The rise and rise of posh porn

by Rebecca Burn-Callander - Friday, 14th September 2007 - (2) comments

“Erotic art isn’t taboo anymore,” says Mark Davis, the driving force behind online retailer ObsessionArt.com.

Davis founded the erotic print gallery in September last year, and he’s already seeing sales of £9,000 a quarter with margins at 30 per cent. Type in “nude art” or “erotic prints” on Google and Obsession comes in at the top.

“There was nothing out there that fully catered for the emerging trend for posh porn and erotica,” he says. “A couple of the larger art sites might have a small section called ‘Nudes’, but nothing comprehensive.”

But here’s the weird bit. Over 60 per cent of Obsession Art’s customer base is female. While it’s common knowledge that women are the main purchasers of interior decorations, this took Davis by surprise.

“I wanted the site to have a wide-ranging appeal. The website is classy – white background, deep reds, not seedy at all – but I wasn’t expecting that kind of split.”

Davis has struck gold with this demographic: “Our customers tend to be very well off. People come to the site and drop £700 at a time, and a lot of them come back and buy more.”

There are no flashing banners, no web rings to navigate, and surfers have a wealth of search options to choose from while browsing. My favourite is the “anatomical” search. View art works that feature “feet” or “backs and bottoms” to find a print that really tickles your fancy.

After all, the modern woman doesn’t want just any old print on her wall these days. She wants a boy in the buff, or a lady in lingerie.

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