Darwin gallery debuts ‘adults only’ rope bondage photography exhibition (with audio)


Source: ABC.net.au.


AUSTRALIA – DARWIN – Darwin rope enthusiast Tania Bird has always been fascinated by bondage and restraint, however it took a pivotal moment two years ago to turn this intrigue into a way of life.

“I met somebody who tied me up and I loved it,” Ms Bird told 105.7 ABC Darwin.

“So I went online and researched and I discovered this whole world out there.”

I’ve been tied down to the back of a ute before with ute rope. You have to be careful about the rope you use or it can give you a burn.

Opening at Darwin Visual Arts Association on Friday night, Ms Bird’s photography and performance exhibition, Bound To Explore, is a curated insight into that personal “journey into the world of rope bondage”.

“It’s to share a portion of myself with the public and something that I’m really passionate about,” she said.

Often associated with the submission and dominance of BDSM, rope bondage is the practice of restricting, wrapping, suspending or restraining a person into mildly constricted positions through to completely contorted arrangements.

Ms Bird started out in rope bondage by simply tying herself up, primarily because she had a lack of bondage buddies — riggers — willing to treat her as their “bunny”.

Then she started meeting others across Australia who were also involved in the subculture.

Ms Bird described this subculture as inherently “sensual” and “sexual”, however as something that goes far beyond common stereotypes of four-poster beds and Fifty Shades Of Grey.

“There’s bondage for sex, absolutely, and there’s some very practical ties that work very well for that, but that’s a very small portion of the world of rope bondage,” Ms Bird said.

“There’s many different experiences you can give the person being tied. They could just want to relax. It could be a soft sensual rope.

“The person being tied might want to be hurt and be into the sadomasochism side of things.

“Or you might want to create something beautiful together. It’s about the connection between two people.”

‘It was every little girl’s dream’

For example, Ms Bird once had her “childhood dream” of becoming a mermaid fulfilled by a friend also interested in rope bondage.

“She made the fin by weaving rope together and then it took us about an hour to bind my legs together to create the mermaid tail. I could actually swim in it,” she said.

“It was every little girl’s dream. One of the joys of rope is that it transports you to another place. For me it’s about the ecstasy and the happiness.”

Photographs of Ms Bird splashing around in a swimming pool with her bright blue rope mermaid tail are included in Bound To Explore, along with other photographs and videos taken since 2014.

Many of the images feature styles from the Japanese rope bondage tradition of shibari which commonly uses the soft and shiny vegetable fibre jute.

“I was drawn to the intricacies of [shibari] and I love to learn,” Ms Bird said.

Other exhibition items feature people Ms Bird has met in the past two years at performance events like Morpheus Bondage Extravaganza, or at her local bondage group Peer Rope Darwin.

Ms Bird said this monthly Darwin meet-up always started with a “safety spiel” and aimed to give people a comfortable space to learn and explore.

“When you do rope bondage, there’s risk involved and it’s really important that all experiences are safe, consensual and sane,” she said.

“Negotiation is very much a part of what we do.

“Bondage is about sacrificing control. That’s one of the big psychological attractions. It’s about yielding control and giving up, and the trust that’s involved in that.”

“If somebody hasn’t been tied up before, I’ll start by asking them what they want: whether they just want to feel the rope, feel restriction, or not be able to move.

Exhibition’s adults-only opening

“It’s definitely a lifestyle and a hobby. I’ve tied younger women, older women, men, transgender folk.

“I’ve been tied down to the back of a ute before with ute rope.

“You have to be careful about the rope you use or it can give you a burn.”

Ms Bird said there were even bigger safety considerations for airborne bondage, which can involve people swung from rigs while totally constricted in their body movements.

“It takes an understanding of mechanics to take somebody off the ground and make them fly,” Ms Bird said.

At Bound To Explore’s “adults-only” opening on Friday night, onlookers will be granted an insight into this sort of suspension with an erotic live performance by Sydney rope enthusiasts and BDSM practitioners James Davis and Salk.

“Bit by bit, her entire body is suspended,” Mr Davis told the ABC during a Friday morning run through of the routine.

“Bondage is about sacrificing control. That’s one of the big psychological attractions. It’s about yielding control and giving up, and the trust that’s involved in that.

“That’s been described to me as blissful, and I say describe, because I don’t get [tied up] myself.”

Salk, who mostly gets tied up yet also sometimes practices bondage on others, said it was perhaps time for Mr Davis to get more involved.

“It might be time to tie him up,” she said.

See more and larger photo’s: www.abc.net.au.

Link Podcast on Radio 105.7 ABC Darwin.