[NSFW] An Artist Captures NYC's Aching Libido in Photos

It's heavy in the pregnant haze with its hands around skyscrapers' necks, aglow in the turned-on buzz of street lamps sweating over empty alleyways, and aching in the distance between you and the subway train rushing past that takes your breath away; cities ooze sex—even if you're not having any—and artist Megan Christiansen's debut photo book, BAD BOY, captures the love-hungry libido of New York City like it's 9 1/2 Weeks for the Tinder generation.

Sumptuous close-ups of un-stretched skin belie the fact that none of Christiansen's subjects look the camera in the face. It's coyness at its most millennial; we'll get naked for you, but opening up is like pulling teeth—slowly—and we like it that way. Included alongside the portraits are anonymous, uncensored writings about the artist, from the young men who give her book its namesake. Admits Christiansen to Creators, "I was quite surprised the pieces weren't more mean or more sexual. Many of the men I thought would have a lot to say about me seemed afraid to say anything that made them vulnerable. You definitely see this resistance in the book but it also amplifies the pieces where a few men expressed their deepest desires or feelings about me."

Says one admirer:

Ahem. For the past three years, the New Zealand transplant has been elbows deep in a practice that combines photography with video installation to provide an experimental self-portrait of her time living and fucking in New York. Tonight, the book debuts at Chinatown Soup in the Lower East Side, providing the beguiled a chance encounter with the artist. But don't expect anything, not even a copy—the self-published book is limited to 200. Which is fitting, as another BAD BOY writes:

Check out images from BAD BOY below:

Tonight (6/28) at Chinatown Soup, from 6–9 PM, Megan Christiansen's BAD BOY will be available, along with Old Blue Last (VICE's beer!). 16 Orchard St., New York, NY. The book goes on sale on the artist's website starting tomorrow.

Related:

[NSFW] A Dominatrix and a Photographer Team Up to Show Real BDSM

From Coca-Cola Douching to Crocodile Dung, Illustrating History's Shocking Contraception Methods

[NSFW] Tantalizing Illustrations Show the Pleasure and Pain of Long-Distance Relationships