"Her work reminds me of the access Diane Arbus had to her subject matter."
—Richard Prince. Naomi Harris, America Swings.
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According to American film, television, and commercial pornography, the only people having sex in the United States are young, lean, and cosmetically perfect. Naomi Harris begs to differ. In her four-year exploration of America's sexual underground the Canadian photographer found that those with the wildest sex lives are not Hollywood mannequins, but the ordinary folks next door: that nice lady at the bank, your family doctor, the friendly waitress, even your Sunday school teacher. Call it swinging, "the lifestyle," or indoor sports, married couples engaging in consensual extramarital sex may be the fastest-growing hobby in America.
To penetrate their world, 34-year-old Harris joined the swingers on their home turf, often working in just sneakers and a tool belt to hold her camera gear. In 48 months she photographed 40 parties, crisscrossing the country from Mahwah, New Jersey, to Pleasanton, California; from Big Lake, Minnesota, to Washington, Texas.
She attended Christmas parties, Halloween parties, Valentine's Day parties, Super Bowl parties, and a very naked Thanksgiving dinner. She photographed fornication in pickup trucks and on luxury yachts. She met doctors, lawyers, ministers, farmers, schoolteachers, and full-time moms, and found all of these unlikely sensualists warm, welcoming, and more than eager to show her the real shape of American sex.
Studies from the early '70s estimated that around 1% of married American couples had engaged in swinging at least once. In 1995 the North American Swing Club Association revised that estimate to 15%. Today, there's no telling how many couples have dabbled, but as the lifestyle grows, the demographics remain essentially the same. For the most part swingers today, as in the '70s, are – Middle to upper middle class
– Between 35 and 55 years old
– Better educated than the average American
– Caucasian
– The product of religious Christian homes
– Less jealous than most
– Liberal only in their attitude towards sex
From personal observation I would add that swingers are unusually sociable, believe strongly in unconditional love, embrace the sanctity of marriage, and consider their mates to be their best friends. They also believe strongly in fidelity; they've simply redefined the word to include sex in the presence of one's spouse. For swingers, fornication is a shared hobby, like snowboarding or stamp collecting, and considered safe as long as a couple's emotional bond is honored. Simply put, the secret to successful swinging is trusting that love conquers all. It's a sweetly romantic concept of love seemingly at odds with fucking the neighbors, but swingers are, for the most part, old-fashioned folks. These are people raised on traditional American values, the couples who in generations past stayed together for the sake of the children when the passion died. Today, they keep the passion alive through swinging, and more and more of them are going public with their lifestyle.
Those who prefer the airbrushed fantasy of commercial sexuality may wish they'd stay in seclusion, but as Naomi Harris says, "The media may not consider them sexy, but they consider themselves sexy, and because of that confidence they're having better sex than the rest of us. I'm jealous of the orgasms these people have and I admire their freedom to try absolutely anything and to be so comfortable in their bodies."
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
According to American film, television, and commercial pornography, the only people having sex in the United States are young, lean, and cosmetically perfect. Naomi Harris begs to differ. In her four-year exploration of America's sexual underground the Canadian photographer found that those with the wildest sex lives are not Hollywood mannequins, but the ordinary folks next door: that nice lady at the bank, your family doctor, the friendly waitress, even your Sunday school teacher. Call it swinging, "the lifestyle," or indoor sports, married couples engaging in consensual extramarital sex may be the fastest-growing hobby in America.
To penetrate their world, 34-year-old Harris joined the swingers on their home turf, often working in just sneakers and a tool belt to hold her camera gear. In 48 months she photographed 40 parties, crisscrossing the country from Mahwah, New Jersey, to Pleasanton, California; from Big Lake, Minnesota, to Washington, Texas.
She attended Christmas parties, Halloween parties, Valentine's Day parties, Super Bowl parties, and a very naked Thanksgiving dinner. She photographed fornication in pickup trucks and on luxury yachts. She met doctors, lawyers, ministers, farmers, schoolteachers, and full-time moms, and found all of these unlikely sensualists warm, welcoming, and more than eager to show her the real shape of American sex.
Studies from the early '70s estimated that around 1% of married American couples had engaged in swinging at least once. In 1995 the North American Swing Club Association revised that estimate to 15%. Today, there's no telling how many couples have dabbled, but as the lifestyle grows, the demographics remain essentially the same. For the most part swingers today, as in the '70s, are – Middle to upper middle class
– Between 35 and 55 years old
– Better educated than the average American
– Caucasian
– The product of religious Christian homes
– Less jealous than most
– Liberal only in their attitude towards sex
From personal observation I would add that swingers are unusually sociable, believe strongly in unconditional love, embrace the sanctity of marriage, and consider their mates to be their best friends. They also believe strongly in fidelity; they've simply redefined the word to include sex in the presence of one's spouse. For swingers, fornication is a shared hobby, like snowboarding or stamp collecting, and considered safe as long as a couple's emotional bond is honored. Simply put, the secret to successful swinging is trusting that love conquers all. It's a sweetly romantic concept of love seemingly at odds with fucking the neighbors, but swingers are, for the most part, old-fashioned folks. These are people raised on traditional American values, the couples who in generations past stayed together for the sake of the children when the passion died. Today, they keep the passion alive through swinging, and more and more of them are going public with their lifestyle.
Those who prefer the airbrushed fantasy of commercial sexuality may wish they'd stay in seclusion, but as Naomi Harris says, "The media may not consider them sexy, but they consider themselves sexy, and because of that confidence they're having better sex than the rest of us. I'm jealous of the orgasms these people have and I admire their freedom to try absolutely anything and to be so comfortable in their bodies."
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Naomi Harris, America Swings
Hardcover, slipcase, 37 x 29 cm (14.6 x 11.4 in.), 256 pages
$ 500.00
$ 500.00
The secret life of America's Bible Belt. Swinging sex lives of everyday Americans. This edition is limited to 1,000 numbered copies, signed by both Naomi Harris and Richard Prince.
Broken Leg and Barbecue / Swingstock/ Duxbury, MN / July 2004. Photo: Naomi Harris
Viking And Girlfriend / Swingstock / Black River Falls, WI / July 2003. Photo: Naomi Harris