"The role of fetishes in some people's sex life is greatly unknown and also misunderstood," says Naomi Wilzig, owner of the World Erotic Art Museum (WEAM) in South Beach. "They are varied and personal, based on one's life experience, memory, or fantasy."
She should know. Wilzig is responsible for bringing hundreds of sexually charged artworks to Miami by dedicating an entire museum to exhibiting erotic works. But WEAM's latest exhibit, "Fantasies of Fetish" by Eric Kroll, really brings the kink.
Kroll's photography always pushes buttons, whether it be the 800 rolls of film he shot of female sex workers or the work currently being featured at WEAM, a series of surreal, sometimes-disturbing shots of fetishistic fantasies.
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Wilzig knew that Kroll's work would feel right at home at WEAM. "Eric Kroll's camera and creative eye has been successful in capturing people engaging in fetish attire or activity," she explains.
Featuring Kroll's dramatic photography, the exhibit explores what turns people on and why by confronting viewers with their own sexual fantasies. His books Sex Objects and The Documentary of the Decade (featuring the sex workers) were both released to critical acclaim, and his work has been featured all over the world. He also curated the book Warhol: Dylan to Duchamp.
A native New Yorker who worked with the likes of Nam June Paik, David
Wojnarowicz, and Keith Haring, Kroll also worked as a photojournalist for the New York Times and Vogue.
Unfurl your freak flag at WEAM (1205 Washington Ave., Miami Beach) for the opening tonight at 7. The exhibit runs through June 30, and the museum is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until midnight. Admission costs $15. Call 305-532-9336 or visit weam.com.
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