Katie Commodore

Born: 1978, American

What is sex appeal? What makes up a persons sexuality? Not in the common sense of whether a person is attracted to men or women, but what is it that turns us on, and how do we express that?

So often in how we manifest our own sexuality it appears to be something completely mutable, something almost decorative. Just like the mainstream view of sex, a persons fantasies and sexual activities change with time. From college days of experimentation, to discovering personal kinks, to rediscovering the pure and simple thrill of nice underwear, what turns us on changes day to day, season to season, just like curtains or wallpaper.

I make art showing real ways that people express their ever-changing sexuality. These are images of my friends, using their costumes and props, with their choices in partners, living their sex lives, and acting out their fantasies, without judgment. Essentially I am providing examples of reality, too many people are ashamed of the taboo of their own sexual reality. I am simply trying to expose the positive possibilities to people that are just too afraid to look. This is not scary or dirty stuff, sex is supposed to be fun, enjoy!

Rhode Island School of Design, MFA Printmaking, 2004

Maryland Institute College of Art, BFA Illustration, 2000,