When I came across the photography of Alejandra Guerrero, I was immediately struck by the powerful imagery. Strong, dangerous, willful — don’t give a fuck— wicked women. The kind of women who will do anything to break from the norms of society and not worry about what other people think. The same type of women who have been scaring the crap out of people since time immemorial. Women who are both sexual and sensual without being too much in your face. The type of woman I can relate to but only fantasize about being!
Wicked Wiley Ways
Women have been portrayed as evil temptresses for a very long time. Even the Old Testament, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live,” is still to this day taken literally. What makes Alejandra Guerrero’s work so compelling, especially during the #METOO era is the theme of erotic femininity mixed with sexual empowerment.
Guerrero’s work stands out because she is not objectifying the women. The women are not splayed out for our amusement. But rather, she gives them a space for erotically charged expression. What I really love about her work too is that there is an edge of humor mixed in with the seductiveness.
‘I like to depict powerful women, to capture the spirit of the dominatrix … and through my work I aim to explore the part of my personality that enjoys teasing and provocation.’ – Alejandra Guerrero
New Expression of Erotica
Alejandra Guerrero states, ” I want to add a new voice to erotica by depicting women as powerful beings, expressing themselves through their bodies and sexuality.”
Guerrero believes that women, in general, have two sides. Looking through her body of work, one can clearly see that the models are effortlessly pushing through the lens and reflecting back to us a sense of duality. Alejandra captures the two personalities — not in competition with each other, but rather, cooperating together. The soft mailable lady blends in with the formidable wicked woman. This begs to answer the question — Yes, it possible for women to be all things–especially wicked without the shame attached!
Sex and Mischief
Clearly Alejandra Guerrero is a phenomenal woman who not only demonstrates exceptional talent. But from my perspective, she is also calling attention to the myths and prejudices that have persisted throughout history. Why is there still so much energy being used in keeping women in their proper place? With Wicked Women, Guerrero expends the energy in allowing women to create their own space.
My favorite image is the red lip couch. This is a great example of the genius in her work. The scene shows two women interacting with one another — the dominant and submissive side equally represented. The cigarette between the toes adds just enough humor and breaks with the severity of the red image itself. The women are perfectly framed with the red evoking a sense of danger and fun! Like seriously, who would not want to be one of those women?
from “Wicked Women” by Alejandra Guerrero
What Rules?
The world of photography would simply not be the way we know it as today without the work of incredible female photographers like Alejandra Guerrero leading the way. Wicked Women is a series that perfectly represents that females can be both strong yet feminine. They can share their soft side or kick your ass into next Tuesday.
I love how Alejandra’s work inspires a sense of rebelliousness. The imagery is not lofty or overdone but instead, she keeps things simple. The women are not overly adorned or on complicated sets. Truly, Wicked Women keeps the viewer grounded in an approachable fantasy — that the world needs more wicked women.
from “Wicked Women” by Alejandra Guerrero
Making Wicked Women a Reality
Hope springs for burgeoning erotic photographers like Alejandra Guerrero. Instead of shopping their portfolios and concepts around to major book publishers, they are able to control not only their content but also publication rights and layout through crowdfunding campaigns like Kickstarter. Guerrero has teamed up with CircaPress (the same group that published Steve Diet Geodde’s book Extempore) to create an amazing book that will make any erotic book collector swoon!
The great part of crowdfunding too, is that the funders can have a hand in making someone’s hard work a reality. A project like this gives decent exposure to an art form that is not always recognizable to the mainstream press and media.
Take a Peek Inside the world of Wicked Women
Wicked Women is filled with gorgeous works of photographic art. Alejandra Guerrero and her team have edited the material to the point where it takes the viewer on a journey of the erotic. We are especially drawn to the black and white images with heavy shadows–still representing the duality of her female characters.
“With love to all the wicked women, and the men who understand them.”
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Wicked Women Book -
Wicked Women Book
About Alejandra Guerrero
Alejandra Guerrero is a photographer whose work offers a unique vision of female-empowered eroticism. She was raised in Bogotá, Colombia, in a conservative and sexist society whose repression only served to encourage her curiosity, and heighten a desire that she eventually satisfied in the underground communities of the United States. There she found herself among people who expressed their sexuality and creativity more freely. Seen through Guerrero’s lens, this expression draws on fashion, fetishism, and fantasy. Hers is a rarefied visual art that marks a turning point for female sexuality in erotica.
For more information on Alejandra Guerrero check out her Instagram here.
Help make Wicked Women successful by getting involved here.
About the Author . . .
