The reason I chose the title "Body Sellers" for my upcoming show is because it's a term I heard quite often when I was in the bar world of Thailand. Kai Doo-uh means to sell your body in Thai, many of the sex workers I photographed would use that term in a matter of fact way. The worker would often just say "I sell my body" they would usually say it with a sense of resignation and sadness. The term "Body Sellers" came from the worker, so I thought it was appropriate to use.
When choosing the negs I was unsure if I should only include nude and partially nude images or if I should include the clothed shots I made as well. Sometimes I shot the worker wearing go go uniforms and wearing numbers like they do in the bars. So I have decided that I needed to simplify my message and concentrate on 2 things, the proper expression and the body that was being sold. I wanted all nudity to be as functional and un-sexual as I could make it, the commodity of a sex worker is their bodies so thats what I showed in the pictures. Nudity also can add a bit of vulnerability to the image or callousness of the subject who is so used to be nude with customers they do not even care anymore. I wanted the expressions in the photographs to show the workers true feelings, their inner thoughts. I still might reconsider and print a few clothed or partially clothed shots, the clothes tell a tale as well. I will decide the final cut for the pics included in the next month.
When choosing the negs I was unsure if I should only include nude and partially nude images or if I should include the clothed shots I made as well. Sometimes I shot the worker wearing go go uniforms and wearing numbers like they do in the bars. So I have decided that I needed to simplify my message and concentrate on 2 things, the proper expression and the body that was being sold. I wanted all nudity to be as functional and un-sexual as I could make it, the commodity of a sex worker is their bodies so thats what I showed in the pictures. Nudity also can add a bit of vulnerability to the image or callousness of the subject who is so used to be nude with customers they do not even care anymore. I wanted the expressions in the photographs to show the workers true feelings, their inner thoughts. I still might reconsider and print a few clothed or partially clothed shots, the clothes tell a tale as well. I will decide the final cut for the pics included in the next month.
