X Marks the Spot; This statement conjures up a number of connotations, the most obvious being a treasure map although it’s also used to pinpoint people and objects on maps both paper and electronic and it also alludes to sexual themes and descriptions and a number of other rather obscure situations.
The most common perception for most people is where it is used to mark treasure on pirate maps, but now it is used electronically as a little blue dot rather than a X that tracks our every step on Google maps on our smart- phone, locating each of us at our exact coordinates in time and space at any given moment. We no longer move towards our destinations guided by paper maps, the night sky, compasses or other analogue means. Instead, we are tracked from the sky by satellite. Among the things lost in the switch from analogue to digital wayfinding systems are the joy in the search, the anxiety of losing yourself, the ability to finding yourself again, within your own body, or within the space of the world.
In World War One Army Officers would mark a white X on a piece of black paper and pin it over the heart of a prisoners chest so that when they were executed by firing squad, the marksmen would be able to deliver a clean coup de grace, the command to shoot being X Marks the Spot....Take aim, Fire!
There are several sexual themes and positions tagged with the phrase X Marks the Spot, it's not for me to enlighten you here, you can do the legwork/fingerwork yourselves, I just thought I'd bring it to your attention as some of it is truly “Out there” some of you may already be aware, those who are not, the fun is always in the journey.
Another situation which is pertinent to what we do here on AB is how do you show what cannot be shown? X rated, that marks this spot, the question faces all artists, photographers and filmmakers who work on projects involving sexually explicit material. There are various answers: develop a clever abstract treatment; imply nudity, play peek-a-boo with salacious details; hide offensive details; avoid truly risqué material, but create an atmosphere that evokes the forbidden erotic world; opt for candor and humor; or simply don't do that type of work in the first place.
Why is he using naked female buttocks in support of the narrative I hear you ask? Gratuitous, probably, necessary probably not, but hey I couldn't really use a pirate map now could I, that would be way too boring and obvious.So next time you see an X marking a spot take care you could be a target for being shot or for getting involved in some bacchanalian adventure. Good Luck my friends!.....