The unlikely duo of Mat Fraser the “Thalidomide baby” and self professed glamour girl Julie Atlas Muz bill themselves as “The Freak and the Showgirl.” Mat born with foreshortened arms had originally been doing work in the “disability sector” billing himself as the “Flipper Guy and Seal Boy” before meeting the glamorous Julie who was performing as a burlesque queen. Like a modern day love story they met while performing on Coney Island and decided to do an act together.

“Their show has turned to things sexy, naughty, erotic. “OK, pornographic,” says Mat” their show is about celebrating their unconventional life and “It is about being outrageous, about pushing the audience to the edge of acceptability.” “It is about music and movement and let’s not forget politics” “An orgy of flesh, flippers and fun, bumping, grinding and freaky frolics.”

Currently they are touring around Australia and its a show not to be missed. Read the full story at Adelaide now for more information contact: anita@flashinthecan.com.au

Credits: Patricia Oltean, Marcel Mendler: “Warhol lecture, Diva Warhol”, Client: State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart, from a series of eight posters, screen printing, offset printing, 2009 (© the designer and 100 Best Posters e. V.)

What: “fabric manipulator”

Where: gabriellamarinagonzalez.com

Photo by: Nuha Razik

I first discovered Irina Ionesco’s work about 20 years ago, in some dusty shop no doubt. Truthfully I can’t recall when or where, but her work made an immediate impression on me and it’s one of the reasons I picked up a camera. It struck me as the work of someone who photographed for the pure joy of it, a rare thing then and an even rarer thing now. It still amazes me that her name will come up in certain sophisticated photographic circles and rarely if at all does anyone know who she is. Still her work continues to enchant and inspire me 20 years hence.

Looks like the invitation got lost in the mail, but we are looking forward to when the festival comes around again. Cinekink “the kinky film festival” just toured Chicago for two days, Nov 19-20. From the look of their website they also host a festival in New York and San Fransisco.

We just checked the movie lineup “featuring a specially-selected program of films and videos that celebrate and explore the wide diversity of sexuality, with offerings drawn from both Hollywood and beyond” the selections run the gamut from documentary to comedy and drama to everything in between. For the true Kink Film Aficionado this is a festival not to be missed, we are so looking forward to next years lineup. Their website: www.cinekink.com

Model: Karolin Wolter

Photographer: Txema Yeste

Editorial: tushmagazine.com

Francois Berthoud’s work is rich, dazzling and above all sensual. Primarily known as a fashion illustrator his illustrations are works of art unto themselves. His imagery while vivid and colorful has a dark mysterious erotic undertone. Upon first viewing his work we immediately recognized and seized upon his use of fetish motifs in some his illustrations.

Born in Lausanne Switzerland, he studied in his native country before receiving his diploma and moving to Milan to work for publisher Conde Nast. Much sought after as an illustrator he immediately began contributing and working for additional publications as well.

Currently his fashion illustrations can be seen on exhibit alongside the work of other well known fashion illustrators at the Design Museum London. The illustrations are part of the collections of designers Viktor & Rolf, Comme des Garçons, Lacroix, McQueen and other renown fashion designers the exhibit runs 03 November – 06 March 2011.

i-D magazine online has an excellent interview with the artist and his website can be found at http://www.francoisberthoud.com/

We love propaganda. In our eyes there is good propaganda and bad propaganda. While some propaganda may be good and other bad, any propaganda that scintillates the retina is good propaganda. Propaganda comes in many sizes, shapes and colors and can often be disguised as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, this is usually the case with political advertisements. One of the most potent symbols and one of the largest branding and marketing campaigns ever undertaken was that of the German Third Reich and the Nazi Swastika. It created national fervor and many identified with the symbol that brought about national unity for a brief time. While stigmatized it languishes today as one of the most universally recognized symbols in the world.

The history of fetish and of fetish photography could not be written without dedicating a sizable volume to the photographer Elmer Batters. A master at lighting, composition and capturing the erotic sinuous curves and arches of a woman’s feet, legs, torso or any other part of the female anatomy he fixated on. His influence on future generations of fetish photographers is without parallel. He struggled. self publishing and finding an audience for his photographs in an era where fetish photography was not readily accepted. He received little acclaim during his lifetime, towards the end of his life German publisher extraordinaire Benedikt Taschen published his work, and introduced him to a new generation of viewers.