Other Intimacies:
The book reimagining erotic photography for the 21st century - pre-orders available now!

Launching in collaboration with The Hayward Gallery, London - 4th July 2024. 

Other Intimacies is a new independently published book by London-based artist Anna Sampson, which explores the boundaries of erotica as a genre, reclaiming it from the oppressive heritage of the male gaze prevalent in the 20th century. It also shines a spotlight on the themes which largely remain in the shadows in contemporary society: queer desire and intimacy, subversive exploration of gender, the politics of sexual autonomy, sex work and the unapologetic, embodied exploration of self.


Published in the limited edition of 300 and printed using lithography, Other Intimacies is the reflection of Sampson’s life within the queer and sex workers’ communities, as well as the development of her artistic practice over the last 8 years. The book reflects her lasting commitment to portraiture, darkroom processes and platforming radical, and frequently othered, beauty. Sampson’s key intention is to create imagery that makes people feel seen and represented. She works collaboratively with her models, fully involving them in the process of creating the book. She is also open about her stance on the precarious economy of creating art today, taking extra care that her models and contributors are always paid fairly to dismantle the stereotype that erotic art is inherently exploitative. She creates an inclusive and celebratory space of desire.

The book opens with Sampson’s Manifesto, an earnest and well-researched piece of writing which details her own experiences in sex work as well as the cultural lineage of Other Intimacies in the present climate of sex negativity and censorship. “Photography has long been used to document acts of resistance, for its emotional reach can transcend borders, enabling viewers to access the world from alternative perspectives. Given that we are living through times of agitated racist and anti-trans violence, the visibility of marginalised and stigmatised sexualities is ever more important; without these perspectives, we would have no (queer) history, and no future,” she writes. “ It is my hope that this book will serve as an anthology of voices from within the community. This book is much more than a collection of titillating and playful imagery – it’s a form of power and resistance – which is essential for long-lasting social and political change.”

The book is divided into three parts: Performance, Intimacy and Resistance, with written contributions from porn performer and founder of Four Chambers Vex Ashley, porn director Max Disgrace, writer and curator Anastasiia Fedorova, and an Epilogue by performer Jay They Stallion. The book also features Ajamu X, a British artist, curator, archivist and activist who is known for his iconic fine art photography exploring Black queer desire and lives of Black LGBTQI+ people in the UK, who has given advanced praise for the project:

This is a stunning, sensuous book object. Anna’s work – through her beautiful and visceral crafted imagery – brings flesh, skin, light, process and production to the fore. These images play with (or better put, fucks with) our sensorium and take Other Intimacies in multiple directions. This book is a placeholder for those wanting to ‘re-turn’ to the energy of queerness, desires and pleasures without apology and sanitised notions of 'identity-thinking' and representation entering the frame
⁃           Ajamu X

Video Edit: Martin Senyszak / CGI: Mike Lamont / Production Partner: Art Engine / Press Release: Anastasiia Fedorova 

©annasampson2024. annaconstancesampson@gmail.com