Zodiac Series of Erotica: Monkey

The Monkey — ninth sign of the zodiac, associated with cleverness, curiosity, and playfulness — appears in Karhu's erotic series as a drawing from the 1970s, its simian wit and dexterity lending a comic as well as sensual charge to the composition. The Zodiac Erotica series was, in part, a playful project — Karhu finding humor in the juxtaposition of the zodiac's august cultural authority with the frank physicality of his erotic subject matter. The Monkey, most mischievous of the twelve signs, fits this spirit particularly well.