Assuming the Ecosexual Position: The Earth as Lover

by Annie Sprinkle, Beth Stephens, Jennie Klein

The story of the artistic collaboration between the originators of the ecosex movement, their diverse communities, and the Earth
  What’s sexy about saving the planet? Funny you should ask. Because that is precisely—or, perhaps, broadly—what Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens have spent many years bringing to light in their live art, exhibitions, and films. In 2008, Sprinkle and Stephens married the Earth, which set them on the path to explore the realms of ecosexuality as they became lovers with the Earth and made their mutual pleasure an embodied expression of passion for the environment. Ever since, they have been not just pushing but obliterating the boundaries circumscribing biology and ecology, creating ecosexual art in their performance of an environmentalism that is feminist, queer, sensual, sexual, posthuman, materialist, exuberant, and steeped in humor. Assuming the Ecosexual Position tells of childhood moments that pointed to a future of ecosexuality—for Annie, in her family swimming pool in Los Angeles; for Beth, savoring forbidden tomatoes from the vine on her grandparents’ Appalachian farm. The book describes how the two came together as lovers and collaborators, how they took a stand against homophobia and xenophobia, and how this union led to the miraculous conception of the Love Art Laboratory, which involved influential performance artists Linda M. Montano, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, and feminist pornographer Madison Young. Stephens and Sprinkle share the process of making interactive performance art, including the Chemo Fashion Show, Cuddle, Sidewalk Sex Clinics, and Ecosex Walking Tours. Over the years, they celebrated many more weddings to various nature entities, from the Appalachian Mountains to the Adriatic Sea. To create these weddings, they collaborated with hundreds of people and invited thousands of guests as they vowed to love, honor, and cherish the many elements of the Earth. As entertaining as it is deeply serious, and arriving at a perilous time of sharp differences and constricting categories, the story of this artistic collaboration between Sprinkle, Stephens, their diverse communities, and the Earth opens gender and sexuality, art and environmentalism, to the infinite possibilities and promise of love.

Genres: Nonfiction, Queer, Art, Philosophy, Sexuality, Nature, Audiobook

256 pages, Paperback

Published August 17, 2021

About the author

I was a NYC prostitute and porn star for twenty years; then I morphed into an artist and sexologist. I have passionately explored sexuality for over forty years, sharing my experiences through making my own unique brand of feminist sex films, writing books and articles, visual art making, creating theater performances, and teaching. I have consistently championed sex worker rights and health care and was one of the pivotal players of the Sex Positive Movement of the 1980s. I got my BFA at the School of Visual Arts in NYC and was the first porn star to earn a Ph.D.. I’m a popular lecturer whose work is studied in many colleges and Universities. For the past 12 years I have been collaborating on art projects with her partner, an artist and UCSC professor, Beth Stephens. We are movers and shakers in the new “ecosex movement,” committed to making environmentalism more sexy, fun, and diverse. In 2013, I proudly received the Artist/Activist/Scholar Award from Performance Studies International at Stanford, and was awarded the Acker Award for Excellence in the Avant Garde.

Reviews

[Chantelle ellesbooksandbakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful, informative, and enjoyably absurd! Really enjoyed the read. I felt like it could have been organized and edited a bit for clarity, since it jumps around quite a bit and can feel repetitive or unstructured at times. A great read if you're eco-curious or think you might be!

[Kate Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel so seen! I loved the authors’ intellectually engaging, fiercely environmental, lovingly loving, Practice what you Preach approach to philosophy, art, sex, LoverNature, and their audience. These women are smart, passionate, insightful, courageous, and humble. The art in this text is written, visual, experimental, experiential, and in the form of prayers, photographs, contracts, and performance art. I loved being in the world of Sprinkle and Stephens and I wish them many more years of shared art! I would LOVE to attend one of their weddings!!

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel really connected to this book because I know the writers and that is part of the reason I read it! I loved how the theory was written through memoir style writing. My main critique is that I think the authors could have done a better job incorporating indigenous ideas into their writing. Most of the book is in California and it makes me sad that indigenous populations weren’t given page time. It could have really enriched the book

[Emili Lemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

eccentric and mind-opening... the parameters are wide open after reading this book...

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt it was very self conscious and silly. But absolutely ecosexual in a joyful way.

[Sam Pointon · Rating 4 out of 5]

only real freaks will get it. they’re a bit politically convoluted at times but that’s art babey