Many times I have come across works that got deemed pornographic: ‘this isn’t art, it is porn!’

And, every time I see this happening, I get very irritated.

Let’s talk math …

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a work of art, by definition, is something that gives high aesthetic satisfaction and gives sensational feelings to the viewer or listener. Let all works that satisfy the above definition reside in
Set A.

And, again, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, pornography is the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse an intense emotional reaction. Let all pornographic works reside in
Set B.

Now, we need to consider the following statements:
1. Set B is a subset of Set A; i.e. all works that excite us sexually also satisfy us aesthetically.
2. Set A is a subset of Set B; i.e. all works that satisfy us aesthetically also excite us sexually.
3. Set A is mutually exclusive to Set B; i.e. there are no works that produce aesthetic satisfaction, and arouse us sexually.
4. Set A intersects Set B; i.e. some erotic works can be aesthetically satisfying.


All works that excite us sexually also satisfy us aesthetically

Although this statement might seem a straightforward false, in actuality it is a very complex question. To delve more into the subject of aesthetics, start with
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesthetics

Aesthetic...a philosophical theory as to what is beautiful. In other words, beauty is relative; different societies and communities have their own measures of what is beautiful and what is not, what is obscene and what is not.

For simplicity, and because of the context, I am going to use the following universal measures for artistry:

• Lighting ratios


• Focus


• Composition


• Colour


• Concept


• Exposure

Now that we have some selective measures to calculate an aesthetic value, let us try and prove the truthfulness of the above statement. If I am able to find at least one image that contradicts the statement, then we have proved the statement’s falsity.

Below are links to two example images.

• [link]


• [link]

Hence, statement (1) is incorrect, and we have the following theorem:

Theorem 1: Not all works that excite us sexually also satisfy us aesthetically.


All works that satisfy us aesthetically also excite us sexually

Again, very straightforward: False Statement. Yes indeed, there will be some people that find a girl in colored socks arousing, or even a sunset shot, but those are minorities. A significant number of people have weird fetishes like that, but not everyone. Hence, Statement (2) is incorrect, and we have the following theorem:

Theorem 2: Not all works that satisfy us aesthetically also excite us sexually.


There are no works that produce aesthetic satisfaction, and arouse us sexually

Here, if I am able to find at least one piece of work that satisfies both conditions, then I have proven Statement 3 as incorrect, and consequently, Statement 4 as correct.

This is what I am talking about: Nude Art, Erotic Art, Pornographic Art, Artistic Porn, etc.

Set A defines the artistic qualities of the work. Although a very complex subject, we have selected some universal measures, such as composition, lighting, color, etc.

Set B defines the level of sexuality the work evokes. One person's erotica is another person's pornography. For example, in some Islamic states, an image of a woman showing her thighs is considered pornographic, and that woman would be persecuted. In analyzing the teachings of the Bible, one finds that it is totally immoral for a woman to wear a bikini. This is a different topic, and I might expand on it in a different post some time.

I am very interested to hear what you have to say about the following shots. In my judgment, based on the aesthetic factors above, the following images score high on the aesthetic scale and do arouse me sexually.

• [link]


• [link]


• [link]


• [link]


• [link]

Hence, Statement (3) is incorrect, and Statement (4) is correct. We have therefore derived the following theorem:

Theorem 3: Some works that satisfy us aesthetically can also excite us sexually.


Conclusion

We have mathematically shown that some erotic or pornographic works can be deemed art, because they hold universal artistic values. We have also shown that art and porn are not mutually exclusive concepts and therefore cannot be compared using either/or.