“Ink is my blood. I draw for my own sake and for your pleasure. A long-time resident of the Old World, I split my time between the kitchen and my studio.” This is the first line of the opening act of Apollonia Saintclair’s noir, surrealist art. Ink brings this artist to life and if she wasn’t firmly holding her pen, she would just be another anonymous ghost with no way of voicing her sexual fantasies. Highly erotic, beautifully-detailed images of intimacy that toe the line between the grotesque and absurd. For Apollonia, sex is unpredictable, as her drawings are staged in bizarre settings and are accompanied by commonplace objects.
Her illustrations show a monochromatic sexuality where fantasies are brought to life. As her ink flows, she tells the stories she wants to hear, stories that move her insides and make her tremble.
These images are exuberant visions of our reality, scenes filled with eroticism that gain power thanks to the unusual settings. Passion is unleashed on the streets, on the subway platforms, and in the most unexpected places that fuel the viewer’s desire. The level of intricacy is remarkable in Apollonia’s work, and the aim is not lurid or gratuitous shows of penetrations, erections, or orgasms. Instead, it is a sensual world and each object is painstakingly drawn with the protagonists blinded to all else but their passion.
Sexual liberation came fifty years ago and since then, countless women have voiced their deepest desires and most erotic thoughts. Sexual beings that seek to possess and be possessed and know each pleasure point of their bodies. Apollonia is compelled to draw what is on her mind, for her own sake, and ultimately, for our pleasure.
Surrealist worlds appear in each swirling arch and line of ink. This dream-like expression of sexuality offers audience a new way to explore eroticism. Are these her dreams, fantasies or previous experiences? She leaves it up to us to decide and to do what we will with her art. These images invite us to appreciate each curve and dent of the women’s figures and she also encourages us to admire the male members that are filled with vigor and passion.
Fantasy and realism are mixed together bringing instant gratification to the viewer. Apollonia’s illustrations scream for your attention and while you browse through the internet, your eyes are immediately drawn to her creations. She forces you to stop and see her work and they transform you into a two-dimensional and monochromatic figure that lives in her fantasy world.
Growing up you feel these lascivious thoughts creeping through your mind in broad daylight. There is not a minute where you don’t fantasize ripping the clothes from your body and being taken in front of a crowd. Your desire fogs your mind and stops you from seeing further. All the equations and essay questions fade away when you spot your professor’s crotch. There is no other escape but to draw your fantasies, your hidden existence. It is either ink or surrendering to your basic desires.
Follow Apollonia Saintclair’s work.
