Dress, Body, Culture

The mainstreaming of pornographic imagery into fashion and popular culture at the turn of the millennium in Britain and the US signalled a dramatic cultural shift in construction of both femininity and masculinity. For men and women, raunch became the new cool. This engaging book draws from a diverse range of examples including film, popular tabloids, campus culture, mass media marketing campaigns, facebook profiles, and art exhibits to explore expressions and meanings of porn chic. Bringing a cultural and feminist lens to the material, this book challenges the reader to question the sexual agency of the 12-year-old girl dressed to seduce in fashions inspired by Katie Price, the college co-ed flashing her breasts for a film maker during Spring break, and the waitress making her customer happy with chicken wings and a nice set of Hooters. Further it explores the raunchy bad boys being paid handsomely to tell the world about their sexual exploits, online, on film, and in popular press bestsellers. Balancing a popular culture approach and a strong analytic lens, Porn Chic will engage a wide audience of readers interested in popular culture, fashion, and gender studies. Nicola Bockelmann's artwork focuses on the permeable border between pornography and mainstream culture. Blowing up risque images found in advertisements that use 'Porn Chic' as a means to sell, and painting them in a semi-photorealistic way on large canvas, the artist maintains the figure's sense of distance and glamour. Slight modifications are undertaken to evoke a sinister feel, introducing an element of ambiguity. The results are thought provoking paintings that urge viewers to question everyday explicitness. The paintings aim for traditional technical expertise with fresh reflections on modern society.