I was watching an episode of Pan Am the other day, in which a stewardess was mortified to find her privately-taken nude photos in a local art gallery.

The gallery owner was quite sympathetic to her embarrassment, but at the same time expressed the profound conviction that the photos were exceptional and beautiful, not for the way they looked but for the way they made him, or viewers generally, feel.

They were art.

Yes, I recognize that porn is also about how it makes you feel, and while we can debate the merits of that another day, the difference here is that the photographs in question touch viewers in far more complex (and even intimate) ways, emotionally and intellectually.  Titillation, if at all present, is a subtle nuance rather than a slap in the face (or a yank in the pants).

We are all sexual beings, made from sex and biologically impelled towards sex.  Our sexuality is as much a part of us as our intellect, if not more.  And, sexuality is so complex and interesting that there is no end to what we can learn from one another. Art is a wonderful way to convey such complex and emotional concepts.

In the hands of a skilled photographer or artist, the human body is an expressive and beautiful thing to behold on every level of one’s humanity.