Fifty Shades of a Mirror

‘Fifty Shades of a Mirror’, Aluminum Dye Sublimation, 100 X 150 cm (40 X 60 inches), 2021.

‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ is a 2011 E. L. James’ erotic romance novel which became the first instalment in the Fifty Shades novel series that follows the deepening relationship between a college graduate and a young business magnate, Christian Grey. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of sexual practices involving BDSM (Bondage/Discipline/Submission/Masochism).

Fifty Shades of Grey has topped best-seller lists around the world, has been translated into 52 languages, and has set a record in the United Kingdom as the fastest-selling paperback of all time. Critical reception of the book, however, has tended towards the negative, with the quality of its prose generally seen as poor, while its portrayal of BDSM has been targeted for criticism from a variety of perspectives. There were also second and third volumes of the original trilogy, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, which were published in 2012. By 2017 the trilogy had sold over 150 million copies worldwide.

Universal Pictures and Focus Features produced a film adaptation, which was released in 2015 and also received unfavorable reviews even though it was a box office success. Being personally involved in the BDSM realm and witnessing its multiple positive upshots, this negative criticism has been an annoyance and I always knew that I want to contribute my humble share to remedy the wrong impression. Time has come earlier in 2021, when I painted ‘Fifty Shades of Blond’ which is submitted here as well.

After finishing my ‘Fifty Shades of Blond’ I realized that the various domains related to the BDSM realm deserve an additional exposure. Since the multiple tiers of BDSM frequently mirror each other, thus reflecting various and sometimes hidden characteristics, the apparent result was to paint the present artwork - ‘Fifty Shades of a Mirror’, where hidden layers are exposed and revealed.