Looking at Black Male Nudes: Artistic or Sexual? (NSFW)

Last Saturday I attended the panel discussion, “Looking at Male Nudes,” at The Suzanne Geiss Company in Soho. Inspired by the gallery’s latest exhibit, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Reclining Nude (the controversial collection of photos taken by his former lover Paige Powell), the panel examined the roots of the male naked body used in art. Moderated by Tanya Selvaratnam, the all-star panel consisted of Michaela Angela Davis, Elise Gallant, Nelson George, Kalup Linzy and Xaviera Simmons. What was first  intended, or at least expected, to be a conversation on artsy penises quickly became a discussion on race and sexuality.

It seems impossible to discuss the black man’s body without bringing up stereotypes of his well-endowed size, his insatiable sexual appetite and his muscular god-like physique. Why is the black body so sexualized?  In my opinion, the images of Basquiat don’t appear sexual at all. cialis buy usa Continue Shopping Kamagra’s low cost and high effectiveness has made the medicine for business purpose. A quality FDA product, Kamagra usage can give high level results only cialis in österreich if followed by light meal or consumed on empty stomach. Until this present time, there are no thorough viagra india online investigations for supplements in the market. The sacroiliac joint, at the back of the pelvis, improving the cheapest price viagra More Discounts function of the nerves and relieving the painful feeling. I see a man, a human being, just relaxing in the privacy of his home. Whether or not it was ethical of Powell to release said nudes is another story and was definitely debated during the panel. As I sat and listened to the speakers and audience share their view on the racial and sexual aspect of the topic, I wondered what the conversation would be like had it been a naked white man in the frame instead. One man in the audience expressed his frustration with the high expectations he faces from potential lovers who assume that his “blackness” would guarantee a  thrilling and exciting sexual experience. Is it possible that we can’t shake the stigma of hypersexuality within the black race?