"TRANS BODY BONDAGE"

Years ago, on seeing Michelangelo's sculpture, "The Slave," I was struck by the contrast between the spirit and the title
of the work. The expression upon the face of the bound figure rather than one of pain and humiliation was one radiating
ecstasy.
An expression not of pain, but of pleasure. I was something other than distress in the figure, not only the facial expression
but also the motion of the body had a strong air of sexuality to them.
Twisting his body, using his energy to escape his bonds. Eventually reconciled to his powerless existence. It is almost as
if, by accepting his pain, he knew he could never be free of it. It is the form of one choosing to give themselves up and the
sexuality rises of this defenselessness, this absence of protest.
When I look at the act of bondage, it makes me wonder how Michelangelo's slave could derive pleasure from his bonds.
Yet the bound figure offers us an insight into the deep human desires of pleasure and pain and I had this in mind when
I look these photos.

As one views this rarely viewed sight, what comes to mind is the question of whether one can measure one's own desires.
However, rather than the depths of ones desires, it is the ability to control them, that shapes our appetites and sets up apart
from one another. This being so, actions once thought of as unusual, under closer investigation, seem to have some kind
of link with our desires.
When I began to think about things in this way, I began to see these bound women as symbols of something. I began to
develop a strong interest between the connectivity between the women and the rope masters.

In the S&M connectivity is an important element and as one takes a look inside, one begins to understand why. In this
world, of fixed, established roles, to enter, one must first assume one. This, just like bindings on a body, limits one's
freedom of movement.
Yet interestingly, the becoming of the role is lead not by the person them-selves, but by that person's partner. If the
relationship, the connectivity is clear and you trust your partner, you can immerse yourself in your role.
Even though this world seems to be aberrational at first sight, without mutual trust, this level of intimacy could never
occur. What's more, the game between slave and rope master seems to be one of total, mutual consent.

The slaves put themselves in this situation where their own will becomes almost irrelevant. Choice and the course of
events are deferred to the rope master and the slaves must follow until the rituals conclusion. However extreme the rope
masters demands may be, it is nothing more than a trigger for the slaves to push them-selves further too and as long as
the No-Fuck rule stands, climax is never reached, they just continue to climb.
But this state cannot continue and infinitum. If the slaves were to leave the switch on, the system would overheat as it
were. Again, it is the rope master that gives the signal to cut the power.

The pleasure is found in making others defenseless. Even if it means stepping into a previously new world, once one has
had a tast of the pleasure that can be derived from it, this feeling trumps any apprehension one may have and they will
gladly jump in. If the slaves know how to operate their own switches, they can conquer their embarr-assment and anxisty.
They become powerful. Once the rope is put on, the games may begin. Once they are tightened the pain becomes just
another stimulus adding to the sensation.
And so, under the rope masters direction, what appears at first glance to be forcible give and take is in actual fact a much
more subtle interplay between master and slave.
I watched the use of bindings in this way and I began to gain an understanding of the connection between pleasure and
pain which had intrigued me from the start. I started to see how pleasure could be derived from pain.
It may be a little extreme to say but, in becoming a slave one discards their own consciousness. Maybe it is an escape
from the narrow world of " I". A radical way to destroy one's status as an individual and by throwing off their everyday
personal they become a different character. But the energy from the slave can also throw the rope master around as well.
It is a reversal of the traditional S&M relationship when one thinks of this in terms of power and control.

When thought about in terms of an everyday setting, this is kind of phenomenon is very interesting.
In our daily lives, we come into contact with many different people in many different situations, and in an instant we are
able to judge our distance, our position vis-a-vis the other. Our feeling about the other person shapes the way we deal
with them and the more time we spend with them, the more we learn. Ultimately, we are either drawn closer or repelled
away. Love is no different.
What occurs in the S&M world is just an extension of this kind of human inte-raction. While shooting, this become
obvious upon the changing expressions of the women's faces. I found this fascinating. The binding, the anxiety from
restricted movement, the expression of ecstasy and ultimately the untying of the rope left the slave languid, almost as if
they had lost part of their soul.
Bondage is a dynamic, condensed interaction (typically between man and woman) and it is a real living performance.

1998 Junko Takahashi
from photobook "TRANS BODY BONDAGE"