BERLIN.- The online auction house Auctionata will present its first “Erotica” art sale on August 27, 2015 at 12 pm EDT. The provocative auction will be broadcast via livestream and celebrates human sexuality across a range of mediums. The sale will offer a selection of more than 100 erotic artworks, including photographs, paintings, drawings and sculptures. Ranging from merely suggestive to flamboyantly overt, the works explore themes of desire, repression, psychology, and sensuality within art.

One of the most remarkable objects in this sale is the sculpture ‘Santa Octopussy’ by the American performance and video artist Paul McCarthy (b. 1954). The 2004 work explores one of McCarthy’s best-known themes—revealing the dark side of modern-day fairy tales, in this case stripping away the kindly veneer of a beloved Christmas figure. Made of urethane, brass and epoxy, it has a starting price of $30,000. McCarthy is widely regarded as one of the most subversive and provocative contemporary artists, whose works have been exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the Tate Modern in London.

Also of note is the notorious 1978 portfolio “X” by Robert Mapplethorpe (1946 – 1989), complete with 13 gelatin silver prints featuring homoerotic and sadomasochistic themes. With a starting price of $18,000, this famous work is extremely rare and highly sought after. The auction includes numerous other highlights as well, such as a photograph of a reclining male nude from the German-American fashion photographer Horst P. Horst, a series of drawings by Tom of Finland, and a Keith Haring collage.

The auction is curated by inveterate New York-based gallerist and art consultant Kathleen Cullen, whose extensive experience includes exhibitions that detail subversive, explicit, or otherwise provocative subjects. As an active member of the New York contemporary art scene for over 30 years, she will offer valuable insights throughout the sale. The auction can be followed live on www.auctionata.com or via the Auctionata Live iPhone App.