David Lawrence has been a master of expressive portrait, social function and people photography for more than 25 years. During that time styles and fads have come and gone but David’s methods have remained true and effective. The tenets his work is based upon are not a matter of style but of substance.
David became interested in Shibari, the Art of Japanese Rope Bondage, in early 2003. With a keen artist’s eye, David recognized the inherent beauty of rope on skin. Shibari quickly became a passion, one that developed more intensely as he worked with and experienced the magic of rope. David’s talent and skill truly emerged as he delved deeper into the art of tying rope. His ties are meticulous, intricate, intense and beautiful. In fact, they are all true works of art.
David’s gift to us is his ability to expertly blend his two passions; rope and photography. As a result, his striking images communicate sensuality, eroticism, and the force of raw emotion. His use of lighting, angles, and sheer creativity is the key to his poignant imagery.
Tying and shooting women has been an amazing and powerful journey that isn’t over yet, but, it’s time to raise my bar a bit and embark on a new and challenging endeavor; Men BOUND. People have approached me for a long time regarding rigging and photographing men. It is absolutely an untapped source and un-chartered course of creative expression that I feel must be explored.
Although men and women are quite obviously anatomically different, my actual approach and technique in tying men will be similar. That being said, the portrayal of men versus women in rope is vastly different; hence, the visual effect will be as well. The female form is viewed as soft, supple and agile; therefore the affect of the rope may be seen as a submissive, sensual, erotic form of bondage; while the male form connotes strength, stamina, and stature so the affect of the rope is a more intense, harsh, power struggle form of bondage. In either case, the subject has undeniably given up control. Capturing the behavior and expression of men in rope is an exciting prospect and I look forward to the adventure that this path of exploration will take me.
In June of 2005, David Lawrence’s diligent efforts resulted in the publishing and release of his first book, “BOUND.” The publisher, Jurgen Boedt of Secret Magazine recognized something in David's imagery.
I became interested in Shibari, (Japanese Rope Bondage), at a curiosity and play level. When slave judy and I delved deeper into this lifestyle and experimented with many forms of play, I found rope bondage to be a very powerful form of expression. It was a love that developed quickly and soon became my favorite form of play. The more I tied, the more passionate I became in my desire to tie and expand my skill and creativity. It took no time at all for rope, tying and bondage to become an integral part of my life.
Initially I tied with basic nylon rope purchased at a home improvement store. When I discovered Hemp rope, I found it to be a more sophisticated, aesthetically pleasing rope. Its coarse texture elicits a more intense sensation and more efficiently holds the integrity of the tie. It is with this rope that I perfected the art.
As a professional photographer with a well developed eye for beauty and creative expression, it occurred to me that creating images of this art form would be stunning. It was then I decided to combine Shibari with photography. Hence, my photographic journey into Japanese Rope Bondage began and this project was born.
Although this will be an ongoing effort, there are three main phases to this project. Phase I, which is now complete, produced magnificent images with a fine artistic flair, using diverse models in varying situations. Keep in mind that I am both the photographer and rigger throughout this journey, quite a unique opportunity. The first images were produced in a studio setting using a low-key style (dark background). The highpoint of the completion of Phase I was the publishing of BOUND. Phase II will be very challenging because I will be tying and shooting at various locations.
Each location will present its own unique challenges. This Phase was kicked off at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia in March 2005. The main challenge on location at the prison was the frigid temperature (below freezing) inside. My subjects were forced to deal with these uncomfortable conditions for 90 minute stretches. I was very grateful for their perseverance. The final leg of this project will bring me back into the studio where I will produce high key style (brilliant or white background) images.
Next, but in conjunction with the creation of images, is sharing my art with the public. My photographs will appear on this website of course, be featured on other sites, be published in several fetish magazines and books and will be shown in Art galleries.
I am looking for some special people out there who are commited to supporting the Alternative Art Forms. If you are that person then I invite you to look at becoming a Patron of the Arts in support of my continued work in this genre. Follow the link to the Patron of the Arts page for more information.
