you know, by Gilbert and George), there’s an exhibition of images of people at the point of orgasm:
They are the work of Kingston photographer Derek Mossop who found his models by placing an advertisement in Time Out magazine two years ago. He said a variety of people responded, from pole dancers to a 76-year-old chorister.
He said the resulting images had an affinity with scenes of religious rapture by Renaissance artists such as Rubens, Titian and Michaelangelo.
“I hope the pictures raise more questions than they answer,” said Mr Mossop, a former Kingston College student.
Well yes, they do…like, what did he say to these people? – “Don’t mind me: just start wanking in your own time, and I’ll take a snap at the crucial moment”? And, given the gallery name, what other intimate moments might an enterprising photographer capture on film?
“They have a precedent in classical and religious imagery and aim to pose questions about issues of sexual identity and the nature of human existence.
“I am interested in how we define ourselves. The orgasm is such a powerful force, it is worth exploring, because during a brief moment of ecstasy, the world falls away and the mind is silent.”
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