Seletti Teacup Black Ceramic. Dimensions: Ø 10 x H 5.8 cm – Saucer: Ø
15.5 x H 1.9 cm. Eroticism in life is a beautiful thing were the words of Pier
Paolo Pasolini. Lady Tarin, a Milan-based photographer, knows it all too well.
Bathed in powerful eroticism, her work is focused on nude feminine figures,
sensual yet never vulgar. The protagonists are always women. It helps that I'm a
woman: I've created a relation of identity and complicity, exalting the
subject's erotic essence, glorifying the sensuality that I see each day in the
women around me. My project is focused on exploring eroticism as a vital force
and desire, through the creation of a dreamlike, visual world that speaks the
language of Eros. In my work, I play with the notion that a woman should occupy
her own body, that a woman belongs to herself and no-one else. The Italian
photographer created Guiltless for Seletti: a collection with disconcerting
sensuality, simultaneously provocative and playful. These tea cups offer a play
on two contrasting interpretations. The exterior of these cups is adorned with a
classic style and a retro edge: the pink floral patterns, gilded details and
traditional shapes are reminiscent of crockery found during an antiques market
treasure hunt. However, these cups boast a hidden surprise… Inside the cups,
the erotic world of Lady Tarin thrives, filled with nude, feminine bodies. At
the bottom of each cup, a photo of the artist is printed: the erotic image is
gradually revealed as you drink the beverage in the cup. These photos give off a
unique eroticism. This return to the body, the specific lighting over our flesh
traces the red thread connecting Lady Tarin's photographic portfolio. The
photograph looks at bodies in their singularity, capturing their reality to open
up new lines of thought. A form of photographic lovemaking, which infers other
ways of appreciating our desires. Her photos invite us to reconnect with the
tension, the swaying and the limits that occupy our bodies. Pasolini was one of
Lady Tarin's sources of inspiration, alongside Luis Buñuel, Alfred Hitchcock
and Man Ray: His simple way of depicting women is really remarkable to me. These
are images stripped of virtuosity, they are direct and passionate. I love
Helmut Newton's vision of powerful Amazonian women, intimidating the viewer.
Lady Tarin wants to release women from the beauty standards constructed to
please men and almost never women themselves: I choose women with strong
personalities for portraits. Women never feel beautiful if they're not wearing
high heels and don't have lips full of filler. When I photograph a woman,
I ask her to pose naturally, like she would in her day-to-day life. No make-up,
except what she wears on a typical day: if she always wears lipstick, she can
keep it. Next, I'll try to create a comfortable setting where she can forget all
of the walls she has built up to protect herself and where she can feel
empowered. Her heroines are depicted in settings imbued with simplicity and
natural aesthetics, a far cry from the shots that make caricatures of girls with
ostentatious poses, heavy make-up and sexy lingerie. Traditionally, the shared
vision of the naked woman has been directed by men, with women portrayed as a
passive object. As a teen, this vision and this desire to comply caused me great
suffering. That's where her mission stemmed from: depicting women as they are,
without forcing them to embody something. These portraits are a reflection on a
theme that is highly discussed yet little understood: A woman emanating
eroticism is a woman in full ownership of herself. The erotic photographs taken
by Lady Tarin are a far cry from voyeuristic fantasies. Indeed, what is striking
is the fact of being in front of a woman wholly conscious of her sensuality and
charm. The feminine figures in these photos allow people to look at them with a
natural and conscious spontaneity. The scenes are staged with care and intrigue
the spectator: these are moments stolen for a story merely suggested through
objects, clothing and expressions.
