Pandora's Box is a professional domination BDSM studio founded and managed for over a decade by Mistress Raven (who was at the time one of the most famous dominatrixes in America) in New York City. [1] It has been the subject of the documentary Fetishes by Nick Broomfield, [2] and a book by the photographic journalist Susan Meiselas, [3] as well as the subject of numerous magazine and newspaper articles. [4] [5] In 2018, Meiselas revisited the dungeon once again to photograph it for Garage Magazine in an article about BDSM and high fashion, featuring some of the current Mistresses that worked there at the time. [6]
Its premises are a large basement facility in the Chelsea district of Manhattan. In 2006 it absorbed another domination studio, Den of Iniquity.[ citation needed ] It provides a wide range of BDSM activities, including fetish and roleplay. Like other New York domination studios, it does not permit sex on the premises.[ citation needed ]
A dominatrix, or domme, is a woman who takes the dominant role in BDSM activities. A dominatrix can be of any sexual orientation, but this does not necessarily limit the genders of her submissive partners. Dominatrices are popularly known for inflicting physical pain on their submissive subjects, but this is not done in every case. In some instances erotic humiliation is used, such as verbal humiliation or the assignment of humiliating tasks. Dominatrices also make use of other forms of servitude. Practices of domination common to many BDSM and other various sexual relationships are also prevalent. A dominatrix is typically a paid professional (pro-domme) as the term dominatrix is little-used within the non-professional BDSM scene.
Bondage pornography is the depiction of sexual bondage or other BDSM activities using photographs, stories, films or drawings. Though often described as pornography, the genre involves the presentation of bondage fetishism or BDSM scenarios and does not necessarily involve the commonly understood pornographic styles. In fact, the genre is primarily interested with the presentation of a bondage scene and less with depictions of sexuality, such as nudity or sex scenes, which may be viewed as a distraction from the aesthetics and eroticism of the sex scenario itself.
John Alexander Scott Coutts, better known by the pseudonym John Willie, was an artist, fetish photographer, cartoonist, and the publisher and editor of the first 23 issues of the fetish magazine Bizarre between 1946 and 1956, featuring his characters Sweet Gwendoline and Sir Dystic d'Arcy. Though distributed underground, Bizarre magazine had a far-reaching impact on later fetish-themed publications and experienced a resurgence in popularity, along with fetish model Bettie Page, beginning in the 1970s.
Bondage, in the BDSM subculture, is the practice of consensually tying, binding, or restraining a partner for erotic, aesthetic, or somatosensory stimulation. A partner may be physically restrained in a variety of ways, including the use of rope, cuffs, bondage tape, or self-adhering bandage.
Fetish fashion is any style or appearance in the form of a type of clothing or accessory, created to be extreme, revealing, skimpy, or provocative in a fetishistic manner. These styles are by definition not worn by the majority of people; if everyone wears an item, it cannot have fetishistic, special nature. They are usually made of materials such as leather, latex or synthetic rubber or plastic, nylon, PVC, spandex, fishnet, and stainless steel. Some fetish fashion items include: stiletto heel shoes and boots, hobble skirts, corsets, collars, full-body latex catsuits, stockings, miniskirt, crotchless underwear, jockstraps, diapers, garters, locks, rings, zippers, eyewear, handcuffs, and stylized costumes based on more traditional outfits, such as wedding dresses that are almost completely see-through lace, or lingerie for men.
A fetish magazine is a type of magazine originating in the late 1940s which is devoted to sexual fetishism. The content is generally aimed at being erotic rather than pornographic. Fetish magazines are usually devoted to a specific fetish, such as leather fetishism, rubber and PVC fetishism, cross-dressing, bondage, sadomasochism, female domination, sexual roleplay, corporal punishment, etc. Much of the content in fetish magazines is baffling to people who do not share the particular fetishes discussed and depicted.
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) is an American sex-positive advocacy and educational organization founded in 1997. NCSF has over one hundred coalition partners, and over sixty supporting members. NCSF advocates on behalf of adults involved in alternative lifestyles with respect to sexuality and relationship composition, specifically for tolerance and non-discrimination of those so identified, as well as education for adults involved in such lifestyles. The organization's main office is in Baltimore, Maryland.
Susan Meiselas is an American documentary photographer. She has been associated with Magnum Photos since 1976 and been a full member since 1980. Currently she is the President of the Magnum Foundation. She is best known for her 1970s photographs of war-torn Nicaragua and American carnival strippers.
The spreadeagle is the position in which a person has their arms outstretched and legs apart, figuratively resembling an eagle with wings spread. It is a style that appears commonly in nature and geometry. In human style, it is represented by the letter "X".
Fetishes is a 1996 documentary by Nick Broomfield filmed at Pandora's Box, one of New York City's most luxurious SM/fetish parlours. The film contains interviews with professional dominatrices and their clients including the New York filmmaker Maria Beatty.
The leather pride flag is a symbol of leather subculture as well as kink and fetish subcultures more broadly, including BDSM. The flag was designed by Tony DeBlase in 1989.
Preaching to the Perverted is a 1997 British sex comedy-drama film written and directed by Stuart Urban.
Dominance and submission (D/s) is a set of behaviors, customs, and rituals involving the submission of one person to another in an erotic episode or lifestyle. It is a subset of BDSM. This form of sexual contact and pleasure has been shown to please a minority of people.
Boot fetishism is a sexual fetish focused on boots. Boots have become the object of sexual attraction amounting to fetishism for some people and they have become a standard accessory in BDSM scenes and a fashion accessory in music videos. Boots are seen as perhaps the most fetishistic of all footwear and boots are the most popular fetish clothing attire.
Rick Castro is an American photographer, motion picture director, stylist, curator and writer whose work focuses on BDSM, fetish, and desire.
BDSM is a frequent theme in culture and media, including in books, films, television, music, magazines, public performances and online media.
Financial domination is a fetish lifestyle in which a financial submissive desires to give gifts or money to a financial dominant.
Feminist views on BDSM vary widely from acceptance to rejection. BDSM refers to bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and Sado-Masochism. In order to evaluate its perception, two polarizing frameworks are compared. Some feminists, such as Gayle Rubin and Patrick Califia, perceive BDSM as a valid form of expression of female sexuality, while other feminists, such as Andrea Dworkin and Susan Griffin, have stated that they regard BDSM as a form of woman-hating violence. Some lesbian feminists practice BDSM and regard it as part of their sexual identity.
Damon Pierce is an American creator and owner of slavetobondage.com. In addition, he is a bondage rigger, BDSM educator, professional piercer, adult entertainment producer, and director from Los Angeles, California.
Dayna Danger is a Two-Spirit/queer, hard femme, Métis/Saulteaux/Polish visual artist. Danger was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Treaty 1 territory, and now resides in Tio'tiá:ke (Montréal). Danger explores various mediums in their creations including sculpture, photography, performance and video. Danger's work explores the relationships between representation, objectification, and empowerment. They also engage with themes of intimacy, gender, sexuality, BDSM, kink, and mixed identities. Danger's artwork from their Big'Uns series was on the front cover of the Summer 2017 Canadian Art Magazine issue. A white male curator once commented that he "could not see himself" in Danger's art, and Danger's response was that "[t]his work is not for you." Later, when Danger's photo from Big'Uns was made the cover of the issue, the editor's letter for the issue was titled "This Work Is Not For You". Collaboration and creating work for underrepresented groups are among Danger's major focuses. Danger uses singular they/them pronouns.