The portrait of a young artist making both a living and a life
As a young artist trying to make a living in New York without
sacrificing all her time to paying rent, Sophia Giovannitti turned to
sex work: first, telling herself it was part of her art, and then
quickly accepting it as simply the way to make the most money in the
shortest possible time. Weaving between the art world and the sex
industry, she learned how much the two markets have in common: both
built on the buying and selling of creativity and desire,
authenticity and intimacy. The power of each lies in believing—or
pretending—they can provide meaning outside of monetary exchange.
In this searching and provocative work, moving from the author’s
own experiences to political analyses and the workings of the
contemporary art world, Giovannitti asks how we might face the great
dilemma of the art and sex industries head on: what happens to
desire, beauty, creativity, and autonomy when everything is a
transaction? Giovannitti finds a way to commit her life to art, to
intimacy, and to freedom on her own terms.
