I have a confession to make. I have a special affinity for Luxporn. When I launched Menofcolor.tv in 2004 (a site, mind you, that did spectacularly well one day in June of that very same year, I believe), Luxporn, this magnetic, spectacularly new-ish and very artsy-fartsy site had started as well.
Luxporn-dot-com, unlike most other gay porn sites, had good coffee table book photography, film noir-ish vignettes rather than unadorned solo and fuck scenes and a confidence that was both immediate and all-encompassing. And the few models they had were sexy as hell, too. I loved these guys! I reached out to them and we started a very nice friendship. But their site wasn't ready to take off then, so they quietly suspended operations and we lost touch.
Well guess what, fuckers? They are back and have lost none of that independent spirit or desire to become synonymous with the Porn Art movement. But will it work? That, my friends, is the 64,000 dollar question. Are we ready to take porn into the filmic realm with unusual lighting choices and effective use of shadow? Are we finally ready once and for all - both as content producers and viewers - to accept the cinematic melded with the pornographic as a viable business model? Will people pay for a site that's not only demands more of the viewer but offers women on the site as well?
There are as many questions surrounding Luxporn-dot-com as there are variables and the only way I was going to get a couple of days of free porn to these answers was by asking. Well, I asked and JS from Luxporn kindly agreed to answer.
You may or may not like what I asked - the questions were submitted in advance, btw - or what you read (You'll know which one answer I didn't like reading), but you cannot say that if porn is ready to take a radically new direction, Luxporn will be at the head of whichever line it makes for itself.
MOC: Tell me about Luxporn. What's your Mission Statement?
LUXPORN: I love porn; but I also have a knack for style and design. With Luxporn, the idea is to bring my passion for beauty into the scene. I see so much porn out there and think to myself, “Why is there no porn out there that is beautifully art-directed?” I suppose there is soft porn… haha.. and The Abercrombie & Fitch catalog. I want to bring the fashion/art magazine into porn; or vice versa. With Luxporn, the idea is to utilize my passion for beauty and share it. I think my mission is just to add a little style and taste to pornography. Why not? There is enough smut out there. I really don’t want to compete with the norm and put out another [site]. Don’t get me wrong, I love all porn from Smut to NOT but really wanted to join Erotica and Art together.
MOC: Is that my imagination or do you have girls on your site? Yuck, girls are icky.
LUXPORN: Yes we have women and we will have more women in the future.
MOC: What was your thinking in choosing to use women on your site?
LUXPORN: I wanted a site that is open to anything erotic and beautiful. I’m a gay man but I find both sexes to be hot and Luxporn is an equal opportunity sex site.
MOC: Is there more vuh-jay-jay on the way?
LUXPORN: Vuh-Jay-Jay???
MOC: Are you a bisexual site or do you eschew labels? Discuss.
LUXPORN: No labels. We like it all in Luxporn: Gay, Straight, Bi, Solo, Art, Fashion, Music et al. Just no animals or pain.
MOC: You launched back in 2005. What happened? Where did you go? I missed you.
LUXPORN: We took a break. I needed to reassess the direction of Lux and have some time to myself. I’m a photographer as well. Beyond Luxporn, I have a career in Fashion and Art photography. A break was needed to put my career into perspective. Now look at what I have come back with… A new and improved Luxporn.
MOC: The look of your site - the photography, the graphics, the chill lounge soundtrack - is very unusual. How would you describe it?
LUXPORN: Hmmm. Chanel meets Porn. Gucci Meets Porn. Dolce & Gabanna Meets Porn. Art Meets Porn. MOMA Meets Porn; I really don’t know. It’s all the things I
like: Erotica, Amazing Music, Simplicity, Design, hot boys and girls doing their THANG!
MOC: Where do you find the music you use for your videos, why do you use it and can I download it at iTunes?
LUXPORN: We actually collaborate with different deejay’s (not
vuh-jay-jays) and also music composers. YES, these tracks are made especially for each film. I love music. I had an idea that you could play a Luxporn film at a cocktail party and have a nice soundtrack in the background. I love mixing the tracks of the models talking with the contrasting music. It’s cool, no? Not on Itunes yet…
MOC: What do you feel that porn is lacking that Luxporn can provide?
LUXPORN: Style? Art? Futurerotica…
MOC: Who is your demographic? How will you reach them?
LUXPORN: Anyone who wants more is welcome. Men AND Women are all welcome to enjoy Lux. I think right now we are just reaching people featured in articles in fashion and art magazines. There are also great sites, like yours, who give us great raves!
MOC: How do you find your models?
LUXPORN: Everywhere! I have my ways…
MOC: What is that model Max's cell phone number? (No, seriously.)
LUXPORN: 1-800-LUX-PORN.
MOC: You have a "Featured Artists" section which blends well thematically with the site. How do you pick the featured artist, besides picking one that agrees to have their work shown on a porn site? (Please tell Mr. Lukacs I think his art is brilliant, btw.)
LUXPORN: I love art. I’m a collector myself. I think that there many artists out there doing art erotica and I would like to share this with Luxporn viewers. I think we can also find excitement in fine art that has erotic tendencies. Don’t you agree? I love Atila Richard Lukacs. I discovered his work in the 80’s and have since then followed his work. Now you can find his pieces in major museums, internationally. It’s so beautiful. His life is an inspiration. There will be more artist features to come and I welcome other artists to contact me about sharing their work.
MOC: You have a 'Personals' section coming. Is this going to be an erotic literature section?
LUXPORN: Not really. It’s just a way for Luxporn admirers, members and viewers to reach each other. I’m still working on a concrete idea of what I want out of the personals section. When it gets going, it will grow organically.
MOC: Why don't you have any men or women of color on your site?
LUXPORN: I just haven’t met models of color that I like yet, but if you know of some good ones, send them the Luxporn way.
MOC: How many people are currently collaborating on Luxporn?
LUXPORN: Many!! Models, artist, partners, music people. More and more people are getting involved with its consummation. But for now I want to have control, so it will be kept tight for now. I’d like to take it slow this time around.
MOC: What porn sites do you like?
To be honest, due to his lack of ethnic diversity, Luxporn.com looks like DrakeRock.com. STILL a bunch of white guys, only less muscular. Give me some originality, by way ethnic diversity (after all this is America)and THEN it will be worth the membership price.
Until then....PASS!
Posted by: Tre Xavier | November 03, 2009 at 07:40 AM