Sunday, May 01, 2022

Leh Ysl (レア): Bondage That Empowers

As in sets you free. Mentally only of course 

Art by Leh Ysl (レア)

How many months has it been since mistress locked away my precious [power tools]? I honestly cannot remember despite the fact it was on my birthday which is 11-11 but I'd never think she could be this heartless and cruel. Almost as if she has a sadistic streak inside of her. Anyway, how am I going to fix up HER (that's me sucking up) dungeon? With bare hands? If only.

I've initiated sex more often these last few months than during those two ghastly Covid-19 years. Because of boredom? No of course not, because I want her. And guess what? We make a pretty good team, including last night and Sunday morning, a personal favourite. Oh sorry, by mistress locking away my power tools you assumed I'm in chastity. Good one but no I'm talking actual power tools here, machines that have a power cord attached or run on batteries. No! Stop! Not that. Whatever.

A better question would be to ask me I've finally seen the Doctor Who Easter special. Excellent question indeed. More on that later. Last month I argued how show runner Chris Chibnall had tied himself and the show in a knot. 'I'm feeling knotty Doctor' was perhaps the longest introduction ever to my shortest actual post. I just love the visually stunning image of someone tangled up in web of red rope bondage that's all over. The image was from a 2017 installation called “Make Up Your Mind” with a live painting performance with guest artist, dominatrix and fashion designer Leh Ysl (レア).

 
 

Art is whatever you want it to be but I think most people can agree that both the red strings installations as well as the wonderful one with the Keith Haring background are art. In 2018 Leh Ysl performed at the Melbourne Music Week. Ahead of her final show she gave an interview to Pile Rats. Obviously throughout history rope bondage has been used for torture and as punishment. What I didn't know is that 'the ropes could also be tied into special patterns to mark the prisoner's crime.' 'Gradually this evolved into Kinbaku which holds negative pornographic/sexual connotations in Japan. Despite lots of people being into the stuff it is very tabooed and in an grey legal area. It's seen as shameful.'

Leh Ysl publicly practices shibari as an art form while in private she also enjoys kinbaku from a BDSM perspective. She feels in the west there's more appreciation for the craft, where it's seen as an art. In her work Leh Ysl wants to 'empower the girls I tie. I want them to feel beautiful and sexy. I love seeing the reaction from the models when I show them the Kinbaku pictures I take of them.' Judging from today's masthead image it's clearly something she excels at.

 
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Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate displays the yellow and blue colours of Ukraine in an act of solidarity.

 

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