A New Species of Porn: Isabella Rossellini’s GREEN PORNO

 

Using colorful paper sculptures and crafty costumes that recall the aesthetics of Michael Gondry,  Isabella Rossellini has created Green Porno, a series of short films based on the sexual habits of animals.  In the pieces, she takes on the role various insects and sea creatures and then mates with a cardboard, craft-version of her chosen animal.  In the image here, we see Rossellini seducing another snail.  

Snapshot of GreenPorno with Snails

 

If you haven’t seen the shorts yet, picture colorful sets and costumes like this accompanied by nature soundtracks–i.e. slimy slurping sounds and grasshopper choirs. And of course, the stories are all narrated by Rossellini, herself.  Interestingly, she seems to tend toward playing the male role of most creature relationships.

 

NPR did a great job of interviewing Rossellini about the piece,  unusual for this actor widely known for her dramatic role played in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet.

 

For the purposes of this blog, Rossellini’s following words perked my ears when she was asked about the Eco implications embedded in the films’ title:

 

NPR:  Well’s there’s nothing overtly environmental about it….What’s the environmental message?

Rossellini: I never really want to preach.  I’m actually a little tired when people tell me ‘this is the end of the world’ and you become so saturated by this emergency message, I find myself a little turned off  so I thought a comical approach might be better.  

 

Rossellini doesn’t consider herself an Eco “warrior” in this series, but rather a “comic” whose humor can spread appreciation for the natural world to large audiences, the kind that may not typically review National Geographic.  

I appreciate her desire to incorporate nature into culture.  It becomes both an educational and entertaining way of putting the green movement into the public’s subconscious.

Although, I wonder, is there any green-minded porn with human stars out there?  Now that would say worlds about  the nation’s subconscious.