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next year in Venice!
A favourite web page of mine:
The Realm of Venus: Ladies Clothing and Accesories in 16th Century Venice
http://realmofvenus.renaissancewoman.net/
"Welcome to the Realm of Venus, a site about the clothing and accessories of the women of sixteenth century Venice - courtesans and courtly noble ladies. Whether you are a costumer in SCA, theatre, film, or Renaissance Fairs, or if you are simply a lover of art or historical fashion, I hope you'll find inspiration on these pages."
I've been immensely inspired myself by the figure of the Renaissance Venetian courtesan, and it's something of an ideal for my own practice to aspire to. Starchild and I visited the Venetian casino/hotel/mall after the Vegas conference, and I fell into a very longing and humble sort of love with the sparkling versions of courtesan display that some of the female performers wore (why do nonsexual actresses get to dress up as courtesans but not actual sex workers?). I'm very jealous of anyone who's actually visited Venice. I see cities like Venice, Kyoto, Shanghai, as our holy sites, worthy of pilgrimages... and the most beautiful experience of my life was completed in Venice Beach, California. Some day I wish to visit the true Serene Republic.
If a few sex workers took to walking openly in the garb of traditional Venetian, or Greek, or Chinese, or Japanese courtesans, with the grace and dance and style and the mind to match, it could change the world.
And I'd simply kill to be able to walk in that sort of beauty and be recognised for it. And I want a society where the public image of sex worker is not the strung-out crack whore, with tattered fishnets covering a bruised ass-crack... nor a cold-smiled material girl of power and privilege, who stands proudly in her great achievement of possesing white skin and blonde hair... but a woman or man of intelligence, colour, passion, elan vital, open sexuality, and spiritual power. The question is whether we can build the institutions to make that again possible.
Website: http://realmofvenus.renaissancewoman.net/
 
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