Killing Kittens, 2009
In less enlightened times the catholic church, in all its oppressive wisdom, propagated the myth that every time a woman gives herself sexual pleasure god kills a kitten.
The term ‘killing kittens’ has become a colloquialism for female masturbation and it has been adopted by a movement of libertine women in London, headed by Emma Sayles, who have set up an elite sex club where women are the sole members. Men are only allowed in at the invitation of women. This is a unique club to England, where women can enjoy free sex within a safe and controlled environment. To become a member woman are vetted and must fit a profile of high professional status, sexual curiosity and good looks.
The Killing Kittens sex club takes place in the faded grandeur of a disused embassy in London’s wealthy Mayfair area. Members and guests arrive wearing masks and drink champagne in a candle lit room before descending downstairs into the Jacuzzi area or moving upstairs into a darkly lit grand room with a large ominous bed placed centre stage that by midnight plays host to a writhing sea of naked bodies embraced in orgiastic delights.
I was given exclusive permission to photograph in Killing Kittens with a small film camera, with the express understanding that I did not show identities and that I photograph secretly so as not to offend the privacy and play of members.
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Hôtel Paul Delaroche
58 rue Saint Lazare, 75009 Paris
+33 1 53 01 85 85
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