The Statue of David, sculpted after David from the Bible, was one of Michelangelo’s most famous Renaissance pieces. Millions of people from all over the world fawn over its remarkable production. Is this nude masterpiece, praised and esteemed by both artists and viewers, pornography?
In college art classes, students draw, sculpt and paint live, naked, models. Are they going to school to learn how to create pornographic images?
As I flip through a photography book and pause to admire the artistry behind a picture of a topless African woman working in the fields, am I viewing pornography?
No. The answer is no.
Bodies, while a gift, are still just bodies. We all have them, and there isn’t anything inherently sexual about them; the media has worked very hard to change this idea through the increasingly popular porn industry. They photograph and film objectified men and women in a sexual manner in order to arouse a person. That is the one of the differences between porn and art—the intention of the artist. When an artist is trying to depict the beauty of a body, something rather elegant can be captured. An artist respects and highlights the shapes, curves and imperfections of a figure. When a person is trying to make money off of selling photos of naked women in bed, the line between art and porn is crossed, no matter how artistic it may be. Pornography, by definition, is an image that is intended to stimulate sexual feelings. What was the end goal for that photographer? It was for viewers sexually aroused by their work to buy more. Intention of the artist can help to determine what should and shouldn’t be considered pornographic.
The viewer also largely determines what is art and what is porn. While I can look at the Statue of David and see its aesthetic appeal, there may be some whose brains automatically release dopamine upon seeing a naked body. The statue itself is not pornography but to someone with a porn addiction, the involuntarily arousal may make it appear to be. If a person is seeking out art with naked men and women in order to titillate themselves, they are viewing pornography; the act of looking at a naked frame in pure and raw form is different.
So no, a naked body is not pornography, but yes, it can trigger sexual feelings. Frankly, pornography is in the eye of the beholder.
