Porn and art have long had a contentious relationship. When is an actress 'allowed' to get naked for her art? When is a nude 'tasteful' and when is a nude 'pornographic'? Klaus is Koming's bold and brilliant pieces face these questions head on. Klaus explores female sexuality through a series of illustrative and playful pieces. Known for her penchant for psychedelic pornos, her work is unapologetically salacious and a lot of fun. We were delighted to include her two Art on a Postcard pieces in our recent Secret Auction and are very pleased to say we have some limited edition prints of the fabulous pieces for sale. But first, find out more about Klaus and the way she works...
You are known for ‘challenging censorship and dissecting eroticism’, why is it important for an artist to do this?
i think artists should always be challenging boundaries. by being an artist, i think you are able to get away with more things by labelling it as ‘art’. i think artists can explore the edges of society and pull them closer to the centre, especially now that art has become so much more accessible. for me, it’s taking private images and placing them into the public sphere. i take tiny photographs from porn magazines from the 80’s and 90’s, magazines that would usually be hidden away in attics or garages, and blow them up into paintings that are celebratory. it’s all about changing the perception of something perhaps considered ‘shameful’ into something that says “hey, look how great these women are and how proud they are of their bodies
Why do you think that porn is not considered art in the way that, say, painting is? Should it be?
i think it is much easier to label a painting or drawings as art, it’s something you would decorate your home with. however now, the term for ‘art’ is so much broader and therefore much more exciting. i think porn on a whole should be considered art. some porn is theatrical; you have the scenery, characters and a storyline, and it’s a parody of real life. whereas other porn is passionate, raw and emotional. either way both are an interpretation of sex and i think this translation is where the art lies. however, it does seem that as soon as there is an erect penis or a vulva spread open people are quick to dismiss it as art.
i think it is much easier to label a painting or drawings as art, it’s something you would decorate your home with. however now, the term for ‘art’ is so much broader and therefore much more exciting. i think porn on a whole should be considered art. some porn is theatrical; you have the scenery, characters and a storyline, and it’s a parody of real life. whereas other porn is passionate, raw and emotional. either way both are an interpretation of sex and i think this translation is where the art lies. however, it does seem that as soon as there is an erect penis or a vulva spread open people are quick to dismiss it as art.
The naked body has always been historically portrayed in art, you have said that you want to ‘reassess the nude’, how do you do this in your work? What is your process?
historically the naked body has being painted by the male, for the male. i want to take images from porn magazines, which are designed for heterosexual men, and recreate the same images for an entirely different audience. i’m interested in finding that point where the female body turns from nude to erotic to pornographic, and how the positioning of a women’s body can suddenly become ‘offensive’. it’s about finding the transition from a work being hung in the family dinning room to it being hung in the bedroom.
Do you have any other upcoming projects you can let our readers in on?
i am creating an installation at this years brainchild Festival, an arts and music festival in east sussex. i will be constructing an entire ‘nippleverse’, which will consist of hanging planets and other such glowing galactic objects, made entirely of nipples. this will be my largest installation to date so i am super psyched for it.
brainchild festival, east sussex 13-15th of july www.brainchildfestival.co.uk
Why did you want to get involved with Art on a Postcard at The Other Art Fair?
it’s for a great cause and is a fun way to view and collect art.
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Isn't she brilliant? We are very pleased to have had the chance to work with this young artist who has so much coming her way and can't wait to see what's in store. One thing that definitely is in store are both of Klaus's prints which you can find here. You can find more of her work via her website.