【the art of narrative eroticism】

A group of women are the art of narrative eroticismcovering themselves in glitter and posing naked for an Instagram project which aims to show "real people with real bodies" and encourage body positivity.

The #positivelyglittered project is, according to its founder Roseanna Mae, "basically a bunch of normal, everyday girls" who get together to celebrate their bodies "as they are".

So, why glitter? "We cover ourselves in glitter because glitter is so striking, beautiful, and really gets the girls wanting to be involved," says Mae. "It is a way to be naked, without being entirely naked."

View this post on Instagram

Mae says they aim to show diversity and, through the Instagram page, they hope to show that "every body is a good body."

The photos posted on the account are taken during "glitter shoots," in which a "diverse range of women" get together over a "common interest of wanting to be body positive."

For those involved, the glitter shoot means something different to each woman. "Some girls have body image issues, and this is such a fantastic way to aid in the journey of accepting yourself, others have personal trauma that the glitter is a step in the direction of feeling comfortable in themselves again," says Mae.

View this post on Instagram

"Some of us enjoy being naked and all glittered up with friends because its a way of bringing up our sisters and helping each other to see the beauty in all of us," she adds. Mae says that each woman featured in the shoots has their own needs in terms of anonymity and censorship. "Some will not post their face at all, and others are happy to have their face showing," she says. She says it's important to cater to all needs, because for some people they may not feel it's appropriate for them to have "nude pictures of them on the internet" in which they can be identified.

View this post on Instagram

The glitter shoots are open to the public and the organisers want as many women as possible to join in. "It is such a liberating experience for those involved, and its about showing real people, with real bodies."

She says the aim of the endeavour is to show women that "no matter your size, shape, body type, ethnicity, weight, you are beautiful." She believes the glitter only "enhances" the natural beauty of each woman's body. "It is important that everyday human bodies are shown and represented," she says.

View this post on Instagram

But, posting nude images on Instagram comes with a huge risk. According to Instagram's community rules, nudity isn't allowed on the social network. And, photos that include "genitals, and close-ups of fully-nude buttocks" are prohibited on the platform. Some photos of nipples are also banned, with the exception of images showing breastfeeding and mastectomy scarring.

For the #positivelyglittered project, however, this is a risk they have to take. Still, they are afraid that photos will get removed.

View this post on Instagram

"There is absolutely nothing offensive about a female nipple or pubic hair, and yet we have to make sure it's unseen," says Mae.

"Even then, theres a slight fear that the photos will be removed (and they've been known to) due to nudity."