The Materialist

In the photograph below Sean Combs is again the dominant force and the materialistic or greedy male. He is leaning over the woman on all fours, like a dog/wolf or wild animal would protect their catch. She looks completely passive with her eyes closed, lying down on the floor. The photo is taken from ground level, or from the woman's perspective looking upward to accentuate Sean Combs dominance. John Berger states in Ways of Seeing 'to be naked is to be oneself.  To be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognized for oneself. A nude has to be seen as an object in order to be a nude, they are there to feed an appetite, not to have any of their own.'

The woman in this image could be seen to represent something he owns like his jewels, as the gold colour represents value and wealth (maybe replicating one of his music awards). She remains naked and painted gold to show that she is just another accessory to his wealthy lifestyle, she is objectified. She remains without any possessions of her own. Sean Combs is licking his lips, an action that is often associated with hunger or used to express pleasure. In this case pure pleasure in owning and dominating this prized possession.

Sean “Puffy” Combs: Mississippi Goddam, 1999