Photographer Captures the Everyday Lives Behind Adult Film Sets

The world of adult entertainment is often shrouded in fantasy, but American photographer Larry Sultan sought to expose the mundane reality behind the scenes. Through his lens, Sultan chronicled the unassuming suburban homes transformed into sets for adult films, revealing a unique intersection of domestic life and sexual performance.

Sultan’s interest in this subject began in the late 1990s during a photoshoot for Maxim magazine focused on the daily lives of adult film actors. This project serendipitously led him back to his childhood neighborhood in California’s San Fernando Valley, a region that had become a hub for adult film production due to its affordability and proximity to Los Angeles. Over the years, Sultan returned to photograph homes rented out for adult film shoots, capturing how these spaces served as backdrops for performances that both echoed and estranged the essence of everyday life.

Exploring Domestic Spaces

The images taken by Sultan encapsulate a sense of uncanny familiarity. In one photograph, adult film actor Sharon Wild poses amid vibrant purple curtains, seated on a worn mattress, with props like a brown suitcase scattered around. The simplicity of these settings highlights Sultan’s fascination with how these homes, once filled with families, were temporarily repurposed for the adult industry.

According to Yancey Richardson, Sultan’s gallerist, “It was like this parallel reality, and he was really fascinated by it.” The photographer’s book, titled The Valley, was published in 2004 and has since featured prominently in exhibitions of his work. Sultan passed away in 2009, but his unique perspective continues to resonate, with his portrait of Wild currently displayed at Richardson’s gallery in New York for its 30th anniversary show.

Sultan’s observations extended beyond the surface of these homes. He noted a striking contrast between their domestic familiarity and their role in adult entertainment. “These interiors and furnishings speak to a familiar domestic middle-class life,” he wrote. Yet, they became “estranged” from their original purpose, curated instead for the performance of pleasure and sex.

A Dual Narrative of Life and Performance

His wife, Kelly Sultan, who was present during the initial Maxim shoot, recalled how Larry was drawn to the everyday details that remained in the homes. “What was immediately of interest to him was the home itself: the magnets on the refrigerator; the details of daily life that were still alive in the home and being used as a backdrop for this alternative family that had moved in for the day,” she said.

In his photographs, the act of sex often takes a backseat to the environment. Sultan cleverly hinted at intimacy through reflections and shadows, capturing bodies just out of frame or obscured by furniture. Rebecca Bausher, who assisted Sultan, noted that he was more interested in the surroundings than the explicit content. “We’d walk into a setting and there might be a sex scene already happening, like off in a bedroom or off to the right. But he’d be like, ‘Oh my God, look at this menorah,’” she recalled.

These images not only document the adult film industry but also explore concepts of belonging and identity. In production studios, Sultan highlighted the incongruities of set design, revealing how ordinary furniture was hastily assembled and the illusion of suburban life was disrupted by studio props.

In an interview with the Oakland Museum of Contemporary Art in 2003, Sultan reflected on his work: “I think of myself on porn sets as documenting fictions. I like the theatrical lighting, I like their staging, I like that kind of weird theater.” He distinguished his approach as creating “anti-dramatic moments,” focusing on the oddities and subtleties rather than the climactic scenes typically associated with adult films.

Sultan’s keen eye for detail allowed him to create a narrative that transcends the overtly sexual nature of the subject matter. He often expressed excitement over the simplest elements of a scene. “When I see some purple curtains, I run for my camera,” he said. “Give me purple curtains and a red suitcase and I’m in heaven!”

Through his exploration of the intersection between domestic life and adult entertainment, Larry Sultan challenged perceptions and opened a dialogue about the nature of fantasy and reality. His legacy continues to influence the art world, prompting audiences to reconsider the stories behind the images.