Many people view pornography as highly offensive. But some accept as a social art. I really think that it is a lame excuse for nobodys to excuse the expression, 'jerk off'.  I've been slapped for saying this as somebody said it was a form of art. What are your thoughts?

P.S.   I am not saying you shouldn't view porn or should. It's up to you what you do with your life. And don't post it or you'll get banned.

I wouldn't say porn is ART, but I don't think it's disgusting or offensive either. I mean, obviously I don't think it should be shown on a social site or viewed by young people or anything. But I don't think people should be embarrassed about watching porn or what they want to see happen in porn. I'm pretty open to everything, even if I don't participate in those sorts of things. I don't know why things have to be so taboo and hush hush. If an adult wants to watch porn, they should watch porn. As far as watching it for it's art-sy creativity, I don't think so. The least you can do is be honest: If you watch porn, it's because you've got some business below your waistline that needs takin' care of. Not a big deal.

Yeah, KG pretty much said it all. I don't see it as an art form. People who call it art are those who don't want to say that they watch it for a more..... how to put this politically..... primal reason. Honestly, what classifies prostitution as prostitution is having sex for money. That is what porn stars do, so I see it as legal prostitution available for people to see. The only difference is that people in licensed porn have to get tested so there is no worry of passing STDs around. But really, they get paid for sex, so it is still prostitution no matter what spin you try to put on it. Like KG said, you don't have to feel ashamed of it. Just don't try to beat around the bush (pun unintended) and sugar coat it. 

I think there is a distinct line between art and porn. There are some paintings, sculptures and pictures that I have seen that are technically pornographic but are quite beautiful in their depiction of the human body (both male and female). These things may cause a sexual reaction from some people but I don't think that was their intention.

However, pornography to me is the stuff you find on a website or at an adult video store that has a sole purpose of causing a sexual reaction.

That's just my viewpoint on the subject

geeogree : Yeah, I agree that there was legitimate pieces of art featuring the human body that are very beautiful, I'm just finding that I'm becoming increasingly picky about what I consider art these days. I feel like someone could squeeze a tube of toothpaste all over a canvas and there's some crowd somewhere saying "IT'S A MASTERPIECE, WHAT AN INNOVATOR!". Everything is "art" anymore. So while I appreciate that there is artwork that features nudity/sex while not provoking any uhh... carnal urges, there is also just porn. And there's nothing wrong with porn, it just is what it is.

So there's a very fine line, I believe.

KG : oh, I agree with you on that.

I see the crap that people put together and call "art" and it makes me sick. I could do half that crap if I wanted to, but I'm not a famous artist so I can't sell it for a million dollars.

KG : Yeah. I agree with you o that subject ever since I got slapped.

geeogree :   I know what you mean. I went through the Metropolitan Museum of Art one time. It occurred to me that there were a lot of nudes. I thought about it and thought that some people would see it as porn and receive sexual simulation from it. The masters did not intend this. It was more of the study of how to draw and sculpt the human body.

Well anything could be art since art is simply expresion open to the interpretations of others, personaly art dosent interest me. Id not class it as art but that merely reflects my viewpoint, iv seen people call a fridge door suspended from a car park roof art. Eye of the beholder, eye of the beholder.

I suppose the first thought is what you define to be pornographic.   To be simple I will use the simple version given by Google when I asked it to define pornography (LOL)
Noun:  Printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity.
Due to my very random household, and how simple and open we all are,  there has never been a problem with artwork depicting nudity.  OR even images or paintings depicting naked women or suggestive positions.  I grew up with them and many artists make me see them as art work.   Thanks to growing up around art by the likes of Rowena Morrill and the many art books collected by my parents I can very definitely say they have an artistic quality to them.  In fact, I can not think of anything more truly beautiful than the sensation or image of two beings in love with each other.

I will also admit I frequent websites like Furaffinity, and while many of its art is simple, much of it is very well done and easily Artistic work in my eyes.  However this may be due to my lack or paranoia of the naked human body.  I do not see it as a dirty object at all, and in fact the only reason I see clothes as necessary is to keep warm and have pockets. 

I also tend to enjoy the stories written about the subject of such activity at times.

You can't say that pornography - all of it in existence - is art, because a LOT of it is not intended to be. And on the other hand, you can't say that all pornography in existence is NOT art.

This can only be determined on a case-by-case basis.

I do think that, just because an art project, no matter the medium, whether it's illustration, photography, short film, sculpture, etc. contains sexually explicit images- or an expression of human sexuality - doesn't make it invalid as artwork.

Like the others have said, it really is a case by case basis. For the most part, a lot of it can be art. But there is some that is just not intended to be, and I don't think that those should be.

That said, there have been some really interesting art pieces that could be considered "porn"

Annette :   That is true but also true with other forms of media.   While music, Television, video games, and other media are considered art, not all of them are Art like in quality.   Then again, art is also in the eye of the beholder (like beauty and humor lol). What one person sees as Art, another can get a head ache or will just tilt their head and look at you funny.

Vizzed Maniac :
  Actually it is.  If value the history and appreciation of art you'll find that art is filled with nudes.  Sometimes showing even interactions.  The thing that seperates pornagraphy from modern art is that it's socially unacceptable and deemed immoral.

mr.pace :   AS well as the simple question of what people define to be pornographic. Right, wrong, morals, and all such events are dependent on whenever happens to be looking at whatever item/event/etc.  If you go by the Dictionary one I used then of course its art.  There are hundreds of Classical art pieces depicting sexual activity.   The act of reproduction is one that has always fascinated human kind.  Not only due to its place in extending the blood line and expanding the species, but also the many ways the ACT itself can be done.   The only real trouble at all in this area really is religious in nature.   For instance, I myself grew up around nude art work, and was raised in an environment that focused on knowledge and learning.  In my house, if you were old enough to ask about something you where old enough to learn about something.   In the case of the united states however, the inclination that Sex is a 'bad thing' is fairly wide spread.  It seems common for people to just throw something under the bad bus simply because they don't want to talk about it.  (This is also done similarly to the strategy put forward against Drugs.)  While they may see Dark, evil, or in some cases Satanic to many.  I see them as just things or plain silly.  I for one don't say something is bad, I say something has risks.  Drugs have side affects, Sex may cause pregnancy or diseases, Pentacles are just representations of the 5 core elements that make up the world (nothing at all evil in Either upward or downward facing stars if you know the meanings.) as well as their unity to each other, and Censership... well that's just stupid.  Bad words? Seriously?   they are like the pentacle, if you know the meaning then they are just words. (grow up people seriously.)  There is only ONE offensive term out there, and it was made specifically as an offensive term.

Huh good question. But im pretty sure it actually is. But i dont think You would want to post Any of it (No offense lol)

It Could Be Considered Art But In My Opinion It Isn't. I Have NO Idea Why Porn Was Actually Made But Maybe Im Too Young To Understand.

Um, to those that don't know what porn is... You will find out about it sooner or later.
Porn is never art, but the line is blurry on what porn is. Many Non-American countries find that casual nudity on tv is not bad and full explicit nudity in movies is fine.
Also sex in film is not frowned upon, in fact some famous directors in other countries have sex in their films and are lauded for it.
If you meant art as in painting or photographs, the nude is a well-used and well- liked type of painting/photograph. Many artists have made their livelihood making art out of the beauty of the human form.

Pornography is one of those things that is hard to define.  I think nudity can be artistic, but pornography is created for the intention of arousal.  That's where it gets tough to draw the line.  The artist's intention isn't something you can nail down just by looking at their product.  Even if the artist doesn't mean to capture a sexual aspect in nude/explicit art, some viewers may find it arousing anyway.

I don't consider porn to be artistic.  I know TONS of people would disagree with me, and they have every right to.  I just think that when something is considered pornographic, it means that it's , and the artist probably did not have "capturing the beauty" in mind.

Pornography could be viewed as a form of art, many photographers express their passions in different ways if a photographer wants to show his art through the naked body of man and women It's his choose. Nobody ever says anything when people paint pictures of the naked body, Isn't it the same thing? just shown in a different way.

There's no way it's art. Regular movies aren't even consider art, so why should a pornographic movie count as one?

If porn was art would that make porn stars artists? I don't think what they do is considered to be any form of art...