The Point, with a Brief Digression on Ethics
Ok. You're probably wondering why I slave over my computer to put little gags and little ropes and little teenyweeny handcuffs on pictures of women who were previously unbound. Sick, huh? Well, that may be, but before you slap that scarlet letter on me, ("M" for mysogyny, or "P" for "pervert.") read on and then make up your mind.
Why does bondage turn me on? Not sure. Nature, nurture, whatever it is, I get off on it. I've been fortunate to have several lovers in my life who enjoyed exploring sexual gratification through bondage. The women whose pictures I've manipulated on this site are actresses I find attractive unfettered (yes I'm turned on by normal stuff too:-P) and, logically, with my fondness for bondage is one filter through which i view those who galvanize me. This mindset is the fuel for this site.
Recently, questions on the ethics (or perceived lack thereof) in what I do were raised. (note: if you'd like to see for yourself, go to the Yahoo Bondage Photography Club and look up the messages for September, 2000.) The issues of copyright, the subjects in the fakes, and the artistic validity of faking were discussed. In the following paragraphs is my position on these issues.
COPYRIGHT
I'm using parts of photographs to create my fakes without permission of the photographers, however, I make it clear that these pictures are fakes, and I do not attempt to make any financial gains from my work. If a photographer wants his or her work removed, it will be done as soon as possible. Moreover, from this point on, a page citing the sources of the elements used will be up, and credit will be given when possible. What I'm doing is not an attempt to steal what rightfully belongs to someone else, or to make money from someone else's work and say it is mine. I'm creating a different piece of art using elements of other pictures. Moreover, I do not copyright my images, in consideration of the fact legal permision to use the various photos was not given.
THE FEELINGS OF THOSE FAKED
These are celebrities in the public eye. It is made abundantly clear that these depictions are fake, and not portrayed as actual pictures of the aforementioned celebrities in bondage. If one cites the possibility of a celebrity's feelings being or hurt every time a cartoon is drawn a manipulation done, or a photograph taken, as a reason to avoid doing these things altogether, there would be no illustrations or photographs in print or online of anyone. If a given subject of my work sends correspondence demanding I take down my depictions of her without immediately threatening to sue and can prove he/she is the person in question or a representative thereof, it will be done as soon as possible. If said celebrity or her representatives immediately correspond with me swinging a lawsuit hatchet, no work shall be removed until I do everything I can to sling her name through the mud, and get my "15 minutes" with her correspondence and then I will remove any fakes involving her. The bottom line: If a celebrity treats me as a civilized human being with an ounce of integrity and gives me the benefit of the doubt that I will reciprocate said treatment, I will do everything I can to grant her wishes on removal of my portrayals of her.
FAKING AS AN ART FORM
A parallel was made linking faking with the rap music of Vanilla Ice (the over-use of Queen's "Under Pressure") and MC Hammer (essentially just replacing the words in Rick James' "Superfreak."). Granted, what I, and other fakers do is similiar in that we take elements of pre-existing work to make something else. However, can you compare Vanilla Ice and Hammer to Beck, the Chemical Brothers, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Busta Rhymes, or the Propellerheads? These people make music drawing from preexisting pieces of music, but they bring their own freshness and complexity with their use--they make something different. The medium of faking is the same to this case. Some put more personality into their work than others, it just comes down to invidual style. Is it art? Some fakers don't think so. I say with conviction "Yes it is."
With all this in mind, I hope you enjoy my work. This has already taken up way too much space. On with the show.
Manipulator--12/28/2000