Sexuality: Necessary Element in Art?

Since the beginning of time the human physique and sexuality has fascinated us! In most cases through history, the human form and sexuality has been a taboo topic. We understand it is there, but for the most part it is something out of the norm to display sexuality. However the times have changed drastically and now society has a greater acceptance of sexuality. My point is that sexuality is not an element necessary in artistic endeavors. Art in all forms has survived the ages without the influence of sexuality. One might ask if sexuality is necessary in today’s society as opposed to two generations ago. It would almost prove to be true! I believe that sexuality is not necessary for art to sell. Take for instance the painting le coq, it is a painting of a chicken that is an inner portrayal of the artist, it sold for $5.5 million. If you view this painting you will see there is not an ounce of sexiness to this chicken, further proving my point that you do not need sexuality in art of today’s society in order for it to sell. I do believe that it is very hard for art to sell in today’s society without sexuality. Many artists transition their appearance to a more sexually charged individual in order to gain fame. The perfect examples of artists with mistaken identities are Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. Katy Perry got her start as a gospel singer, but her name was not widely known until she came out with “I Kissed a Girl”. Clearly she parted from her former beliefs to gain fame. Then Lady Gaga was not always Lady Gaga, in fact she began performing under her true name Stephanie Germanotta. Stephanie was a natural beauty with long jet black hair who did not dress outrageously. She sang while playing the piano and sounded beautiful and natural. She was everything she is not today. I think it has to do with a paradigm in society of wanting to express every inner emotion without worry of being judged, this is the element the artist are displaying. It happens to embody the taboo of sexuality. I believe it is sad that we have to use sex to empower people to let their freak flag fly!