LAUREN LUNDER
An Imagined Conversation
The sophisticated lady on the cover of Bound by Skin #327 has a few surprises beneath the surface.
There is an interesting contradiction to Lauren Lunder.
Then you notice the look in her eyes.
There's curiosity there. Mischief. Maybe even a little trouble.
And suddenly the perfectly polished exterior becomes considerably more interesting.
For Issue #327, Bound by Skin imagined sitting down with Lauren somewhere far removed from the studio lights and asking the questions that might reveal what lies beneath that sophisticated exterior.
BOUND BY SKIN: Lauren, let's begin with the obvious question. Are you really as sophisticated as you appear?
LAUREN: Sophisticated enough to make people think I am.
But appearances can be deceptive. I think most people have sides of themselves that don't necessarily make it into polite conversation.
That's probably what makes people interesting.
BB: So there's another Lauren hiding underneath the elegant one?
LAUREN: I wouldn't say hiding.
Maybe she's just waiting for the right circumstances.
The woman people meet during the day and the woman they discover later in the evening don't always have to be the same person.
BB: What brings that other woman out?
LAUREN: Curiosity.
Trust.
A little temptation.
And probably someone who knows how to push the right buttons without pushing too far.
BB: That sounds like a dangerous combination.
LAUREN: Only if you don't know what you're doing.
You're standing in front of someone with a camera, and suddenly every tiny movement means something.
BB: And do you know what people are thinking when they look at your photographs?
LAUREN: I can probably guess.
But I'd rather leave some of that to their imagination.
BB: What do you think makes a nude photograph genuinely beautiful rather than simply provocative?
LAUREN: Confidence.
A woman who is comfortable in her own skin changes the entire photograph.
It doesn't matter whether she's completely exposed or almost completely covered. If she owns the moment, you feel it.
I think that's much sexier than trying too hard to be sexy.
BB: Do you think there's something inherently intimate about being photographed nude?
LAUREN: Of course.
BB: You have a very thoughtful way of talking about sexuality.
LAUREN: Maybe because sexuality is more interesting when you don't reduce it to one thing.
There's confidence in it. Vulnerability. Curiosity. Humor.
And sometimes a little wickedness.
BB: A little wickedness?
LAUREN: Everyone should have some.
BB: How much?
LAUREN: Enough that your life doesn't become boring.
BB: That's a pretty good philosophy.
LAUREN: I try.
BB: Let's talk about imperfections. Your photographs don't try to hide every mark or detail. Is that deliberate?
LAUREN: Absolutely.
Perfect skin is beautiful, but real skin is interesting.
Little marks, freckles, scars, texture—all of those things remind you that you're looking at an actual person.
I don't want to look like a computer-generated version of myself.
BB: So you don't believe a woman needs to be flawless to be sexy?
LAUREN: Not even remotely.
Flawless is boring.
Character isn't.
BB: What makes a woman memorable?
LAUREN: Knowing herself.
And not being afraid of the parts of herself that don't fit neatly into other people's expectations.
BB: That sounds like something you've learned over time.
LAUREN: Most worthwhile things are.
BB: If someone only knew the woman they see in your photographs, what would surprise them most about you?
LAUREN: Probably how different I can be depending on the situation.
I can be very reserved.
I can be very playful.
The photograph gives us the obvious things: beauty, confidence, skin, light and shadow.
And sometimes, in a world where everyone seems determined to show us everything, a little mystery is the most provocative thing of all.
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