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“I think of the work being about sex itself, not about depiction” – Merlin James. Because of the way this work has been composed, it is not immediately obvious that what we are witnessing is a sexual act. Once it becomes clear, the detail appears graphic. Merlin James is interested in questioning traditional forms of art history, including subject matter and, in this work, the role of the frame. This work is part of a series of sex paintings. It celebrates the act of sex rather than using painting as a means of objectification of the female body.