There is a world hidden away from the harsh judgmental eyes of normal society.

A beautiful world with art, peace, and serenity. A world that hides out of fear and necessity. A world I have been given the privileged to be a part of. The idea of fusing my two passions into one artful experience is the realization of a dream. Kinba u is an ancient form of !apanese rope art. It transcends the borders of "#$% and fetish into beauty and art. I discovered Kinba u about four years ago. The first touch of the languid rope drug across my s in felt as though a missing piece of my soul I hadn&t noticed missing was recovered. 'hen I am bound I feel peaceful( the world has stilled, time ceases to exists, and I can just be. I feel strong and vulnerable, exposed bare and secure. I am one with the rope and the energy within and around it. I am art, a creation, a masterpiece. The midwest is a very conservative region with heavy christian values. It ma es displaying the beauty of Kinba u difficult. The line between art and pornography is obscure in a subjective world. There was a time when a project li e this was not possible. )erhaps I would have an easier time if I were in *rance li e %an +ay, or !apan li e Ara i. ,ontemporary art has opened )andora&s box and made controversial art possible in areas and times it once was not. I hope to challenge the way people see Kinba u, or art itself. -ou don&t have to be mainstream to be beautiful.