FLOWERS & CHOCOLATE, 2018

With FLOWERS & CHOCOLATE , a series of twenty hyper-realized and beautifully lit photographs of Black erect penises paired with flowers, Mueller talks about the complex interplay of beauty, race, racism, sexuality and taboo. “If you look at the flower you have to look at the penis, it is close-up and it is in your face”.

Each photo image is presented in a hand-constructed light box. These backlit images form islands of light in the dark gallery space and create an intimacy and secrecy atmosphere.
FLOWERS & CHOCOLATE was born out of Mueller’s observation that often Black masculinity was either fetishized, feared, ignored, or labeled taboo.

By choosing the format of a close-up still-life composition, Mueller created a permissible environment that allows the viewer an unbiased close-up examination of the Black penis and sees its beauty without judgment or the power dynamics of pornography. The flower, representing feminine beauty, gives the viewer permission to examine the skin and veins' fine details next to the flower petals' delicate textures. In our society, the Black penis often represents a taboo lurking on the other side of the racial divide. Like all taboos, it is simultaneously an enticement and a threat. FLOWERS & CHOCOLATE invites the viewer to reflect on their response to this taboo.
All the Black men who posed for FLOWERS & CHOCOLATE are trusted friends and are supportive of this project.

Read more: The Fabulous Phalluses of Eva Mueller