'Make Up Your Mind'

Shibari meets art meets freedom

Don't make me choose.

Nope, still haven't seen Sunday's Doctor Who special but given the fact it involves pirates, there's probably a ship as well. Can it at least fly? Remember how Kylie's Titanic flew in space? And no, I'm still not curious about the penultimate appearance of Jody Whittaker as the Doctor. That bad? Yes.

What does get me excited however is kinky stuff done with grace and elegance. Continuing from Sunday, I was triggered by the news that Tokyo Vice finally had been adapted for TV. Jake Adelstein is an American who went to the prestigious Sophia University in Tokyo to study Japanese literature. If I remember correctly, he applied for a job at a Japanese newspaper and had to take a language test. Mr. Adelstein finished 95 out of 100 and was offered a job at one of Japan's largest newspapers, Yomiuri Shinbun. How did he not finish last, given all other applicants were native Japanese?

In the end Mr. Adelstein dug up certain things he wasn't supposed to and left the paper. These days he's got one leg in the United States and the other in Japan. In 2007 Mr. Adelstein founded the Japan Subculture Research Center "to expose the hidden side of Japan – its underground economy, its trends, its sex trade, politics, corruption, subculture and all the other intriguing and seedy aspects that keep the country running."

With such a mission statement its website is bound to have a few interesting articles. One that caught my attention a while back is about an exhibition by artist Ian Anderson who specializes in  'micro art'.  What triggered me is the artist explaining how 'wrong' is more interesting than 'right'.  Almost as in saying that vanilla is the right choice and femdom the wrong one.

The opening reception party for the show “Make Up Your Mind” in 2017 featured a live painting performance with guest artist, dominatrix and fashion designer Lehysl. Using ropes (縛り), paint, and a cooperative model and a body stocking, the three worked together to create a living painting.

Personally I think it's rather sensational with the Keith Haring look-alike background. It not only shows bondage is beautiful but also that BDSM can be art. After all, art is anything you want it to be. Except for the current reincarnation of Doctor Who of course. Sorry. 

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[1] "Lehysl said, “It was an honor and great fun to make temporary art from a different art, shibari, the art of rope tying. It was a liberating performance.”" Hmmm. More on Bondage Liberation and the wonderful Elise Graves later.