| . . . A PORNOTOPIA
of Bizarre XXX Erotic Art & Fantasy! Surrender
copyright 1999 BMZ written by:
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Pornotopia is an utopian dreamscape of orgasmic wonders in digital imagery from creators Sagemonn and Karynna. Come, take my hand, as I lead you into legendary landscapes and strange new frontiers where chimerical beasts frolic in wild copulations and we explore Pornotopia: the art and the sovereign rulers of this land.
Sex and Humor
One of the first things you notice when you enter Pornotopia (besides the fabulous artwork) is the delicious sense of humor that Sagemonn and Karynna have. With names of artwork like ‘Gwen Rides Lance-a-lot', ‘Jurassic Fuck', and ‘Pecker Plague' (where a woman is attacked by hundreds of cartoon cocks) and their 3D comicstrip featuring Fezner Turkle (a poor lad suffering from ‘terminal "testost-erroneous" syndrome'), it is easy to see that they see sexuality as a celebration of the pleasures of life including laughter.
"Japanese have different sorts of out looks on sexuality than America. They have a humor and imagination about sexuality that I find very compelling." ~ Karynna
But the highlight of the site of course, is the extraordinary artwork that carries you away to realms of whimsical illusions. I was absolutely captivated and felt like a virtual Alice in Bewilderland on too many shrooms with an overstimulated libido. The explicit artistry is both bizarre and incredible, a variable potpourri of visual delicacies. Devils screwing angels, strange mythical beasts getting head from beautiful maidens, succubi in nightmarish landscapes, dragons, monsters and futuristic fantasies; they have everything your mind could imagine and more. Sagemonn and Karynna where gracious enough to offer BMZ a peek at some of their masterpieces and share some of their creative experiences with us.
Tricks and Treats
I found the imagery to be a blend of both the fantastic and reality, and wondered how they managed to get these fanciful illusions to look so vivid, so life-like, right down to the pubes and foreskin.
"I use primarily digital media, often starting from photo resources. . . Karynna and I pose for much of the material. . . Karynna is the best—and she doesn't make me pay in money. . . just attention. . . I rely on my imagination, and I will often start with an image of Karynna, but by the time I have finished—it has become someone else. . . We use a digital camera with a blue screen backdrop. I then cut and paste to bring all the parts together in Adobe Photoshop. After that, it is just digitally painting over everything to get all parts working together. This can be a tedious process often several days per image—that's how it is done—no real technical tricks."
"Some of the very painterly techniques in my images are actually created with MetaCreations Painter 5 which emulates natural media such as oils or watercolor. Sometimes, I start with a sketch, and digitally paint that drawing to incorporate it into an image that contains photo elements as well. . . My software programs are primarily: Adobe Photoshop, RayDream Studio 5, MetaCreations Painter 5, and MetaCreations Bryce 3D. I recently acquired Electric Image, which is a high end 3D modeling animation system. I have a new and steep learning curve to overcome with this, but I am really excited over the new capabilities this package will offer to my work." ~ Sagemonn
InspirationsFrom where did these bizarre images emerge? I asked Sagemonn and Karynna to share with me their inspirations, their experiences and desires.
"I started painting at 11 years old. I also have sculpted in many medias since I was a child. . . I have always been self taught: traditional media as well as digital. I seriously embraced computer art beginning in 1994 and it has been constant home schooling ever since. I still sculpt in clay, wax and plastics, but my joy is digital 3D."
"I have found that the many faces of erotic fantasy that I can explore and illustrate have liberated me artistically. I no longer am concerned with what anyone else may think of what I do. I have concluded that if an idea occurs to me—and stimulates me—that is all the justification I need to create my expression of the idea. And I must say it is fun! . . ."
"I've always been a sci-fi/fantasy fan—I love Asimov and Heinlein. I'm thrilled to see the growing popularity of the genre; it is another indication of the necessity we humans have for fantasy. Salvador Dali, H.R. Giger and Michael Parks are some of my artistic heros." ~ Sagemonn
"I studied abroad in Europe for awhile traveling England, Amsterdam, France, Spain and Italy. There is so much education in being exposed to great art and the culture of great artist masters. More than anything it instilled in me a passion to continuously develop my talent. To see art as an adventure and experiment in and about living. . . I love the artistic aesthetic of the Japanese. Kimonos, rice paper, and chop sticks really turn me on. I lived there for 5 years and loved it. . . I am inspired by all the moments I spend making love, by the physical nature of the Universe, by great artists of all kinds and by the dreams of my imagination."
"If spirit is the flame that burns within us to live fully, then I am passionately spiritual. . . Spirituality is the core of who I am. . . it drives every action and thought I make a stand for and every exploration I choose to invite in my life. I don't see how it can be considered separate from anything I do or think. It is the foundation of discovering what I believe to be true about any aspect of being. Spirituality is what develops the feeling that I have been genuine, sincere and honorable about my action in living. The foundation of my path is Integrity, Truth and Honor." ~ Karynna
Reality vs Fantasy
One of my favorite corners of the site is Storytopia: graphic novels as a work in progress. ‘Edensong' was one such fable, written with a sing-song script combining poetry with beautiful imagery in a comic book form. It is an erotic tale about a dancing sprite whose world changes when a strange futuristic man upsets the balance of life with his lustful desires and dark purpose. I asked Sagemonn and Karynna their views on the world today and the goods vs evils of fantasy.
"Imagination is the source and seed of our creativity. Fantasy is a way to experiment with ideas and outcomes with out the consequences of reality. The danger or health of everything lies in the context of how it is being used. If anything is being used to abuse or harm either the self or another, then we have to seriously question our intentions and outcomes. On the other hand, I have found Fantasy can be a very inspiring way to bring variety, play and adventure into the realm of just a great fuck or the deepening of love relationships." ~ Karynna
"I've long fantasized about an art form that is totally immersible, where one plugs in to the experience—where you can actually feel all aspects of the artwork—a virtual voyeuristic voyage, I guess. I'd like to be able to record and playback my dreams—my inner eye's fantasies. . . I agree with Karynna, it is obvious that people have always sought fantasy—and fantastic art—all the way back to the cave paintings. It is a way for us to transcend our daily lives, but like all things—even religions—there is always the potential for abuse."
". . . I think we (humanity) will continue to flourish, but not until after a Fall. We need to get our natural wisdom back and I think we will have to learn the hard way for that to succeed. We will flourish, but in a less materialistic manner." ~ Sagemonn
Timewarp
Currently, Pornotopia offers a freebie tour of their site with large sample pics in eight categories. Inside the member's area you are warped into a variable timezone that spans from past to future with lots of original images to choose from. The site is updated monthly with at least four new images, usually more. All of Sagemonn's works are available for purchase in print form, as well as Karynna's ‘Purple Fuck' and ‘Love Bite'. What do the Dynamically Diabolical Duo have planned for the future of Pornotopia?
"We have wanted to create a publication for some time and are actively seeking a publisher. This has been a challenge! It seems that most established publishers are pretty scared of the explicit nature of our work and the publishers of adult magazines, etc. are very underground and difficult to locate. Any leads your readers may be able to offer would be greatly appreciated."
"I hope to be able to create animations/videos with the same flavor as our art in Pornotopia. I like the ability to extend the imagery thru storytelling and time. The challenge, after the creation of this art, will be how to market it. . . I'd love to create more—update more often, and I will—as Pornotopia grows stronger and allows me the freedom to do so." ~ Sagemonn
"I am working on a illustration project about female circus contortionists involved in unusual auto-sexual practices. I hope to see some success out of this publication. I very much desire to continue expanding my focus on Male pinup fantasies. That's about all I can project right now. . . I am spread very thin with my priorities to Pornotopia. First, is the business and maintenance of it all. . . I get to the art when I have time. I believe my opportunity to have the time will be awarded by seeing Pornotopia enjoy a success that will allow me turn over the business management and marketing obligations to someone else." ~ Karynna
"We are working hard on offering our first CD-ROM album. I think it will be a very fine way to permanently possess our collection of content. We are also aggressively seeking the publication of our work in hardcopy media. We are finding the industry is pretty cowardly about dealing with contemporary hardcore art."
A Final word
"I find my greatest and most noble teaching arena with my children. I am sad that society is often so reckless with what our children must deal with in life. . . Right now I would teach that it seems the purpose of the Universe is to evolutionarily advance itself. Humanity is part of that equation. Part of the Evolutionary process seems to be finding a balance of harmony that allows life to maximize its potential creativity—whether by opportunity or the force of challenge. . . One of the primary achievements of evolution is the expansion of conscious choice. People have to face that their genetic machinery provides limitations to who they are, but we all hold a tremendous power of choice and creativity that if used with integrity, passion and dignity could significantly elevate the primary condition of our overall well-being, health and joy. . . The buck stops with the individual realizing they are vital to their own happiness by being vital to the collective experience of happiness."
~ Karynna
"My goal is to elevate erotica to the fine-art level. This has been pretty daunting, given the degree of sexual hypocrisy in our society. I have offered works for publication and exhibition on many occasions—only to have works rejected. Last year we were invited to display at the Opening of The Museum of Sex in New York. After they reviewed our work, however, it was returned because the museum sponsors feared the work would be found offensive. The Museum of Sex!!??"
"There is one annual show we have exhibited in for the last 5 years. . . It is sponsored by the Lifestyles Organization—a swingers group. It has been a great venue for us, there is an appreciative audience and I have sold quite a few pieces there. I only wish there were more shows like this one. I hope to help generate more interest in creating opportunities for exhibits of this nature. . . I must admit, it feels good to know that there is an audience out there. I am thankful for the entire internet experience that has made it possible to find that audience." ~ Sagemonn
Be sure to check out Pornotopia and become a voyeur into the fantastical fantasia of another realm. This site is a must see if you are curious and have a taste for the oddities of the imagination and a quirky sense of humor. If you would like to contact Sagemonn and Karynna about purchasing info, comments or suggestions, I have found them to be extremely open and accommodating. You can reach them at: Masterminds .
It has been a pleasure working with them and I thank them for taking time to do this interview with us, and allowing BMZ to publish their artwork in this article. Their work is copyrighted so do not steal the graphics from this article. Go visit their site instead!
