Things That Make You Say Oh!: Faces of Ecstasy
By Jonathan McNamara
Giulio Sciorio has invited complete strangers to his photography studio 13 times now to have their portraits immortalized on film mid-orgasm.
After bringing them in, Giulio positions them and sets up his lighting gear. He chooses a backdrop and takes a few shots to determine that everything is just right. He makes sure that his subjects have blankets and towels if they need them. He plugs in any toys they may have brought and establishes whether they will give him a verbal cue or rely on a discreet hand signal to let him know that the magic is happening.
“When they’re ready they just yell out whatever they yell out,” he says. “I know…it’s pretty obvious.”
Sciorio’s portraits comprise a work in progress he calls Faces of Ecstasy, which is currently on exhibit at Perihelion Arts. These 13 faces are only the initial stage of a larger project which Sciorio hopes will one day turn into a book. For now, his immediate plans revolve around expanding the number of portraits and taking the show to other cities, where proceeds raised will benefit a local AIDS charity. This month’s showing at Perhelion Arts benefits Body Positive.
