“XXX Files is comprised of photographs from different stages of Slava Mogutin’s wide-ranging oeuvre, from commissioned magazine shoots to intimate portraits and nudes of fellow artists and friends, lovers and collaborators, alongside the occasional hustlers and go-go dancers.
This series is the artist’s response to the rampant censorship across social media platforms, publishing and public venues, with Tumblr becoming the latest casualty of this troubling trend:
For me, the personal is political and the political is personal. At the time when our fundamental constitutional rights are under attack, I believe that queer imagery can serve as the most effective weapon against hypocrisy, bigotry, and censorship. When they censor my work either on social media or in real life, my response is always—double up on the queer, double up on the fight and SLAVA MOGUTIN: XXX FILES what they don’t want to see. I want to shine a light on the darkest corners of human nature and sexuality as a way to understand and peacefully coexist with each other because being different is a blessing, not a curse.”
Explore the full exhibition here!
by Slava Mogutin
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