Untitled: Photos from Chicago's Infamous Debauchery Ball

The body can be an instrument for pleasure or release; sometimes both. It can be a conduit for inexplicable joy through movement and consent. The Debauchery Ball is a biannual, invite only event created by local poet, author, and visionary Khari Boden. While billed as a safe space for black BDSM exploration, anyone that’s ever been to the Debauchery ball will tell you that it isn’t about sex. Sex is the undertone for the euphoric movement that takes place at the Ball. Using a digital camera, I go into the ball with the intent of capturing this liberation. This isn't a party. This is a spiritual experience, a different kind of Black church. One is made holy through movement and touch here; the body becomes the instrument for black joy.